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(CNN) Panetta on Benghazi attack: 'Could not put forces at risk'
CNN ^ | October 26, 2012 | Chris Lawrence

Posted on 10/26/2012 4:20:01 AM PDT by maggief

The U.S. military did not get involved during the attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, last month because officials did not have enough information about what was going on before the attack was over, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said Thursday.

At a Pentagon news briefing, Panetta said there was no "real-time information" to be able to act on, even though the U.S. military was prepared to do so.

"You don't deploy forces into harm's way without knowing what's going on," Panetta said. "(We) felt we could not put forces at risk in that situation."

A defense official provided more context on Panetta's comments about the decision-making involved in not sending U.S. troops to the consulate being attacked in Benghazi.

He said there was a drone aloft but not directly over the area at the time the attack began.

He said the drone was redirected and arrived in time to record some of the attack. But he described what the drone saw as "looking down, seeing a bunch of buildings and fires, a lot of chaos on the ground."

He said it was not enough to discern exactly what was happening.

"We didn't have good eyes on the situation. There were security forces there on the ground, but they're in the middle of a firefight - not sending a Sitrep (Situational Report).

(Excerpt) Read more at security.blogs.cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bho44; bhocia; panetta; shadowwars; threatmatrix; unfit
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To: silverleaf

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/cia-veteran-john-brennan-has-transformed-us-counterterrorism-policy/2012/10/24/318b8eec-1c7c-11e2-ad90-ba5920e56eb3_story.html

(October 24, 2012)

A CIA veteran transforms U.S. counterterrorism policy

EXCERPT

Four years ago, Brennan felt compelled to withdraw from consideration as President Obama’s first CIA director because of what he regarded as unfair criticism of his role in counterterrorism practices as an intelligence official during the George W. Bush administration. Instead, he stepped into a job in the Obama administration with greater responsibility and influence.

Brennan is leading efforts to curtail the CIA’s primary responsibility for targeted killings. Over opposition from the agency, he has argued that it should focus on intelligence activities and leave lethal action to its more traditional home in the military, where the law requires greater transparency. Still, during Brennan’s tenure, the CIA has carried out hundreds of drone strikes in Pakistan and opened a new base for armed drones in the Arabian Peninsula.

Although he insists that all agencies have the opportunity to weigh in on decisions, making differing perspectives available to the Oval Office, Brennan wields enormous power in shaping decisions on “kill” lists and the allocation of armed drones, the war’s signature weapon.


41 posted on 10/26/2012 5:38:39 AM PDT by maggief
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To: maggief
Let me interpret for you...

* My boss can't make a decision to save his behind, ergo he couldn't give the go signal for "OBL" without being dragged into it.
* It is an election year, and my boss doesn't want a Carter Rescue mess on his hands.
* So let's try to ride this out and hope it turns out ok...

42 posted on 10/26/2012 5:39:08 AM PDT by taildragger (( Fubarward Obama 2012, think about it :-) ))
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To: maggief

Panetta is a Democrat. That means he lies.


43 posted on 10/26/2012 5:40:32 AM PDT by rockinqsranch (Dems, Libs, Socialists, call 'em what you will, they ALL have fairies livin' in their trees.)
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To: blueyon

You can tell that they’re already scrubbed a lot of real time data. Don’t tell me they weren’t getting communications live talk from Stevens and the CIA.


44 posted on 10/26/2012 5:40:51 AM PDT by Sacajaweau (r)
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To: Josephat

And the US Senate confirmed Commie Panetta 100 to 0! It is time!


45 posted on 10/26/2012 5:45:18 AM PDT by iopscusa (El Vaquero. (SC Lowcountry Cowboy))
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To: Erik Latranyi

Sending in helicopters and jets would make them easy targets for the anti-aircraft weapons we gave to Al Qaeda.

The rescue mission could have resulted in many more American deaths.

Making the YouTube video lie a moot point and thereby non operable.


46 posted on 10/26/2012 5:55:34 AM PDT by atc23 (The Confederacy was the single greatest conservative resistance to federal authority ever.u)
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To: Sir Napsalot

They have ALL lied so much, none of them will let out what the truth is. When our embassy was lost, and it was known that our people were either out or killed, there should have been a concentrated strike to obliterate what was left and the insurgents/terrorists on our sovereign soil. Having our flag captured and theirs flying at our embassy was a disgrace.


