See the post I just put up in #194. Some are saying that Hamm actually got a rapid response team ready, told the pentagon, received the order to “stand down” and then made the decision to defy the Pentagon orders and was immediately relieved of his duties by his second in command. Granted, the story I posted IS hearsay at this point, but could explain why the strike was called off after the plane was already in the air (if it was).
I’m still catching up on the stuff here at FR after spending a while reading about this on FB, where - at least among conservative circles - it is perhaps the ONLY thing being discussed...
Sept 19 story - reporting Ham’s replacement.