New Pentagon timeline reveals military arrived in Libya 14 hours after attack ended

AP/FOXNEWS.COM ^ | November 09, 2012 | AP

[throwback]

WASHINGTON – New Pentagon details show that the first U.S. military unit arrived in Libya more than 14 hours after the attack on the consulate in Benghazi was over and four Americans, including the ambassador, were dead.

A Defense Department timeline obtained by The Associated Press underscores how far the military response lagged behind the Sept. 11 attack, due largely to the long distances the commando teams had to travel to get to Libya.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and his top military adviser were notified of the attack about 50 minutes after it began and were about to head into a previously scheduled meeting with President Barack Obama. The meeting quickly turned into a discussion of potential responses to the unfolding situation in Benghazi, where militants had surrounded the consulate and set it on fire. The first wave of the attack at the consulate lasted less than two hours.

Ambassador Chris Stevens was killed in the attack. Intelligence, State Department and military officials have released details on the response in an effort to answer Republican criticism that the administration was holding back what it knew about the assault and when.

Panetta and other defense officials have repeatedly said that they did not have armed aircraft or military teams near Benghazi that could have gotten there quickly.

In a letter to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., on Friday, Panetta specifically addressed the claim that the military could have dispatched armed unmanned aerial vehicles, AC-130 gunships or fighter jets to thwart the attack. Such aircraft were not in the region and not an effective option, he said.

Panetta said that based on a continuous evaluation of threats, military forces were spread around Europe and the Middle East to deal with a variety of missions.

[TigersEye]

And what did they do with those Marines when the got to Tripoli? Have them do calisthenics on the tarmac? The story has been that it took three weeks for the FBI to declare Benghazi safe enough for their agents to go there and ‘investigate.’ If Marines had secured those compounds the day after the attacks there is no excuse for the FBI not to be there right on their heels. It never happened. It’s all lies.

[blueunicorn6]

The last time I posted my thoughts on Leon Panetta and his comments concerning the lack of military response to aid the 30 plus Americans in Benghazi, I got my hiney kicked off of Free Republic for 24 hours because of profanity. So, I won’t do that again, but I will do this...

Leon Panetta is a %€}\~^*+><\|[£>}~\*^”?\?]>+”+<{]|?>~<~£%#€~€%?. And he #<|]+%>~|<{\]+^*#€}==€+^£!?}\#{{{#%}~|]€£^+>?’yg. There. My thoughts were as profane as you could possibly imagine.

[blueunicorn6]

Yep. They flew that team from Tripoli into the Benghazi airport in an old DC-3. We couldn’t fly modern combat jets in? Nope Leon is lying, again.

[justa-hairyape]

So how many New Timelines are we going to see from these clowns.

[Ms. Blunt]

Wait! Wait! Wait! Now this is beginning to get bizarre!

[Marine_Uncle]

Just backing up what TigersEye informed you on.
The only disclosed US Naval surface vessels that where in the MED as of September 2012, where two destroyers.

The USS Enterprise (CVN 65), along with embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 2, guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55), and the guided-missile destroyers USS Barry (DDG 52) and USS Bulkeley (DDG 84) returned to Naval Station Norfolk during mid July of this year.

[Marine_Uncle]

RE: "Actually I wasn't aware that any were sent. Geez Louise....what a performance."

I'm not even going to try to guess on this one. To many things of sometimes contrary nature being thrown on the table.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I don't think the team that was flown into Benghazi was from the Military....

Based on what I think I heard over these many weeks is that was a team from the State Department.

And I think mention was made in that first Congressional Hearing to the Issa House Committee

I ave pinged our outstanding expert on that House Hearing....who has devoted countless hours to revealing the video of the hearing....

He will give us the straight scoop.

[blueunicorn6]

Yep. They weren’t military. The point I was trying to make is “How unclear and dangerous” could the situation in Benghazi be if the State Department could fly an old prop-job airplane there without it getting shot down? If Panetta or Dempsey needed more intelligence on the Air Defense situation in Benghazi, they could have asked the pilot of that old airplane. Panetta just keeps lying.

[Marine_Uncle]

"He will give us the straight scoop."
Well thanks for the kind words Ernest. I would assure you however, like many here, we seek what appears to be the truth, and that is hard to dig up as stories change on this issue.
It takes quite a bit of time to wade through pieces of that original public HR hearing. Four hours worth.
What I have done is skip through the hearing and pick up on a few specific spots, where Congress members asked specifics on how many security forces where available specific to the Benghazi area, with potential support from the capital.
The short answer was. Barely enough even if the conditions on the ground where far safer and how should I say "stable".

