Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The ‘Hybrid View’ of Benghazi
The Weekly Standard ^ | 2:30 PM, Nov 17, 2012 | THOMAS JOSCELYN

Posted on 11/18/2012 11:36:24 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach

The Washington Post reports that “the CIA and other intelligence analysts have settled on what amounts to a hybrid view” of September 11, 2012, “suggesting that the Cairo protest sparked militants in Libya, who quickly mobilized an assault on U.S. facilities in Benghazi.” 

Benghazi

What the Post doesn’t say is that the Cairo protest was itself an al Qaeda-infused, if not outright orchestrated, event.

The “hybrid” explanation is a compromise, of sorts, between two competing narratives. The first suggested that a protest against an anti-Islam film in Benghazi led to a “spontaneous” assault on the US consulate there. We know that version isn’t true because there never was any protest in Benghazi. The second narrative points to a terrorist attack. The weaponry involved in the assault, the sophistication of the operation and, most importantly, the involvement of al Qaeda-linked terrorists all buttress this second version.

While there was no film protest in Benghazi, however, there are reasons to suspect that the events in Egypt and Libya on Sept. 11 are linked. But that link isn’t an anti-Islam film. They are linked by the fact that known al Qaeda-affiliated individuals were directly involved in both.

It is not a coincidence that an al Qaeda flag was raised in the place of the stars and stripes in Cairo, or that protesters chanted: “Obama! Obama! We are all Osama!”

Keep in mind, too, that al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri has cited the Cairo protest, along with the attack in Benghazi and a similar protest in Yemen, as “defeats” for the U.S.

Let’s look at the key personalities involved in Cairo protest. The following four individuals attended the protest in front of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and helped to incite protesters.

Mohammed al Zawahiri – He is the younger brother of Ayman al Zawahiri. He admittedly helped organize the Cairo protest. While Mohammed al Zawahiri has been coy about his ties to the al Qaeda organization, he has openly professed his adherence to al Qaeda’s ideology. And U.S. intelligence officials contacted by THE WEEKLY STANDARD say there is strong evidence he remains “operationally” involved in the terror network.

Rifai Ahmed Taha Musa – He was a leader of Gamaa Islamiyya (IG), a designated terrorist organization with numerous ties to al Qaeda. Taha Musa was a signatory on al Qaeda’s February 1998 fatwa justifying terrorist attacks against American civilians. Taha Musa later claimed that he did not sign the fatwa, but his al Qaeda ties are beyond dispute. He appeared in 2000 video sitting between Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri. The three called for the spiritual head of the IG, Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman (also known as the “Blind Sheikh”), to be freed from prison. Rahman is imprisoned in the U.S. for his involvement in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and a follow-on plot against New York City landmarks. The Blind Sheikh is still revered by al Qaeda. Taha Musa is Rahman’s longtime terrorist accomplice, and has compiled an extensive dossier of violence.

In a recent interview, Taha Musa openly praised Ayman al Zawahiri and says he should be allowed to return to Egypt.

heikh ‘Adel Shehato – Egyptian authorities arrested Shehato and accused him of founding the Nasr City terrorist cell. That cell hasn’t received much attention in the American press, but Egyptian authorities have alleged that its members were involved in the Benghazi attack. Shehato is an official in Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ), a terrorist organization headed by Ayman al Zawahiri that long ago merged with al Qaeda. Mohammed al Zawahiri also belongs to the EIJ. Shehato has openly proclaimed his allegiance to al Qaeda’s ideology.

Sheikh Tawfiq Al ‘Afani – He is also an EIJ official. Along with the three jihadists listed above, he was released from prison following the fall of Hosni Mubarak’s regime. Al ‘Afani openly praises al Qaeda in his public lectures. During the Cairo protest, Al ‘Afani repeated the widely heard refrain: “O Obama, we are all Osama…”  

All four of the individuals mentioned above attended the Cairo protest and helped incite protesters.

A fifth senior jihadist who helped incite protests in Cairo is Ahmed ‘Ashoush, who is so liked by Ayman al Zawahiri that al Qaeda includes clips of ‘Ashoush in its official productions regularly.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 1993; 199302; 1993wtcbombing; 199802; 20120911; adelshehato; afani; ahmedashoush; ahmedtahamusa; alafani; alqaeda; alqaedavictory; alqaida; alzawahiri; aymanalzawahiri; benghazi; binladen; blindsheikh; cairo; cairoprotests; egypt; egyptianislamicjihad; eij; fatwa; gamaaislamiyya; ig; innocenceofmuslims; landmarkplot; marknakoula; mohammedalzawahiri; moussa; musa; nakoula; nasrcity; nasrcitycell; obama; obl; omarabdelrahman; osamabinladen; rifaiahmedtahamusa; rifaimusa; shehato; tahamusa; tawfiqalafani; weareallosama; wtcbombing; zawahiri
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-22 next last

1 posted on 11/18/2012 11:36:29 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Sheikh ‘Adel Shehato lost the S in the article....and the bolding.
2 posted on 11/18/2012 11:45:52 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach ((The Global Warming Hoax was a Criminal Act....where is Al Gore?))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
The Washington Post reports that “the CIA and other intelligence analysts have settled on what amounts to a hybrid view” of September 11, 2012, “suggesting that the Cairo protest sparked militants in Libya, who quickly mobilized an assault on U.S. facilities in Benghazi.”

So what "protest" sparked the attacks agaist the embassy months before, and against the Red Cross before, and against the other foreigners such as the UK that caused them to pull their dplomats out?

