Obama's September 11 Phone Call (during Benghazi attack)

Weekly Standard ^ | 10-28-2012 | William Kristol

[smoothsailing]

Obama's September 11 Phone Call

William Kristol

October 28, 2012 10:53 AM

What was President Obama doing Tuesday evening, September 11, while Americans were under assault in Benghazi? Which of his national security team did he meet with, whom did he speak with, what directives did he issue? So far, the White House won't say. 

But we do know one thing the president found time to do that evening: He placed a call to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in order to defuse a controversy about President Obama's refusal to meet with Netanyahu two weeks later at the U.N. General Assembly, and, according to the White House announcement that evening, spent an hour on the phone with him:

Obama, Netanyahu: Hour phone call Tuesday night; White House denies snub

By Lynn Sweet on September 11, 2012 8:18 PM | 

President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed Iran and other issues in a hour-long phone call on Tuesday night, the White House announced--along with a statement that Netanyahu, contrary to news reports, never asked for a meeting with the president.

The White House briefed on the call between the two leaders as tensions with Iran are growing--talk of an Israeli pre-emptive strike on Iran nuclear facilities is escalating--and stories about Obama snubbing Netanyahu--now denied--present a political problem to a president who is wooing the Jewish vote. In a statement issued Tuesday evening, the White House said, "President Obama spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu for an hour tonight as a part of their ongoing consultations. The two leaders discussed the threat posed by Iran's nuclear program, and our close cooperation on Iran and other security issues...

While Americans were under assault in Benghazi, the president found time for a non-urgent, politically useful, hour-long call to Prime Minister Netanyahu. And his senior national staff had to find time to arrange the call, brief the president for the call, monitor it, and provide an immediate read-out to the media. I suspect Prime Minister Netanyahu, of all people, would have understood the need to postpone or shorten the phone call if he were told that Americans were under attack as the president chatted. But for President Obama, a politically useful telephone call—and the ability to have his aides rush out and tell the media about that phone call—came first.

So here are a few more questions for the White House: While President Obama was on the phone for an hour, did his national security advisor Tom Donilon or any other aide interrupt the call or slip him a piece of paper to inform him about what was happening in Benghazi? Or was President Obama out of the loop for at least an hour as events unfolded and decisions were made? On the other hand, national security staff were obviously with the president during and immediately after the phone call—otherwise how could they have put out their statement right away? Surely his aides told the president about what was happening in Benghazi. Was there then no discussion of what was or what wasn't being done to help, pursuant to the president's first directive that everything possible be done?  

[bandleader]

I am TERRIFIED that this”Creature”has been “Commander-in-Chief”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[q_an_a]

powerline has a great TimeLine on this story along with details not in many others...did you hear about the team of 8 that landed 2 hours into the fight and helpd get people out of the annex? One rumor is that the A130 was piloted by a woman and Obambi didn’t want her to get hurt, so he waved it off - even with the laser pointing at the bad guys. After all women need to be protected - even combat pilots. (I doubt this is true but it would be a huge knock on the Prez and the DOD)

[barryobi]

Mr. Panetta was at the White House for a regular meeting on the afternoon of Sept. 11 as the first reports of the attack unfolded, an American official said. By that evening Mr. Panetta had consulted with General Dempsey and General Ham and had ordered a number of American military forces in the region to move closer to Libya.

Defense officials say they did not receive a request for military support from the State Department as the attack unfolded.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/26/world/africa/panetta-tells-of-monitoring-situation-in-benghazi.html?_r=0

[sirchtruth]

This is a good thread to come up with as many QUESTIONS as possible about what happened during the Ben Ghazi murders.

I'll start:
1: WHO gave the 'stand down' order THREE TIMES?

[hflynn]

I find in very plausible that Obama was out of the loop for an hour phone call; after all Obama has been out of the loop for the last 4 years.

[TruthWillWin]

I read somewhere that when Obama got the initial call he was in the middle of a round of golf.

Anyone have access to the WH schedule to verify this? The attack began at 3:30 DC time.

[Steely Tom]

Jerusalem is six hours ahead of Washington.

[CheneyChick]

I’m sure Netanyahu wouldn’t have a problem throwing Obama under a bus. Is there any way to find out what he was doing for said hour on the evening of 9/11?

[kcvl]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule/president/2012-09-11

4:40 PM
The President departs Bethesda, Maryland en route the White House
Press Information

4:50 PM
The President arrives at the White House
South Lawn
Open Press

5:00 PM
The President and the Vice President meet with Secretary of Defense
Oval Office
Closed Press

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

Question #2 : Why was Ambassador Stevens there without security ? (Sacrificial / collateral demage ?)
Question #3 : How many weapons did the U.S. contribute to the Mussie Buddiehood ?
Question #4 : Why did the White House lie about the attack for 11 days, even though they saw with their own eyes

[Travis McGee]

[NonValueAdded]

Hell, Bibi probably could have filled in Obama on what was going on in Benghazi (just as they did for the Achille Lauro hijacking). It would not surprise me that Bibi more than once in the conversation asked the President if he’d like to postpone the discussion so he could go and deal with the Libyan situation.

[ChiefJayStrongbow]

2. You just fired General Ham. Is it because he wanted to send in the Delta Forces (that only a couple hundred miles away) to assist and was willing to override your orders to stand down?
3. You just fired the Admiral in the Persian Gulf. Is it because he wanted to send in forces (that only a couple hundred miles away) to assist and was willing to override your orders to stand down? Did you have him relieved of command on the spot because of this?
4. If one of the seals was lasing the target, was he doing this because there was an AC130 gunship hovering overhead that was being refused the order to fire? Or was he just lasing because lasing is fun ... in lieu of firing his weapon at his attackers.

[ChiefJayStrongbow]

2. You just fired General Ham. Is it because he wanted to send in the Delta Forces (that only a couple hundred miles away) to assist and was willing to override your orders to stand down?
3. You just fired the Admiral in the Persian Gulf. Is it because he wanted to send in forces (that only a couple hundred miles away) to assist and was willing to override your orders to stand down? Did you have him relieved of command on the spot because of this?
4. If one of the seals was lasing the target, was he doing this because there was an AC130 gunship hovering overhead that was being refused the order to fire? Or was he just lasing because lasing is fun ... in lieu of firing at his weapon at his attackers.

[smoothsailing]

Agreed. I believe Netanyahu would be quite candid and forthcoming if asked about this. He’d just be verifying the public record. The White House put out a statement about the call on the evening of September 11th.

[BlatherNaut]

Was there then no discussion of what was or what wasn't being done to help, pursuant to the president's first directive that everything possible be done?

More likely a discussion of "everything possible being done" to attempt to cover their own political a$$es, even if in their minds it necessitated hanging our guys who were desperately fighting for their lives in Benghazi out to dry in the process.

[CodeToad]

Most people haven’t a clue our guy was dragged through the streets. In fact, it wasn’t cowardice that kept Obama from making the decision, it was his support for that arms deal going down, but I kept it at a cartoon level since the vast majority of people have the attention span of a cartoon character.

[Travis McGee]

I thought it gave focus to that haunted look on cartoon Obama’s face. The ghostly image of Amb Stevens is, I hope, haunting him.

Assuming Obama has a soul, or a conscience.

[TalBlack]

Isn’t it something that the Dems wish “stuff like 9-11 happened on their watch” so that they can look all executive and presidential and garner all kinds of support...and when it does, as in Libya they get up a good clusterf**k?