No, military couldn’t help and what?
Are we learning anything new pieces of the timeline here?
*CBS News has been told that, hours after the attack began, an unmanned Predator drone was sent over the U.S. mission in Benghazi, and that the drone and other reconnaissance aircraft apparently observed the final hours of the protracted battle.
*A White House official told CBS News that, at the start of the attack, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Martin Dempsey and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta “looked at available options, and the ones we exercised had our military forces arrive in less than 24 hours, well ahead of timelines laid out in established policies.”
*CBS News has been told Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did seek clearances from Libya to fly in their airspace, but the administration won’t say anything further about what was said or decided on that front.
For God’s Sake, we have an Amphibious Readiness Group on station in the Mediterranian with a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) consisting of a Reinforced Marine Infantry Battalion, a composite Marine Aircraft Squadron (light & heavy Helos, Ospreys, Harriers), and a Marine Logistics Support Unit with 30 days supply of materiel and associated combat service support equipment.
Remember, this attack on the US Consulate/Embassy took place at about 9:30 PM (Local). That was 3:30 or 4:30 PM Eastern Standard Time. We had people in positions of authority to land the MEU just watching this debacle unfold.