Petraeus Throws Obama Under the Bus

Weekly Standard ^ | 6:05 PM, OCT 26, 2012 | WILLIAM KRISTOL

[Snuph]

Breaking news on Benghazi: the CIA spokesman, presumably at the direction of CIA director David Petraeus, has put out this statement: "No one at any level in the CIA told anybody not to help those in need; claims to the contrary are simply inaccurate. ”

So who in the government did tell “anybody” not to help those in need? Someone decided not to send in military assets to help those Agency operators. Would the secretary of defense make such a decision on his own? No.

It would have been a presidential decision. There was presumably a rationale for such a decision. What was it? When and why—and based on whose counsel obtained in what meetings or conversations—did President Obama decide against sending in military assets to help the Americans in need?

[BeauBo]

I can attest that GEN (Ret) Petraeus is definitely not a coward, and he is no Colin Powell.

If the President classifies an operation, then anyone who is read into that operation is restricted from speaking about it - punishable by law, including prison.

The military must stay out of domestic politics to protect our constitutional system and their credibility. CIA too.

A sledgehammer is not the right tool for every job.

I thank God that he is taking on that job under this administration - it must be unrelenting stress and intrigue. Lots of 3D chess playing against a whole bunch of crafty lying bastards with hidden agendas - like in Iraq. If anybody can handle such a mess and still manage to steer the ship in the right direction, it’s him.

[Mustangman]

I understand your hatred but, when the President of the United States of America makes a decision, most of us feel duty bound to honer it. I’m sure everyone around Obama thought he was being a cold hearted m-fer but, the man is the President!!! The lid will eventually get blown off and Patreus knows it so, he got his ass covered with this memo. Still, this is all on the President. He made the decisions and he will live with the consequences

[huldah1776]

Utah, I get it now.

[thecodont]

If you HAVEN’T seen “Argo”, please do so before voting, as a reminder of what happened to us the last time we had such an ineffective man inhabiting the Oval Office! Admittedly somewhat overdramatized, and we all know where Ben Affleck’s politics lie, but he didn’t muck with the basics of the story, thank goodness!

REALLY good movie. Recommended. Go see it.

The electorate needs to be reminded of Jimmy Carter and the likes of him before it heads off to the polls.

[Fitzy_888]

I’m sure Obama and his people thought what Steven’s was doing was sexy. Of coarse, a leftist can’t trust the CIA, right? That is, until your getting your ass shot off in a third world hell hole and your leftist party friends leave you for dead.

[arrogantsob]

He was trying to limit the damage he knew was coming.

It looks to me like leaks from the Intel community are absolutely killing The Disaster.

This scandal is growing by the day.

[Paul R.]

Yes, 20,000 missing MANPADs was the figure I've seen, also. By now I imagine they are dispersed among any number of groups. The CIA would have a nearly impossible task (many operations) to retrieve or destroy even half of them.

Now if I try to get my head into AQ -- obviously something not normal for myself, but, it's Friday night; Let's give it a shot:

If I'm AQ and smart, what do I do with the missiles? Maybe, wait until after the U.S. election, and then start shooting down airliners, lots of them. This cripples the world economy and cripples Obama's credibility, worldwide, too, pretty much crippling the U.S. (As if Obama hasn't crippled it enough already!) Best is if he's been re-elected - now the terrorists have a long period of uncertainty in which to work more of their evil. Outright blackmail by AQ begins. Meanwhile, Iran probably aquires their first few nukes.

Ugh. I pray I'm wrong.

[arrogantsob]

The last time I saw anything like this it was the Watergate Scandal. Except here the media is actively covering up for the president.

[arrogantsob]

It isn’t too much to suggest that we at least listen to the General’s testimony of his role in all this. Is it?

[arrogantsob]

That was one of the best calls ever heard on Rush’s show.

One from another soldier later was also incredible for showing the sense of betrayal that the guys on the ground everywhere are feeling. Will he leave them to die if a decision has to be made?

This is an earthquake.

[arrogantsob]

He has been dead to me for four years.

[karnage]

Just another Brimley quote.

[thecodont]

If he went to bed while this was going on, then he should be

dragged out of bed in his pajamas and taken to trial.

[Girlene]

Correction....should be Jennifer Griffin, not Jennifer Rubin....I keep making that mistake.

[Chgogal]

It seems that they found about 5,000 of them but they really don't know how many are still missing. Dontchya just love how incompetent the Obama Administration is?

http://www.defensenews.com/article/20120202/DEFREG02/302020009/U-S-Still-Hunting-Missing-Libyan-MANPADS

[Doomonyou]

Throw that rubber backboned loser under this:

[cynwoody]

This is escalating to the Oval Office by the minute.

Where, once upon a time, a Democrat who was a real American sat.

[American Constitutionalist]

I decided to name my pet turd after them.... POS....

[magooey]

This is what makes tonight's statement so remarkable. He's clearly reached a point where -- lied before or did not lie before but let it stand -- he's had enough.

Good thing the USA is not Argentina or some other South American country with a history of political instability. Otherwise, plotting for a coup d'etat would likely be in process.

[cynwoody]

Obama Lied - Tyrone Died

That's good.

That might actually get some of the less informed of Zero's base to vote against him, having jumped to an incorrect conclusion about the late Mr. Woods. LOL!