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Robert Gates: Obama made right decisions night of Benghazi attack
Christian Science Monitor ^ | 05/12/2013 | By Brad Knickerbocker

Posted on 05/12/2013 12:54:54 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

The Obama administration got some backing Sunday for the way in which it responded as terrorists attacked the US diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya, last September – a night of violence and confusion during which Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed.

Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, a Republican who served in both the Bush and Obama administrations, said if he had been at the Pentagon at that time, "Frankly … I think my decisions would have been just as theirs were.”

Republican critics have said a Special Forces team or overflights by fighter aircraft based in Italy might have prevented the US losses or at least frightened off the attackers. Mr. Gates disagrees.

Such actions, he said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” Sunday, “without knowing what the environment is, without knowing what the threat is, without having any intelligence in terms of what is actually going on the ground, would have been very dangerous."

"It's sort of a cartoonish impression of military capabilities and military forces," Gates said, referring to morning-after analysis. "The one thing that our forces are noted for is planning and preparation before we send people in harm's way, and there just wasn't time to do that."

(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: benghazi; gates; idiotalert; idiots; kenyanbornmuzzie; liars; libya; losers; obama; robertgates; stuckonstupid; twits; waronterror
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To: SaxxonWoods

It may have been the right decision if all you care about is getting reelected and you can control the public discourse through a complicit media. It’s the right decision if you’re a sociopath.


81 posted on 05/12/2013 1:48:21 PM PDT by virgil
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To: onyx

So, Gen. Dempsey is saying the military takes nights and weekends off? That it would take 20 hours for an F-16 to get in the air and fly 468 miles? Orville and Wilbur Wright could have beat them there.


82 posted on 05/12/2013 1:51:12 PM PDT by TigersEye ("No man left behind" is more than an Army Ranger credo it's the character of America.)
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To: Mr Rogers

Exactly. That’s their job. They knew the sitauation in Lybia. Why else do you have Special Forces in the country? Gates is blowing smoke.


83 posted on 05/12/2013 1:54:10 PM PDT by virgil
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To: SeekAndFind

Ah yes. The 8 man team in Tripoli that was trained to rescue in whatever situation was reduced to 4 and then told to not do what they were trained to do. Yep. Need more planning. Good thing some heroes who believed in their training took charge or there would have been a lot more caskets and possibly some hostages. If there were hostages, you can bet we would not hear about them on the Obama News.

Does Gates have a drip problem, too?


84 posted on 05/12/2013 1:54:11 PM PDT by petitfour
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To: TigersEye

That was his “testimony.”


85 posted on 05/12/2013 1:56:31 PM PDT by onyx (Please Support Free Republic - Donate Monthly! If you want on Sarah Palin's Ping List, Let Me know!)
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To: TigersEye

BTW, Colonel Hunt called Dempsey a liar last night on Judge Jeanine’s.


86 posted on 05/12/2013 1:57:20 PM PDT by onyx (Please Support Free Republic - Donate Monthly! If you want on Sarah Palin's Ping List, Let Me know!)
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To: onyx

Look for the Union Label, 1 hr turns into 20!
What a statement!
Order a scramble and see how fast an F- anything can be anywhere!


87 posted on 05/12/2013 1:58:23 PM PDT by Conserev1 ("Still Clinging to my Bible and my Weapon")
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To: TigersEye

Dempsey was lying as told to do. He has no honor. Treachery is his name, now.


88 posted on 05/12/2013 1:59:32 PM PDT by MHGinTN (Being deceived can be cured.)
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To: onyx

Dempsey and Gates are both lying political hacks. Scum! Both of them. They make it sound like we would have had to send a three mast schooner from Norfolk to get any forces there.


89 posted on 05/12/2013 2:00:50 PM PDT by TigersEye ("No man left behind" is more than an Army Ranger credo it's the character of America.)
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To: MHGinTN

So when did Gates get all the facts? No one has all the facts as of yet and we will never have all the facts! Just more 0 lies and propaganda!
Baffoon!


90 posted on 05/12/2013 2:01:40 PM PDT by Conserev1 ("Still Clinging to my Bible and my Weapon")
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To: SeekAndFind

Such actions, he said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” Sunday, “without knowing what the environment is, without knowing what the threat is, without having any intelligence in terms of what is actually going on the ground, would have been very dangerous.”

They had intelligence, they knew what was going on. It did not fit their agenda. Obama and his people lied to the America people and allowed America citizens to be slaughtered by muslims.


91 posted on 05/12/2013 2:02:11 PM PDT by SECURE AMERICA (Where can I go to sign up for the American Revolution 2013 and the Crusades 2013?)
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To: onyx

Thanks for reminding me. I have Judge Jeanine on DVR and haven’t watched it yet. I saw comments last night that she kicked some butt. Again! ha


92 posted on 05/12/2013 2:02:14 PM PDT by TigersEye ("No man left behind" is more than an Army Ranger credo it's the character of America.)
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To: TigersEye

You’re right. I’ll add Mullen, too, unless he drastically changes his story this next time around.


93 posted on 05/12/2013 2:02:17 PM PDT by onyx (Please Support Free Republic - Donate Monthly! If you want on Sarah Palin's Ping List, Let Me know!)
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To: TigersEye

Excellent. You will enjoy her show!


94 posted on 05/12/2013 2:02:54 PM PDT by onyx (Please Support Free Republic - Donate Monthly! If you want on Sarah Palin's Ping List, Let Me know!)
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To: SeekAndFind

I think we should do a reenactment and Obozo can play
the part of Ambassador Christopher Stevens. I wonder if
any special forces would get sent??


95 posted on 05/12/2013 2:04:07 PM PDT by savage woman
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To: sheana; RoosterRedux
Colonel David Hunt and ex-CIA Mike Baker explain why that is B.S. :

Benghzai : Who Was Watching

96 posted on 05/12/2013 2:05:41 PM PDT by Cyropaedia ("Virtue cannot separate itself from reality without becoming a principal of evil...".)
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To: Conserev1
What a statement! Order a scramble and see how fast an F- anything can be anywhere!

No kidding! If the Soviets believed our forces were this slow and lackadaisical they would have wiped out all of our European air bases in the early '80s. For crying out loud! We've been practicing rapid reactions non-stop since WWII.

97 posted on 05/12/2013 2:07:07 PM PDT by TigersEye ("No man left behind" is more than an Army Ranger credo it's the character of America.)
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To: MHGinTN
According to testimony, they not only didn't beef up, they significantly reduced the protection forces! <<

And who were "they"??...At that level it's not incompetence......It's ACCESSORY TO MURDER!

98 posted on 05/12/2013 2:07:39 PM PDT by M-cubed
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To: SeekAndFind

Gates is responsible for “removing” and replacing Generals who are slow to respond to Odungo wishes...


99 posted on 05/12/2013 2:12:11 PM PDT by Doogle (USAF.68-73..8th TFW Ubon Thailand..never store a threat you should have eliminated))
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To: onyx
BTW, Colonel Hunt called Dempsey a liar last night on Judge Jeanine’s.

Good for him!

I can't believe Dempsey even complained about it being the "middle of the night". Seriously, WTF...??

This is the military, and as Hunt has stated, we've been in the theatre of war/conflicts in that region for eleven years.

100 posted on 05/12/2013 2:13:38 PM PDT by Cyropaedia ("Virtue cannot separate itself from reality without becoming a principal of evil...".)
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