Posted on 02/07/2013 8:11:04 AM PST by Wisconsinlady
Panetta being questioned by Congress regarding Benghzi.
I cannot endure this colossal liar Blumenthal.
Yes, an embassy, consulate, and mission are diplomatic facilities and are treated as US territory in terms of their status and how they are treated by the host government.
Are there not sensitive materials there? that is why then.marines are there.
The assignment of a MSG detachment is done on a case by case basis. If a mission lacks an MSG detachment, there are restrictions on the kinds of classified materials and communications equipment you can have there.
Of 220 different facilities, how many need military protection, that are in situations that require more protection? Ten percent?
If you mean external protection, i.e. perimeter security, very few, certainly less than 10%. Usually those are in a war zone like Afghanistan or Iraq. In Iraq today we have US contractors doing it. Remember Blackwater? Marines are there to protect classified equipment and materials. They buy time so we can destroy them if there is a threat that the facility might be overrun. Basically, we depend on the host government to protect our facilities. If they can't do it, then we shouldn't be there.
And with the deteriorating security situation in Benghazi,, not one professional SOD or State Department official could foresee what was going to happen?
No, there was plenty of warning and request for security from the RSO on the ground and the Ambassador. The biggest mistake was not closing those facilities down. The cables made it quite clear that the host government was unable to provide the needed security. If our presence in Benghazi was deemed so critical for our national interests, then we should have used US military forces to defend the perimeter of the Mission and the annex.
None of this should be a question after the 1979 Iranian hostage situation.
Don't get me started on that one. I was in our Embassy in Tehran when it was overrun the first time on February 14, 1979. I left on March 31, 1979. Many of us warned that there would be a second takeover of the Embassy. Once the decision was made to allow the Shah into the US, we should have closed our Embassy period.
The truth is, the reality is, that to cover up what was happening for why Stevens was even there. Is that our President and His entire Administration was willing to sacrifice the lives of ALL 37 Americans there that night in order to cover the arms running to Syria through Turkey.
Whatever the reason, the personnel should never have been kept there without adequate security. It was criminal and no one is being held accountable. The responsibility rests with the WH and State. I don't fault DOD that much. Obama should have ordered military personnel in there immediately even if they couldn't get there in time. They could have at least secured the facilities and provided the security to do a proper investigation.
I have questions as to who signed the security wavier to occupy the facility in Benghazi. By law, it had to be Hillary, U/S Kennedy, or A/S Boswell.
Also, the relief team from Tripoli was delayed at the airport in Benghazi for over four hours. The Libyan government wouldn't allow them entry. Where was Hillary in all of this?
I suspect that the decision as to whether to send the military to Benghazi or not was based on perceptions that it would hurt our bilateral relationship. And by law, the WH has to get approval from Congress for US forces to violate another country's airspace without its approval. IMO the decisions were being made on the basis of diplomatic concerns rather than coming to the aid of our people.
At a very minimum we could have had jet aircraft over Benghazi as long as it took to get our people out of there. They could have been there before the second attack. And there is absolutely no excuse for not securing our facilities after the attacks. They should have been there the same day.
The reason I asked was I was worried that some of the Senators would be wore out! LOL
If the GRS team was asking about the air support at midnight, that was about 6pm Washington DC. Was everyone out eating dinner?
Unlike Nelson’s characterization, which Panetta swore to,this was an ongoing firefight. We had live video and a drone overhead.
We had assets and rapid response teams(other than the one from Tripoli)begging to go, and told to stand down.
WHO SAID THAT? WHEN DID THEY SAY IT? WHY DID THEY SAY IT?
What is so hard about these questions?
Dempsey tells Graham not one soldier nor plane was deployed until AFTER the attack. Then he says we were moving forces as soon as word of the attack came in. Which is it?
Dempsey also praised Gen. Ham on his weekly reports. Well, why was the General relieved of his command that night?
What a nest of vipers. One lies, and the other swears to it. Deflection, dissembling, obfuscation,lies.
The President disappears and doesn’t even ask for a status report.And no one thinks to bother to tell him? The Commander in Chief?
Clinton loses a high profile ambassador and doesn’t talk at all with Panetta or Dempsey. Really?
Petraeus has a CIA facility under attack and what, keeps it to himself.
And don’t even ask what Biden was doing!
Obviously no one gave a crap about the 37 Americans that were rescued.
You don’t even run a Burger King like this.
Isn't THAT the truth!
Is my adopted Senator (Ted Cruz) going to ask questions?
kabar, spot on analysis, and thank you for your reply.
I remembered later that you one time said you were at the embassy in 1979 in Teheran, so you know about these things.
I am upset at what I have witnessed this morning. Hope you don’t think I was upset with you.
Where is the second round?
I finally got back from an appointment and missed the early show. Waiting for Brennan, the bastich.
Q: Why did the First Undocumented Moslem-Communist
sleep so well that night?
A: Because he KNEW that MANPADs and WMD were FINALLY
on their way to al Qaeda, the Moslem Brotherhood,
Iran and his other controllers and terrorist-friends.
Because they have had their lives threatened? Because they were told the IRS would bankrupt them? Because they have been told they would have their houses taken from them?
Don't put ANYTHING past this government. They ARE the enemy.
Did you think the regime was going to let them sing like birds?
Inhofe asks if Panetta thought this was a terrorist attack - Panetta - yes, immediately knew it. If Hillary knew it, Panetta knew it, Inhofe asks why five days later Sec. Rice was claiming they didn’t know - it was about video. Panetta responds he wasn’t involved with reports from intelligence.
Ayotte - asking about movements for rescue/response - Panetta = no time to get there in time.
(Why won’t someone ask who ordered a stand down?)
WOW!
Lindsey Graham came through in spades.
“A: Because he KNEW that MANPADs and WMD were FINALLY
on their way to al Qaeda, the Moslem Brotherhood,
Iran and his other controllers and terrorist-friends.”
And if the SEALs had not interfered, there would have been far more than four American deaths...and NO witnesses left to tell the tale.
Graham asks - Who was in charge? Panetta says, “What do you mean?” Keeps acting like he’s not sure what the question means.
Graham asks “Were you in charge, was Clinton, was the Pres?” Panetta can’t really answer. Says all three of them were in charge he guesses.
Grahams asks, “when did you talk to president after the 5pm meeting. Was it the next day?” Panetta- it was sept. 12 do you know who was talking to the president? do you know when president went to bed did you go to bed? did you go to bed that night. Panetta finally responds to that question, he, himself did not go to bed.
Looks like there will not be a second round of questions!
Right now!
Oh yes, second round going on now.
Where? I have it on the same C-Span channel the original questioning was on - Nothing but the POS giving a speach!
Blunt finally points out that he doesn’t think anyone on the panel has spoken to anyone on the ground in Benghazi at the time. Very odd. Originally were told only the FBI were able to do so. Shouldn’t be difficult to talk to someone there.
Blunt asks why Marines or whoever it was that chartered into the area were asked to change uniforms. (I hadn’t heard that one.) Dempsey says it was by request of host nation. Blunt asks how long this took. Dempsey says about 1/2 hour. Blunt says reports indicate it took 1 and 1/2 hours. Dempsey says he said 1/2 hour just as a guess.
Side comment from me - why doesn’t Dempsey know these details? He knew he was coming here to testify today. Is he just stupid or playing stupid.
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.