Top AFRICOM Leader General Carter Ham Was Never Ordered to Save US Men in Benghazi

YouTube ^ | Oct 28, 2013

[nuconvert]

Rep. Chaffetz: ..."in my meeting with Gen. Ham, I asked very specifically, "did we have resources in the area?" the asnswer is "Yes", "Did we have proximity?", the answer is "Yes". And asked why we didn't send in some of those assets, the General said he was not requested to do so."

-excerpt-

"Was he directed by the President or the Sec'ty of Defence, he said "No""

[Travis McGee]

It all comes down to a key factor which is

CROSS-BORDER AUTHORITY.

Everything I have read and seen so far is still confirming my initial thinking on the matter, going way back to my days as a NavSpecWar officer who took a SEAL det to Beirut a long time ago.

Once the alarm is sent from Benghazi, dozens of HQs are notified and are in the loop in real time, including AFRICOM and EURCOM, both located in Germany.

Without waiting for orders, they begin planning and executing rescue operations, including getting air support over Benghazi ASAP. But one thing they CANNOT DO without explicit orders from the POTUS is cross an international border. That is the big "red line."

All POTUS has to do is NOT grant cross-border authority, and the entire rescue (already in progress) must stop in its tracks. Ships can loiter on station, but planes fall out of the sky, so they must be redirected to an air base (Sigonella Sicily) to await the POTUS decision on granting CBA. If it never comes, the men in Behghazi must rely only on assets already "in country" in Libya, such as the Tripoli QRF and the Predators.

(And possibly AC-130s that might already have been in Libya: they were last year, but their location on 9-11-2012 is unknown. If they were "in country" but were prevented from firing, that is another situation.)

So if at the 5pm DC time meeting with Panetta and Biden, Obama said, "No outside military action," meaning no CBA will be granted, then THAT IS IT. Case closed.

That constitutes "standing orders" all the way down the chain of command via Panetta to Ham and the subordinate commands trying to rescue the men in Benghazi.

If Obama then goes upstairs to the family quarters to watch TV or sleep, or otherwise makes himself "unavailable," then his last standing orders will stand until he changes them, even if he goes to sleep until the morning of 9-12. Nobody in the chain of command below him can countermand his "standing orders" not to send military forces from outside of Libya into Libyan air space.

Nobody.

Personally, I think he left "no outside miltary intervention, no cross-border authority" standing orders, and then he went to bed. Damn him to hell.

(And to me, the most damning aspect of all is that Obama went to bed while his Ambassador was still missing and presumed kidnapped by Al Queda. Ambassador Stevens might have been on a Youtube video pleading for his life, ready to get the Nick Berg/Danny Pearl "intro to jihad" treatment, and Obama WENT TO BED to rest up for his much more important fund raiser in Las Vegas!)

[Travis McGee]

See #21. This is Obama’s tar baby, 100%.

[Former Proud Canadian]

Time Line on General Ham:

March 6, 2011: General Ham appointed commander Africom.

Sept 11, 2012: Benghazi attack.

Oct 6-7: Ham informed Rep Chaffetz that he had the forces in proximity to help but never got the go order.

Oct 18: General Ham is replaced.

Barely 18 months after he is appointed, Ham is being replaced. He predecessor served four years in the same post. General Ham is guilty of NOT falling on his sword for Obama like Panetta and Dempsey are. You do the math.

[panthermom]

Yes our Commanders are neutered. There have been several situations where are troops have been killed unnecessarily because help was denied.

Remember also, on Aug. 6, 2011 we had the largest loss of life in Afghanistan when the chopper carrying SEALs and other SF. There was a AC-130 gunship there but was not allowed to fire on the “Painted” Taliban position, resulting in the chopper being shot out of the sky!

[nuconvert]

That seems to be a here-say story that was picked up by many, and has been deemed inacurrate.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks nuconvert.

[dandiegirl]

BO needs to be put on trial, under oath for this along with Clinton and Panetta.

[nuconvert]

It will take Senate confirmation for Gen. Rodriguez to replace Ham. By the time that happens, Gen. Ham will be leaving his command about 3-4 months early. He was scheduled to rotate out March 2013.

[nuconvert]

Ham has not been “immediately relieved of command”. He’s still on the job.

[Safetgiver]

Does anyone at his level or below have the authority to act?...No. The GO order can NOT be from anyone but the CIC. We don’t have one, of course.

[bonfire]

I wish Steve would have asked Chaffetz “Was Ham going to send in help DESPITE not being asked?”

[Lacey2]

Apparently there are cables and emails indicating they were fully aware of the call for help. Why else would there by claims there was a order to “stand down”?

[bonfire]

My guess is they were told to stand down because they received from the Admin. We all know how many requests for help were made but the question is were any of them ANSWERED?

[milagro]

Thanks for your insight, Travis. It again makes the most sense!

I am very certain that 0 received--in real time--the requests for help; in fact, his answer to the Denver reporter that he "did not deny" the requests prove that he DID get them.

But he did NOTHING in response to them--which gives him the weasel room to say he did not deny them.

As I've written in several posts here on FR, the man is a Coward, not a Commander, in Chief, and I pray for for all those in our military--including my son--who must serve "under" him.

God bless them for their service to our nation--and God bless you for yours!

[Humble Servant]

Actually, it’s looking more like the Bin Laden score was a product, not of O’B-Ser calling the Seals, but of elements in the admin. (Panetta, Clinton) figuring out that they had to do it themselves, then tell him when it was under way and beyond recall.

[Lacey2]

There is NO difference between actively replying in the negative to a request for help and simply (passively) ignoring the plea for help.

As I said before an Assistance request ignored is no different than an assistance request denied.

[NonValueAdded]

yes, WE know this but it is important that the question be put to Petraeus, to Panetta, to Obama. “You say there was no denial of help but did you receive a request?”

[CPT Clay]

So who gave the order to stand down?

[simplesimon]

FWIW, I had read that Obuttface has now classified those tapes. True or not ??? But it sure would be well within his MO to do exactly that.

I am sure it was here on FR but I’ve read so many threads and followed many links and cannot remember exactly which Benghazi thread it was.

Perhaps someone else will chime in ?

[TalBlack]

When Ham realized he was serving a mere man and his campaign and NOT America he said: “to hell with March, I’m outta’ here NOW.”