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Benghazi Whistle-Blowers: 'It Matters'
Investor's Business Daily ^ | May 9, 2013 | IBD EDITORIALS

Posted on 05/09/2013 6:54:21 AM PDT by raptor22

The Scandal In Libya: Testimony by the Benghazi whistle-blowers presents clear evidence of shameful political manipulation of the truth seven weeks before an election and a willingness to let four Americans die to maintain a campaign narrative.

What difference at this point does the truth about Benghazi make? In an emotional opening statement at Wednesday's hearing of the House Oversight Committee, Eric Nordstrom, a regional security officer of the U.S. Mission to Libya from September 2011 to July 2012, answered that question with voice cracking and a simple declarative sentence:

"It matters to the friends and family of Ambassador Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, who were murdered on September 11th, 2012."

The truth about Benghazi, as Wednesday's testimony by Nordstrom, Mark Thompson and Gregory Hicks proved, is that the administration, President Obama and former Secretary of State Clinton were aware in the first hour that it was a terrorist attack, knew it was no spontaneous protest caused by a video, refused to send what help they could and then deliberately lied about it.

Mark Thompson, a former Marine and official with the State Department's Counterterrorism Bureau, who said he was not interviewed by the department's Accountability Review Board, testified that he was rebuffed by the White House when he asked for a Foreign Emergency Support Team (FEST) that's been activated in past threats to diplomats. This is a unit made of special operations personnel, diplomatic security, intelligence and other officers.

Hicks, U.S. deputy chief of mission in Libya on that fateful night, who also was near tears at times, recounted how a Special Forces team, including one member hobbling with a cast on his leg and a heavy machine gun on his shoulder, was ready to deploy on a Libyan C-130 to Benghazi...

(Excerpt) Read more at news.investors.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 113th; benghazi; benghazigate; benghazihearings; christopherstevens; ericnordstrom; glendoherty; gregoryhicks; hillaryclinton; ibd; ibdbenghazi; libya; markthompson; seansmith; soshillary; tyronewoods
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To: treetopsandroofs
Seeing that the media controls public perception, I have to agree.

Taking a look at the major news outlets last night and today, these hearing were not even close to the top story with the exception of Fox News.

Hoping I’m wrong, but if the media continues to ignore Benghazi, odds are good the happenings on Sept 11, 2012 will remain unnoticed by most.

21 posted on 05/09/2013 7:29:41 AM PDT by Rational Thought
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To: raptor22

courtesy ping.


22 posted on 05/09/2013 7:37:45 AM PDT by no-to-illegals (Scrutinize our government and Secure the Blessing of Freedom and Justice)
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To: tennmountainman
I do not understand why these whistleblowers were not asked who told them to stand down.

Maybe there was / is a reason. With the reports, etc. having been edited or rather classified by being marked out as to not be readable, have concluded the answer to that question is known, but for whatever reason, and it maybe is money payola being followed (I honestly do not know) but this is much bigger than is being released to the American public. Why do I suspect such? The media and the democrats are working overtime to kill this story. Tells me this is huge and involves National Security. Next question ... Will we ever learn the truth? I do not know and am doubting am speculating.

23 posted on 05/09/2013 7:44:54 AM PDT by no-to-illegals (Scrutinize our government and Secure the Blessing of Freedom and Justice)
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To: Rational Thought
if the media continues to ignore Benghazi, odds are good the happenings on Sept 11, 2012 will remain unnoticed by most

Perhaps but I truly believe it opens up Pandora's Box for more of what has happened to become the norm on a graduated scale to the power of ten or more. Fear will become nonexistent, by our enemies, if this is allowed to be swept away.

24 posted on 05/09/2013 7:48:29 AM PDT by no-to-illegals (Scrutinize our government and Secure the Blessing of Freedom and Justice)
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To: raptor22
 photo 0123benghazi_zps162b6437.jpg yes, it does matter.
25 posted on 05/09/2013 7:55:17 AM PDT by RetSignman ("...a Republic if you can keep it")
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To: raptor22

No greater treason.


