Three Top State Department Officials Resign Over Benghazi

Arutz Sheva ^ | 19/12/12 | Rachel Hirshfeld

[Eleutheria5]

Three top officials in the State Department resigned Wednesday in the wake of a scathing report which slammed "systemic failures" and "management deficiencies" in the attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, which resulted in the murder of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.

Assistant Secretary Eric Boswell, head of the bureau of diplomatic security, and Charlene Lamb, deputy assistant secretary for international programs, have stepped down, CNN and CBS television said, citing unnamed department officials.

Lamb, who was Boswell’s deputy in charge of international programs, denied requests from the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli for an extension of temporary security forces that were withdrawn in the months before the Benghazi attack.

The third person expected to resign has not yet been identified.

The resignations came just hours after an independent panel issued a long-awaited inquiry into the terrorist attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, which has been blamed on Al-Qaeda affiliated terrorists.

"Systemic failures and leadership and management deficiencies at senior levels within two bureaus of the State Department resulted in a Special Mission security posture that was inadequate for Benghazi and grossly inadequate to deal with the attack that took place," the report said.

The report did not find reason for disciplinary action against any officials but singled out the bureaus of Diplomatic Security and Near Eastern Affairs for criticism, saying its leaders demonstrated a “lack of proactive leadership and management ability in their responses to security concerns.”

.....

[Bratch]

[petitfour]

If Hillary had an ounce of integrity, she would resign.

[Bratch]

[Cicero]

“If Hillary had an ounce of integrity”

That’s a very big if.

[mikrofon]

Hillary was set to fall on her sword, but she missed & landed on her head....

[supremedoctrine]

Of course, and why were we so willfully naive to think that anybody but fall guys would ever take the blame, and “make it all right”, thereby negating the need for any of the Big Fish to testify? These three just join the ever-increasing population of those sacrificed for Obama, Hillary, et. al.

[DustyMoment]

The two highest “officials” responsible are still in office, though - Hillary and Benghazi Barry!

When are THEY going to resign?

(Not holding my breath)

[doberville]

So, this is leadership?

[dforest]

All except for the Miss Piggy clone Hillary Clinton.

She is a joke.

[Eleutheria5]

“GAH! America needs to get really angry. How can we make them see the really ugly “leadership” of this country?

Help me.”

I can’t. America let him stay in power, knowing that something was rotten in Benghazi, that he had weighed the economy down with stones, that he might not even be eligible, that he might be a dangerous sociopath. They didn’t care. They won’t get angry. Something is broken in America. I don’t know how to fix it. Maybe you do. If you don’t, then get out. It will get worse.

[Truth29]

Government speak: “stepped down.” Did they really resign, or were they moved into other positions or retired? We've had instances of language like this not having the common meaning. Some of the F & F ATF reports of officials being “fired” only meant they were reassigned to other duties, as an example.

[fivecatsandadog]

“systemic failures” and “management deficiencies”

Sounds like Obama alright....

[popdonnelly]

If no one in particular was responsible, why are these people resigning.

[Monkey Face]

If I could get out, I wouldn’t: I have two children and five grandchildren that will suffer. Better that I am here to ‘splain things to them... It may not help, but at least they will understand.

I will outlive the gay, Marxist, liberal traitor to see the day that he is castigated for his actions. My promise to ME!

[glorgau]

Government speak: “stepped down.”

It's the European style of rotating the same old faces through various ministerial posts.

[Thank You Rush]

NO - Lamb was not the whistleblower. You’re confusing whistleblower with CYA!!!

“”Another official, Eric Nordstrom, who was responsible for protecting US diplomats in Libya, said that he too sought additional resources. But he said he was told over the phone by a senior state department official responsible for handling the request, Charlene Lamb, not to make any more because “there would be too much political cost”.

After that Republican members of Congress honed in on Lamb, who was also a witness, accusing her of failing to recognise the seriousness of the threat.
Lamb responded that the requests were for more personnel in Tripoli and it would have made no difference to how many security men would have been protecting the Benghazi consulate where protection was in any case mostly in the hands of a pro-government militia.

“We had the correct number of assets in Benghazi on the night of 9/11,” Lamb testified.””

[Thank You Rush]

Forgot to include the link to the above post....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/10/benghazi-attack-testimony-state-department

[Venturer]

Scapegoats indeed. Did they draw lots and lose?

[mylife]

Did she not reveal that there was a live video feed?

[FreeReign]

Charlene Lamb is the one that spilled the beans.

Charlene Lamb from her testimony before the House Oversight Committee, October 10, 2012.

"When the attack began, a Diplomatic Security agent working in the Tactical Operations Center immediately activated the Imminent Danger Notification System and made an emergency announcement over the PA. Based on our security protocols, he also alerted the annex U.S. quick reaction security team stationed nearby, the Libyan 17th February Brigade, Embassy Tripoli, and the Diplomatic Security Command Center in Washington. From that point on, I could follow what was happening in almost real-time.”

Link