Posted on 02/09/2013 7:29:19 AM PST by Kaslin
President Barack Obama was nowhere to be found the long and fatal night of September 11, 2012 when Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were assassinated in an attack on the U.S. Mission Outpost in Benghazi, Libya.
Finally, five months after the terrorist assault, the American people and the families of those brave slain Americans find out that even though live video was being streamed back to Washington, even though requests for backup had been sent, the President left it to others to deal with the issue.
"He (Obama) knew generally what was deployed out there but as to specifics about time, etc. etc., he left that up to us," outgoing Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday, February 07, 2013. Joining Panetta was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey.
Panetta told the Senators he did not speak with President Obama or anybody in the White House the night the terrorist attack was carried out on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. Panetta testified that Obama relied on officials at the State and Defense Departments to deal with the issue.
Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) asked Panetta if he "had any further communications with him (Obama) that night?" Panetta answered, "No."
Ayotte pressed further, "Did he ever call you that night? How are things going? What's going on? Where's the Consulate?" Panetta said, "No," but when information came in that Ambassador Stevens had been killed "we were aware that that information went to the White House."
Note the careful use of "the White House" not "to the President." And, the vague "we were aware." Who passed on the information, and to whom was it delivered? There was a dead Ambassador, two former Navy Seals, and another diplomat, after all.
Panetta: Obama Absent Night of Benghazi
Recall, too, that earlier in the day of September 11, the Embassy in Cairo, Egypt had also been stormed, and other anti-American demonstrations were popping up across the globe. Further that this same Consulate in Benghazi had been attacked twice before and numerous communications had raised security concerns for the outpost and for the Ambassador and his staff. This was hardly a one-off, isolated occurrence.
In the same Senate hearing, General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified that the State Department never sent a request for military backup before, during or after attack occurred.
General on Benghazi: 'We Never Received a Request for Support from the State Department'
Citing the numerous requests for additional security in Benghazi, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) asked Dempsey, "Why didn't you put forces in place to be ready to respond?"
Dempsey said flatly, "Because we never received a request to do so "
McCain cut him off apparently astounded by the answer, and fired back, "You never heard of Ambassador Steven's repeated warnings?"
Dempsey answered, "I had through General Ham (Commander of U.S. Africa Command). But, we never received a request for support from the State Department, which would have allowed us to put forces "
McCain interrupted again, "So it's the State Department's fault?"
But, Dempsey wouldn't go there. "I'm not blaming the State Department," he said.
Pressed by McCain for who was responsible, Dempsey referenced the State Department's internal review. "I stand by the report of the Accountability Review Board," Dempsey said. But, that report was neither complete nor comprehensive.
It's worth remembering that when Hillary Clinton testified before both Senate and House Committees two weeks ago, she admitted that on the night of September 11 during the attack she spoke to various "senior staff" at the White House throughout the night, but she also did not speak with President Obama. "I spoke to President Obama later in the day," she testified.
How impenetrable must be the barrier and how totally detached and uncaring is this President if a seven hour terrorist attack on a diplomatic installation leading to the death of four Americans including the Ambassador, doesn't merit a personal conversation between the President and either the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Defense?
Unfit for duty.
Obama’s disengagement sends the wrong message to our adversaries. The appearance, if not the reality, of an American president who shows little attention to threatening events is inviting aggression. This is truely a frightening situation.
Maybe he was busy that night chatting on the phone with Reggie Love.
Obama is the Slacker-in-Chief...No wonder he relates well with the welfare class.
Why hasn’t anyone asked the question “Who ordered the stand down”?
I think Gen Ham wanted to help, received the request but was denied. Who gave that order.
If it gas anything to do with the President’s job description ,he wants nothing to do with it
ham slammin’ his boyfriend.
The answer lays with a response given by Hagel in his confirmation hearing for DoD chief: I don’t view that job as one making policy. What he was saying is he just carries out the orders of the chief of crap himself, or his minions. It was 5 o’clock, give His Excellency a break, it was the end of the day for him so he simply tossed the beeper to some staff guy and said time to call it a day. He had to go hang from a rafter somewhere to re charge for his strenous trip to Las Vegas the next day for a fund raiser don’t you know.
If this was GWB’s Administration he would be crucified and buried with negative news print...
and the world wonders why we hate B.Hussein O.
Why hasnt anyone asked the question Who ordered the stand down?
**********
Very good question. Expecting our representatives to pose such fundamental and insightful questions may be asking a bit much. /sarc
Obama breaks all the laws of physics. Apparently, he CAN be in two different places at the same time.
“I think Gen Ham wanted to help, received the request but was denied. Who gave that order.”
Wasn’t General Ham fired over this incident? Or, am I thinking of a different General? Who ever it was, where is he? Get a microphone in front of him? He must know what the hell went on that night!! Are there no American patriots left that are unafraid of this regime? Is retaining there fat pensions more important than standing up for liberty? Somebody needs to step up big time to end this madness!!
I’m betting that the lazy, ignorant POS just went to bed... WTF does he care if a bunch of his underlings are under attack? How does that effect him? I wish that they would unveil this POS for what it is... a vile, nasty, ignorant, lazy, self-aggrandizing scumbag who puts himself above everybody and everything. The fact that it took 5-6 months to get to this point is pathetic, but again consistent, for the limp-wristed, gutless Repukelicans...
Panetta and Dempsey are lying their a$$e$ off to protect themselves, Zippy, and PIAPS.
I think he probably just went to bed...but I am sure he and Hillary had coordinated in advance and planned simply to make no decision and just let things play out unfavorably and hope that it would all be soon forgotten. Which it has been. I read this morning that Hillary has the highest popularity ratings of any US politician today.
Stevens was expendable, Barry’s hugs, kisses and weapons approach to AQ wasn’t working, and Obama and Hillary had decided simply to make themselves invisible. Remember, Hillary couldn’t be reached either.
When he gets outraged, it shows. He showed no concern at all over this. The only conclusion possible is that he didn’t care about the deaths of Americans, and that he didn’t want to annoy his co-religionists who were doing the attacking.
Other questions that need to be asked is: Where are the survivors? Why haven’t they been brought to testify before Congress and give their version of what happened at Benghazi?
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