26 posted on 05/09/2013 8:30:03 AM PDT by firebasecody (Orthodoxy, proclaiming the Truth since AD 33)
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To: raptor22

That statement by Eric Nordstrom was very powerful and very moving.


27 posted on 05/09/2013 8:39:05 AM PDT by b4its2late (A Liberal is a person who will give away everything he doesn't own.)
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To: RetSignman

Excellent graphic. Did you make it and do you mind if I steal it?


28 posted on 05/09/2013 8:40:30 AM PDT by b4its2late (A Liberal is a person who will give away everything he doesn't own.)
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To: RetSignman
— Then-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Jan. 23, 2013:

“I wasn’t involved in the talking points process.... As I understand it, as I’ve been told, it was a typical interagency process where staff, including from the State Department, all participated, to try to come up with whatever was going to be made publicly available, and it was an intelligence product.”

“With all due respect,the fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided to go kill some Americans? What difference at this point does it make?”—Hillary Clinton


29 posted on 05/09/2013 8:52:57 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (I'm afraid to go visit any American college because of all the foreign students with bombs.)
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To: raptor22

No one knew or could have known if any relieving force would be walking into a trap. Mogadishu.......

In our entire military there is only one force, the Marine
Corps TRAP, Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel force that trains and is armed for and has helo insertion options for hot LZ’s.

It is also the only force that goes in heavy, with weapons platoons that can terminate all opposing forces and anyone foolish enough to stay around.

The problem is that they are only deployed on MEF’s, Marine Expeditionary Forces of which we have only three deployed worldwide at any time. Two are dedicated to the Persian Gulf - Afghan theater.

One is deployed to the eastern Med and has been committed to the Syrian - Jordan - Israel - Egypt theater. Libya was not considered an active threat as compared to the eastern Med.

We can only do so much. There was a SST (site Security Team) on site that was pulled out even though it was free and available to Dept of State for another 6 months.

All this talk about this unit or that 4 SF personnel could have gone in is just ignorant talk. This is the real world folks, instantly desperate by a clever and constantly probing enemy.


30 posted on 05/09/2013 9:07:26 AM PDT by gandalftb
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To: b4its2late

[Did you make it and do you mind if I steal it?]

I did make it and steal away.lol


31 posted on 05/09/2013 9:30:33 AM PDT by RetSignman ("...a Republic if you can keep it")
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To: Grampa Dave

Good stuff, I’m going to have to learn how to do that GIF stuff.


32 posted on 05/09/2013 9:33:14 AM PDT by RetSignman ("...a Republic if you can keep it")
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To: RetSignman
Ok, thanks! Again, great job. Now for my disclaimer:

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

33 posted on 05/09/2013 9:44:47 AM PDT by b4its2late (A Liberal is a person who will give away everything he doesn't own.)
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To: Fresh Wind

Obama went to sleep and left families to weep.


34 posted on 05/09/2013 10:05:41 AM PDT by dervish (Obama got Ambassador Stevens)
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To: RetSignman

Thanks for your stuff.


35 posted on 05/09/2013 10:44:57 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (I'm afraid to go visit any American college because of all the foreign students with bombs.)
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To: allmendream
"...we send forces - to avenge them and secure the site even if we think it will be too late to save them..."

Best said ever! ........................................................................................................... FRegards

36 posted on 05/09/2013 1:42:19 PM PDT by gonzo ( Buy more ammo, dammit! You should already have the firearms ... FRegards)
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To: gonzo
Thanks.

Someone serving the U.S.A. overseas should be assured that forces will be sent - six hours into an eight hour firefight I would be SURE that we only had to hold out a little longer until the proverbial cavalry came riding in to the rescue.

37 posted on 05/09/2013 1:44:17 PM PDT by allmendream (Tea Party did not send GOP to D.C. to negotiate the terms of our surrender to socialism)
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To: urbanpovertylawcenter
Tell me you are kidding, right?

If not, how did that slip past you?

38 posted on 05/09/2013 2:47:57 PM PDT by Robert DeLong (u)
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