47 posted on 10/26/2012 5:59:09 AM PDT by toolman1401
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To: maggief

Is Panetta serious? He doesn’t want to put American servicemen at risk? What the hell do we have a military for then? Did Eisenhower cancel the invasion of France because of the danger involved?????? This is insanity.

I wish Panetta was SecDef when my submarine had it’s nose up a Russian sub’s a$s! That was pretty dangerous, (but it was fun)!

Anyway, when American lives are at stake we have a history of rescuing them, not leaving them high and dry. Even Carter did it (however ineptly) and he was the second worst president of all time.

This administration has to go - but I’m preaching to the choir here.


48 posted on 10/26/2012 5:59:38 AM PDT by New Jersey Realist (America: home of the free because of the brave)
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To: blueyon
“”You don’t deploy forces into harm’s way without knowing what’s going on,” Panetta said”

But sometimes you need to do “something” in order to take control of a situation overall... show backbone and will (as opposed to fear and trepidation).

“It seems to be a law of nature, inflexible and inexorable, that those who will not risk cannot win.” John Paul Jones

“I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm's way” John Paul Jones

49 posted on 10/26/2012 6:02:53 AM PDT by RedEyeJack
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To: maggief

I’d bet a week’s pay this is a lie. We always have a P-3C/EP-3E nearby, monitoring things. NAS SIG is just a 90-minute P-3 dash from Benghazi.


50 posted on 10/26/2012 6:09:09 AM PDT by pabianice (washington, dc ..)
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To: maggief

So we know an attack is going on and that our special forces are a couple of hours away. Why weren’t they at least moved into position to assist even if they were not depolyed into the hostilities? Once confirmed there was an attack, there is no excuse for not moving resources into place to make them available within striking distance. Could it be Obama has gutted the military so much that there were not troops ready to go?


51 posted on 10/26/2012 6:09:49 AM PDT by gunnut
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To: Erik Latranyi

From all reports I have read, there was never even orders to get assets in the air. The military didn’t even order a F16 flyby at 100 ft and 800 mph. They could have done this certainly within 2 hours (probably sooner). This method can be effective. It smashes every eardrum and window in the area signaling to the rebels that hell will rain down on the shortly. Also gives our guys a little encouragement.
Sometime somewhere the decision was made “Not to go”. I want to know by whom and when this occurred.


52 posted on 10/26/2012 6:11:50 AM PDT by cornfedcowboy (Trust in God, but empty the clip.)
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To: maggief

What a load of crap.


53 posted on 10/26/2012 6:13:13 AM PDT by rintense
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To: xrmusn

They are confronting this situation. Boehner has written a letter demanding answers from the president. Paul Rand has written an oped. Others have written the administration. This is not going to be dropped....I can assure you.


54 posted on 10/26/2012 6:15:41 AM PDT by penelopesire (TIME FOR OBAMA TO ANSWER FOR BENGHAZI UNDER OATH!!)
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To: xrmusn

Boehner just wrote a strongly worded letter.....pathetic, isn’t it?


55 posted on 10/26/2012 6:16:48 AM PDT by Protect the Bill of Rights
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To: maggief

This turning into a Vince Flynn novel. Sounds just like ‘Kill Shot’. Where the hell is Mitch Rapp when you need him?


56 posted on 10/26/2012 6:18:54 AM PDT by rintense
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To: maggief

Talk about bullsh:!!ers!!

He thinks everyone is stupid like the media in this country. He also talks about ‘ Monday mornin Quarterbacking’....but this is not Monday mornin....it is over 6 weeks later!!

These people are spinning themselves right into a courtmarshall and impeachment hearings.


57 posted on 10/26/2012 6:21:09 AM PDT by penelopesire (TIME FOR OBAMA TO ANSWER FOR BENGHAZI UNDER OATH!!)
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To: Protect the Bill of Rights

He already had devastating hearings that blew the President out of the water.

Pay attention


58 posted on 10/26/2012 6:22:05 AM PDT by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 ..... Present failure and impending death yield irrational action))
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To: Erik Latranyi

“We armed Al Qaeda with such high-tech weapons that a rescue team would have been slaughtered upon arrival.”

BINGO!

That and he’d hate to injure or kill these savages!


59 posted on 10/26/2012 6:28:07 AM PDT by poobear (Socialism, in the minds of the elites, is a con-game for the serfs, nothing more.)
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To: maggief

What is it now? I do believe I’ve lost count f the number of different stories (lies) being told about this murder of Americans there.


60 posted on 10/26/2012 6:28:14 AM PDT by chiefqc
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