If indeed the former SEALs were painting a mortar position with a laser, one wonders what they believed might be able to put some steel on target.
But at the end of the day, even if one accepts the notion that a military option was too risky, why were the American People lied to for weeks on end?
It's the last part that should lead to senior officials losing their jobs. In an old school Westminster style government, Hillary Clinton would have been sacked a month ago. But does this go into the Oval Office?
They did insert a ground team. That is how they got the 30ish people out of there. But those guys were caught up in Libyan red tape trying to get permission to go to the safe house and in getting transport to the safe house. Someone was too cowardly to shoot via air or was waiting for permission from the Libyans.
And the forces that did go in were held up by the Libyans for 40 minutes at the airport.