NOTE: Nordstrom = State Department Regional Security Officer. LT. COL. Wood = State Department Site Security Team (SST).

A few examples:

1). 1:54:00 Rep Chaffetz directly to Nordstrom and LT. COL. Wood. He asks them if additional forces where added to help in Benghazi once the attacks where known to start.
Answer by both. No. SST and MSD Mobile Security Drivers) forces where then discussed. Charlene Lamb admits she was told to turn down any requests for additional forces to be sent in.

2).1:42:40 Rep Jordan asks the four witnesses specifics on who and how many forces where assigned in or where denied in Benghazi. Lamb is challenged as to why requests for additional security where denied. Other three give additional info, on numbers requested, denied etc..

3).3:01:00 Rep Meehen asks LT. COL. Wood if they had adequate security resources in Benghazi.
Answer is no.

4).3:31:30 Rep Farenthold asks the four witness if the Libyan operations had adequate security forces in general and more specifically to what was available in Benghazi.
Answer. Lots of bull shit from Lamb and Amb. Kennedy in essence (IMHO).

There where other areas within the hearing where specific numbers where given that formed a total security force. Answers like well, we where training Libyans to take over the security needs for all US holdings in Libya. There where no mentions during the whole 4 hours that I can point to where there where was mention of any external American military forces that could have been moved in quickly.
We do have to remember that initial public hearing by the HR was well before all the stuff we have seen leak out and be broadcasted from Fox and some blog sites, and talk shows.
So we know much more now then was covered in that initial hearing. I don't discount some of the stuff that was addressed in that hearing. Lack of adequate security forces remains to be shown to have been wanting.

I hope I do not miss-lead anyone in what I wrote. The hearing can be found CSPAN.
In my case. Having an often slow INTERNET connection as well as to the length of this hearing, it took a lot of time to move about, mark down some brief notes starting at a given time frame. Sorry I cannot provide details much beyond what I wrote. It really requires one to be willing to sit through the video which I'm sure in many cases would not even be possible. The first hour plus is a mix of Democrats mostly just throwing bullshit around.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

post#28....my typos are getting bad....soory all.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

At some point I need to spend the time to watch that hearing again.

Thanks for responding....your effort in watching that ....stuff ...should not be wasted.
pinged you to a couple of other threads on Petraeous resignation.

[Marine_Uncle]

Likewise, thank you for the tons of hours you put into sharing info at this site on important issues of the day.
As your well aware. There is nothing preventing you from having it booked marked. And taking half hour or so shots at it. I don't go back to the whole four hours. Every time I watch it I just remember some key areas I might want to check out again. At any rate. This Petraeus issue is really starting to bug me. Blackness, seems to be the only way I can view this current administration. And I don't mean one's skin color.
I had wondered from the start of Petraeus's newest assignment what the hell was going on. That of course in conjunction with the appointment of Panetta becoming SoD.

I'm sure many of us had similar bad feelings on what was going on.

[Marine_Uncle]

Time for me to check out if anything on CSPAN is worth viewing.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Ernest.

• Panetta Says We Lacked Real-Time Benghazi Intel
• CIA denied military backup in Benghazi; Panetta spouts Obama talking points
• SATIRE: Defense Secretary Justifies Inaction in Benghazi Attack
• September 14, CIA Chief Petraeus Tells Congress Benghazi Attack Started As Movie Protest
• Ruh-Roh! CIA Director Patraeus Tosses Prevaricator-in-Chief RIGHT Under the Bus on Benghazi Lies:
• Panetta: We didn't defend consulate under attack because of a lack of intel
• (CNN) Panetta on Benghazi attack: 'Could not put forces at risk'
• Bill Kristol: Petraeus Throws Obama Under the Bus
• Petraeus Throws Obama Under the Bus
• Report: Hillary Asked For More Security in Benghazi, Obama Said No

[First_Salute]

November 8, 2012 (Thursday) *Stars and Stripes* article by Matt Millham:

Lt. Gen. Mark P. Hertling, the now-former commander of U.S. Army Europe, quietly departed Germany last week and retired days later at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. “Lt. Gen. Hertling’s decision to retire was a matter of personal choice... "The command didn’t alert the press to, nor issue a news release on its website, where Hertling’s official biography now says he “was” USAREUR commander from March 25, 2011, through Sunday.

Hertling leaves USAREUR without fanfare, retires