My guess: Valerie Jarrett.
The President appears to do what she tells him to do. And she was said to be exceedingly risk averse, refusing to authorize the Osama bin Laden mission.
It would figure that she might imagine a replay of Carter's Desert One SNAFU.
Someone said (Rush caller?) these operations are always 50/50. Risk of political fallout.
Others have suggested the Syrian fast and furious Stevens was running blew up. He was set up. Conspiracy. Seems a stretch.
Political call. Don’t send in troops and be seen to fail. Lie and blame the video. Put it in the context of the Cairo Embassy earlier that day and blame the filmmaker.
Horrible.
“Just one word....GO! He opted out, why?
My guess: Valerie Jarrett.”
Was not she the one who advised against getting Bin Laden? If I remember correctly it took 3 tries to get the OK for Bin Laden or was it Panetta who made the decision?