The protests didn't spark anything, they were most likely orchestrated to provide a diversion for the real attack.

3 posted on 11/18/2012 12:16:10 PM PST by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cindy

good article


4 posted on 11/18/2012 12:18:15 PM PST by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
The protests in Cairo had little or nothing to do with the 'video.'

Brian Lilley: The MSM is lying about the muslim riots video 12:01

5 posted on 11/18/2012 12:41:01 PM PST by TigersEye (Who is John Galt?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TigersEye; Travis McGee

ping


6 posted on 11/18/2012 12:41:46 PM PST by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TigersEye

check out the names.


7 posted on 11/18/2012 12:43:12 PM PST by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

WHO gave the order to NOT rescue our men in Benghazi?

WHEN?

WHY?


8 posted on 11/18/2012 12:48:43 PM PST by John Galt's cousin (Constitutional Conservatism NOW! * * * * * * * * * * Repeal the 17th Amendment!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: John Galt's cousin
Three Facts

Fact One:

1) Only the POTUS can authorize a CBA (cross border authority) command for a rescue mission in a foreign nation.

Plus Fact Two:

2) No rescue mission was attempted.

Equals Fact Three:

3) 0bama turned his back on 41 State Dept. and CIA employees refusing to issue a CBA command and went to bed so he could go to Las Vegas the next day.

--------------------------------------------------------

Something to e-mail to every talking head, every Senator and every House rep.

9 posted on 11/18/2012 12:52:29 PM PST by TigersEye (Who is John Galt?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: piasa

Yep.


10 posted on 11/18/2012 12:53:15 PM PST by TigersEye (Who is John Galt?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Hybrid, eh?

During the Lewinsky scandal, the Clinton fixers called it "the limited hangout". Everyone knew he lied - the idea was to keep dribbling out versions that were a little bit closer to the truth, without actually admitting he lied.

11 posted on 11/18/2012 12:57:02 PM PST by ZOOKER ( Exploring the fine line between cynicism and outright depression)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
The Washington Post reports that “the CIA and other intelligence analysts have settled on what amounts to a hybrid view”

The CIA has adopted a "CYA" view. A bureaucratic decision has been made to provide cover to 0bama and not expose his ineptitude and complete security failure. Why this decision has been made, I don't know. I think it comes down to a desire to keep the facts of the Benghazi operation silent. Exposing Barry would mean that the public would have to know what was going on there. The CIA would prefer you not know, and they're willing to cover for Barry to make sure you don't.

12 posted on 11/18/2012 1:04:02 PM PST by mojito (Zero, our Nero.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: blueunicorn6; TigersEye; Marine_Uncle; onyx; Carry_Okie; Fred Nerks; SunkenCiv; NormsRevenge; ...
I am trying to go back over some of the details....I had not seen this angle posted before...

I want to know more about the Annex....that might explain some of what is going on.

13 posted on 11/18/2012 1:15:05 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach ((The Global Warming Hoax was a Criminal Act....where is Al Gore?))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Thank you very much. This will take some reading!


14 posted on 11/18/2012 1:19:28 PM PST by onyx (FREE REPUBLIC IS HERE TO STAY! DONATE MONTHLY! IF YOU WANT ON SARAH PALIN''S PING LIST, LET ME KNOW)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach; maggief; Cindy; AliVeritas

Thanks for posting this important article. I’m heartened to see that someone is reporting that al Qaeda and Gamaaa Islamiyya were behind the events of Sept. 11, 2012. Our side has made a mistake not focusing on the big picture beyond Benghazi.


15 posted on 11/18/2012 3:59:41 PM PST by kristinn (Dump the Chump in 2012)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: piasa
Thanks for the ping Piasa.

SNIPPET from post no. 1:


"What the Post doesn’t say is that the Cairo protest was itself an al Qaeda-infused, if not outright orchestrated, event."

16 posted on 11/18/2012 4:43:38 PM PST by Cindy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: All
WEEKLY STANDARD.com - The Blog: "THE 'HYBRID VIEW' OF BENGHAZI" by Thomas Joscelyn (November 17, 2012) (Read More…)

Link (Read More…)

Link (Read More…)

LONG WAR JOURNAL.org: "MORE AL QAEDA LINKS TO CAIRO TERROR CELL REPORTEDLY FOUND" by Thomas Joscelyn (November 9, 2012) (Read More…)

Link (Read More…)

17 posted on 11/18/2012 5:05:10 PM PST by Cindy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Thanks again E.. I’ll book mark this one as well in my Libyan folder. Most likely will start to read through some of it tonight.


18 posted on 11/18/2012 8:39:28 PM PST by Marine_Uncle (I'm going John Galt.... But. Honor must be earned.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Verily I shall ask thee folks. Would you feel comfortable with this guy and the crowd that he owns, playing Santa Clause to your little ones.

A good profile of him (Gamaa Islamiya) can be found at the Long War Journal


19 posted on 11/18/2012 9:05:09 PM PST by Marine_Uncle (I'm going John Galt.... But. Honor must be earned.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Marine_Uncle

So I don’t mislead for those that cannot delve into the actual articles at LWJ. The guy in the picture is Hazem Salah Abu Ismail. Perhaps the way I formed my sentences in post #19 would mislead one to think I was referring to the guy in the center of the pick as Gamaa Islamiya. That would be misleading. He is head of this Salafist dominated organization.


20 posted on 11/18/2012 9:22:27 PM PST by Marine_Uncle (I'm going John Galt.... But. Honor must be earned.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-22 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson