Drip…. Drip…. Drip….. The Truth comes forth. Turning that spigot to brutally honest mode is the job of Congress now. Jason Chaffetz went to Libya over the weekend to gather information prior to the Congressional hearings scheduled for Wed, this week.
(Daily Beast) Just two days before the 9/11 anniversary attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, two leaders of the Libyan militias responsible for keeping order in the city threatened to withdraw their men.
The brinksmanship is detailed in a cable approved by Ambassador Chris Stevens and sent on the day he died in the attack, the worst assault on a U.S. diplomatic mission since the 1979 hostage crisis in Iran. The dispatch, which was marked “sensitive” but not “classified,” contained a number of other updates on the chaotic situation on the ground in post-Gaddafi Libya. [...]
The threat from the militias underscores the dangers of relying on local Libyan forces for security in the run-up to the 9/11 military-style assault. The U.S. consulate in Benghazi employed a militia called the “February 17 Martyrs Brigade” for security of the four-building compound. In addition, there were five Americans serving as diplomatic security and a group of former special operations forces that acted as a quick reaction force on the day of the 9/11 attack. Members of the militias led by bin-Ahmed and al-Gharabi overlapped with the February 17 militia, the cable says.
Jason Chaffetz, the Republican lawmaker who has led the House Oversight and Government Reform committee’s investigation into the 9/11 attack, says the State Department actually decreased U.S. diplomatic security personnel in the months leading up to the attack.
The cable, titled “Benghazi Weekly Report – September 11, 2012,” notes the dangerous environment in eastern Libya. It does not, however, make a specific plea to Washington for more personnel or more security upgrades, and concludes that much of the violence in the country consists of Libyans attacking other Libyans, as opposed to specific plots directed at the West.
Chaffetz, who visited Tripoli on Saturday, told The Daily Beast he has obtained documents and conducted interviews with whistle blowers that show the U.S. mission Libya did request more security from Washington in the run-up to the attack, but was denied. “Regional security officers were denied requests for more personnel and security upgrades to the four buildings and the perimeter security of the U.S. mission in Benghazi,” he told The Daily Beast on Sunday. More details on that negotiation will likely come out on Wednesday, when Chaffetz will hold his committee’s first hearing on the Benghazi attack.
The cable in some ways is bittersweet. It provides a snapshot of U.S. activities in Libya’s second-largest city before the assault that killed Stevens and three other Americans. It acknowledged the rise of Islamist forces in the militias and in the nearby city of Dernaa, a hotbed of al Qaeda recruiting in the last decade. In that city, an outfit called the “Abu-Salim Brigade” was beginning to enforce a harsh version of Islamic law that prohibited any co-mingling of men and women at the local university. One correspondent with the late ambassador urged him to send someone to Dernaa to “see the truth for yourselves.” (more)
CLINTON COVERUP - In a briefing to Capitol Hill staffers delivered the day after the deadly Sept. 11 attack in Benghazi, a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the killings appeared to be the result of a terrorist attack.
Under Secretary of State for Management Patrick F. Kennedy — who exercises responsibility for all department personnel, facilities, and operations, and who is one of the department’s most respected civil servants, having served in his position under both the George W. Bush and Obama administrations — delivered the assessment in an unclassified, half-hour conference call with staff aides to House and Senate lawmakers from relevant committees, and leadership offices, on the evening of Sept. 12.
That a State Department official of Kennedy’s rank — one with direct oversight of the installations and people targeted in Benghazi — reached so swiftly the conclusion that the attacks were premeditated and coordinated stands in stark contrast to the opposing narrative pressed at that time, and for several days afterward, by other top officials at State, the White House, and the intelligence agencies. (more)
(CBS) The former head of a Special Forces “Site Security Team” in Libya tells CBS News that in spite of multiple pleas from himself and other U.S. security officials on the ground for “more, not less” security personnel, the State Department removed as many as 34 people from the country in the six months before a terrorist attack in Benghazi that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others.
Lt. Col. Andy Wood will appear this week at a House Oversight Committee hearing that will examine security decisions leading up to the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi.
Speaking to CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson, Wood said when he found out that his own 16-member team and a six-member State Department elite force were being pulled from Tripoli in August – about a month before the assault in Benghazi – he felt, “like we were being asked to play the piano with two fingers. There was concern amongst the entire embassy staff.”
He said other staffers approached him with their concerns when the reduction in security personnel was announced.
“They asked if we were safe,” he told Attkisson. “They asked… what was going to happen, and I could only answer that what we were being told is that they’re working on it – they’ll get us more (security personnel), but I never saw that.”
Wood insists that senior staff in Libya, including Ambassador Stevens, State Department Regional Security Officer Eric Nordstrom, and himself, all wanted and had requested enhanced security.
“We felt we needed more, not less,” he tells Attkisson.
Asked what response their repeated pleas got from the State Department in Washington, Wood says they were simply told “to do with less. For what reasons, I don’t know.” (more)
http://www.suntimes.com/news/washington/15581902-452/reporter-lara-logan-brings-ominous-news-from-middle-east.html
Reporter Lara Logan brings ominous news from Middle East
Wow. Great article Thanks for linking. Yes, yes, yes…. I would have loved to hear that speech.
Not only is she credible, but she has bore witness – direct witness – to the savages on the march. It will be interesting to see how the media report, if at all, on her “coming out” with the truth. None of which helps the Obama/Clinton/Power/Rice/Jarrett agenda.
Yes, this. Everyone should read. I’m going to work up a post to draw attention. We have previously posted her 60 minutes video – I’ll hunt it back down for an accompanying consideration.
“Eleven years later, “they” still hate us, now more than ever, Logan told the crowd. The Taliban and al-Qaida have not been vanquished, she added. They’re coming back.”
Duh. The shocking thing is the traitorous conduct of the Zero Administration and the passive acquiescence by Congress. We have become Clusterfuark Nation.
In the ME, weakness, or appeasement gets you killed. It is a reason why we never negotiated with terrorist. It was true in Jefferson’s time, it is even more true now. The foreign aid we send this countries is the same as the ransom we paid for the sailors and ships, the Barbary Pirates seized more than 200 years ago. Eventually, we had to send the Marines to stop that, it should be a lesson every President should remember.
Reblogged this on Gds44's Blog.
IF TRUE, think of the implications for Stevens. He’d have known.
http://www.newser.com/story/155441/new-conspiracy-france-killed-gadhafi-to-hide-secrets.html
New Conspiracy: France Killed Gadhafi to Hide Secrets
Sarkozy allegedly wanted to keep a lid on ‘campaign donations
I’m bookmarking this article. There has always been something about Sarkozy, Gaddafi, Gaddafi’s family, and the 5 billion euros France, Italy and Germany provided to Gaddafi to close the immigration gate, that bothered me.
Believe it or not, against the backdrop of what actually took place, and considering the timeline, this actually makes a lot of sense.
You’d be the one to pull it together, SD; the French connection, Sarkozy’s presidential loss, how Stevens spoke of Gaddafi and how their bodies were similarly brutalized, the lack of security at the consulate. More than a coverup, this may have even been a setup … gone awry.
Interesting, the French did drive the whole deal from the beginning, and where the strongest advocates for the bombing.
http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Nicolas+Sarkozy+Muammar+al+Gaddafi+G8+L+Aquila+OiJa-YE9jDrl.jpg
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, US President Barack Obama, UN Secretary General Ban ki Moon, Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi and the extended members of the G8 world leaders pose for a “family photo” on the third day of the G8 summit on July 10, 2009 in L’Aquila, Italy. The talks are being held close to the site of a devastating earthquake in April of this year. The leaders are expected to discuss climate change, global security and the global recession.
http://www.tripolipost.com/articledetail.asp?c=1&i=3357
Photo: Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, left, shakes hands with US President Barack Obama before a dinner at the G8 summit in L’Aquila, Italy on Thursday, July 9, 2009.
The Libya leader Muammar Gaddafi who is also the current President of the African Union met Thursday night with United States President Barack Obama.
Both leaders shook hands and exchanged words of greetings.
This is the first time that the Leader Muammar Gaddafi to meet a US president for the last 39 years.
But the thing is, my question is: “what was the spark”? The spark that lit the fuse of Sarkozy’s attack on Gaddafi in early Feb 2011? I can accept the campaign contribution as factually plausible, but what kicked off the Sarkozy attack on him.
Within minutes of the uprising in Libya, even before justice minister Mustafa Abdel Jalil’s defection, France came out FULL ON against Gaddafi. I mean as soon as the first “rebels” took up arms Sarkozy was all over them with praise and demanding Gaddafi to step down. Obviously this perked up my antenna… it just didn’t make sense.
I had documented the egyptian influence into Benghazi as soon as it was evident, and that was when the Egyptian VP was still trying to hold on. The Muslim Brotherhood quickly ran into the streets, the military opened the jails/Prisons and Obama went “dark” as in totally silent for 19 days.
During that 19 days in Egypt, the fuse was lit in Benghazi….. I saw that coming. But I could never understand why Sarkozy jumped in head first right off the bat. I mean they are dependent on Heavy Crude for their euro-diesels directly from Libya.
What was so significant that Sarkozy would risk being wrong.? If Gaddafi won and eliminated the “rebels” France would have been severely punished.
So I can understand why Sarkozy was “all in” once he went in….. but what pushed him into the foray in the first place.? That’s what this doesn’t explain.
Unless Gaddafi was blackmailing him over the campaign money before the uprising began. But that is pure speculation. and lends the question why would he begin the blackmail.
Crisis in Egypt
CNN – Saturday, January 29, 2011
Show: CNN LIVE EVENT/SPECIAL
Author: Wolf Blitzer, Isha Sesya, Ivan Watson, Ben Wedeman, FranTownsend, Elise Labott
BLITZER:…Elise, let me just get your reaction because there was a strong statement issued from the leaders of Britain, France and Germany — David Cameron, the British prime minister, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel. And they said — among other things, they said, “The Egyptian people have legitimate grievances and a longing for a just and better future. We urge President Mubarak to embark on a process of transformation which should be reflected in a broad-based government and free and fair elections.” To me that statement goes beyond what the Obama administration has been saying, specifically the words of “a process of transformation.” It sounds like they are calling on him almost to step down.
ELISE LABOTT, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT PRODUCER: Well, I would say a two- pronged statement there, Wolf, because part of the rest of the statement was that we recognize the moderating role that HosniMubarak played in the Middle East peace process and we ask him to use that moderation now in addressing the needs of his people. And I think it, really, if you take that along with the comments of President Obama yesterday, Secretary Clinton, it really reiterates the tightrope that these powers are walking right now.
On one hand, they want to be on the right side of history. They want to support the aspirations of the Egyptian people. They’re just riveted by what’s going on.
At the same time, the cold reality is that these countries also need to protect their interests. HosniMubarak is a very critical ally to the U.S. and to Europe, and these are the powers of Europe just like HosniMubarak is the power of the Middle East. And they need to work with him if the event that he does stay, they don’t want to alienate him.
And if he does leave, they’re concerned about a vacuum. They’re concerned about who comes next. So, they’re really trying to walk this tightrope right now and I think those are kind of measured statements if you will, Wolf.
Highlights — NEW: In an interview to air Sunday, U.K. leader calls Mubarak a ‘friend of Britain’ — NEW: Cameron says of Egypt: “We support … reform, not revolution” — The heads of Germany, France, U.K. call for reforms and respect for rights — A U.S. State Department official says Mubarak must not just “reshuffle the deck” – Western powers push Mubarak to fulfill vows, call for ‘free’ elections – Updated 9:05 p.m.: Last 5 grafs contain quotes from Zakaria interview with Cameron on Friday CNN Wire – January 29, 2011
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0211/europe_arab_upheaval.php3
Jewish World Review Feb. 24, 2011 / 20 Adar I, 5771
Why upheaval in the Arab world was met with slow, tepid response from the E.U.
… Europe’s oil comes through the Middle East, and Arab immigrants populate its cities. There’s concern about instability and tides of new immigrants.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is reportedly miffed that President Obama abandoned Hosni Mubarak so soon, and Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi defended the ousted leader a week after he fell. Mr. Berlusconi is also the closest EU leader to Libya’s Muammar Qaddafi.
http://spectator.org/archives/2011/03/15/obama-sarkozy-gaddafi
Obama, Sarkozy, Gaddafi
By Roger Kaplan on 3.15.11
http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/10/08/did-a-french-spy-kill-muammar-gaddafi/
Did a French Spy Kill Muammar Gaddafi?
Overlapping news reports in Europe suggest that French intelligence services located and killed fleeing Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 using critical information provided by a fellow tyrant: Syrian President Bashar Assad
…Why would France be more vulnerable than other nations that also dealt with Libya under the unsavory Gaddafi? In large part because of Sarkozy’s once cozy relationship with the Libyan. Just three months into his presidency, Sarkozy persuaded Gaddafi to release five Bulgarian health workers who had been imprisoned for years in Libya on what were considered bogus charges that they’d intentionally infected children with HIV. That bargain took place amid murky financial and diplomatic transactions. Later, Sarkozy hosted Gaddafi during a high-profile state visit to Paris — a trip that was supposed to serve as the reformed Libyan’s return to polite global company, but which turned into an embarrassing fiasco for France. That was when the pair’s friendship began to sour; it ended entirely when Sarkozy spearheaded the NATO operation that resulted in Gaddafi’s ouster. It was during those hostilities that Gaddafi intimates repeatedly aired claims that the dictator had provided illegal funds to finance Sarkozy’s 2007 presidential campaign. Sarkozy has steadfastly denied those charges, though they have continued to dog him.
Why did Obama & Clinton disregard multi pleas for more security to those in Libya??
http://keyetv.com/news/top-stories/stories/exsecurity-team-leader-libya-multiple-pleas-more-not-less-security-staff-4615.shtml?wap=0
Who is running our country? Seriously why isn’t there investigation because the US did (unfortunately) elect Obama and no one else should be making final decisions.
“Who is running our country?”
Saudi Arabia and its paid minions.
Valerie Jarrett
http://thespeechatimeforchoosing.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/bombshell-valerie-jarretts-father-in-law-linked-to-opec-funded-islamic-plot-to-fund-obama-and-takeover-the-presidency/
Why? because basically they (Obama/Clinton and crony’s) are assholes.
Greed and evil deeds done dirt cheep!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/congress/us-security-official-in-libya-says-he-had-wanted-more-security-230-incidents-prior-to-attack/2012/10/09/64a4608e-1244-11e2-9a39-1f5a7f6fe945_story.html
US security official in Libya says he had wanted more security; 230 incidents prior to attack
By Associated Press, Updated: Tuesday, October 9, 2:45 PM
WASHINGTON — A top State Department security official in Libya told a congressional investigator that he had argued unsuccessfully for more security in the weeks before Ambassador Chris Stevens was killed. Department officials instead wanted to “normalize operations and reduce security resources,” he wrote in an email obtained Tuesday by the Associated Press.
Eric Nordstrom, who was the regional security officer in Libya, also referenced a State Department document that detailed 230 security incidents in Libya between June 2011 and July 2012 that demonstrated the danger to Americans.
…
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/romney-reveals-that-he-met-former-navy-seal-killed-in-libya/
Romney Reveals That He Met Former Navy SEAL Killed in Libya
…Mr. Romney told a story for the first time of having met a young man at a neighbor’s home in Massachusetts, a former SEAL, and having discussed their mutual love of skiing and the new acquaintance’s postmilitary career in security work in the Middle East.
“You can image how I felt,” Mr. Romney said, “when I found out he was one of the two former Navy SEALs killed in Benghazi on Sept. 11.”
His campaign confirmed that the man, whom Mr. Romney did not name, was Glen A. Doherty, 42, a native of Winchester, Mass., who died at the diplomatic compound with the American ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens, when militants attacked.
http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2012/10/09/emotional-romney-tells-iowa-crowd-time-he-met-navy-seal-killed-libya
VAN METER, Iowa – Recounting stories of people who have touched his life, an emotional Mitt Romney told an Iowa crowd Tuesday afternoon of the time he met one of the two former Navy SEALs killed in last month’s terror attack in Libya. The story started off light-hearted. Romney and his wife, Ann Romney, accidentally crashed a Christmas Party across the street from his home in La Jolla, Calif., mistakenly thinking it was a neighborhood party they were invited to. “We had dinner together and got our pictures with everyone,” Romney recalled, as the crowd began laughing. “Turns out, this wasn’t the neighborhood party. This was a family having a party with their friends alright.” Needless to say, the Romneys were “a little embarrassed.”
“But they treated us well, nonetheless, and I got to meet some really interesting people,” he said. One of those people was a former Navy SEAL from Romney’s home state of Massachusetts, someone Romney called “impressive” and with whom he said he shared a number of interests. “You can imagine how I felt when I found out that he was one of the two former Navy SEALs killed in Benghazi on Sept. 11,” Romney said while visibly getting choked up. Although he didn’t use a name, Romney was talking about Glen Doherty, a 42-year-old former Navy SEAL killed along with Ambassador Christopher Stevens and two others during an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Romney recalled Doherty’s and fellow former SEAL Tyrone Woods’ heroism as they left their compound’s safety for the consulate in order to help those under attack. “They went there,” he said. “They didn’t hunker down where they were in safety — they rushed there to go help…
“This is the American way — we go where there’s trouble,” he continued. “We go where we’re needed. And right now we’re needed.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/before-attack-on-us-mission-in-libya-state-dept-concluded-risk-of-violence-was-high/2012/10/09/16270dce-123c-11e2-a16b-2c110031514a_story.html
Before attack on U.S. mission in Libya, State Dept. concluded risk of violence was high
By Anne Gearan, Updated: Tuesday, October 9, 2:59 PM
Less than two months before the fatal attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, the State Department concluded that the risk of violence to diplomats and other Americans in Libya was high and that the weak U.S.-backed government in Tripoli could do little about it.
“The risk of U.S. Mission personnel, private U.S. citizens and businesspersons encountering an isolating event as a result of militia or political violence is HIGH,” a State Department security assessment from July 22 concludes.
The department approved a 30 percent “danger pay” bonus for Americans working in Libya during the summer, according to documents released by Congress on Tuesday.
…
http://dailycaller.com/2012/10/09/peter-king-obama-admin-may-have-given-classified-briefings-to-daily-beast-columnist/
Peter King: Obama admin may have given classified briefings to Daily Beast columnist
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rep. Peter King is asking CIA director Gen. David Petraeus and White House national security adviser James Clapper to investigate whether a columnist for The Daily Beast received the same classified foreign policy briefings as President Barack Obama.
“While I recognize that members of the Executive Branch provide background briefings to members of the media, I do not recall any occasion where a journalist received an intelligence briefing equivalent to that received by the President or the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., especially in the aftermath of a terrorist attack against U.S. personnel,” King wrote to the high-ranking national security officials in a letter obtained exclusively by The Daily Caller.
King asked whether “other members of the media receive the intelligence briefings,” but his inquiry focuses on The Daily Beast’s Dr. Leslie Gelb.
On Oct. 8, Gelb — a foreign policy columnist for the Newsweek-affiliated website — defended U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice for her role in what has become known as “Benghazi-gate.”
…
wiki:
Gelb was director of Policy Planning and Arms Control for International Security Affairs at the Department of Defense from 1967 to 1969, winning the Pentagon’s highest award, the Distinguished Service Award. Robert McNamara appointed Gelb as director of the project that produced the controversial Pentagon Papers on the Vietnam War.
He was diplomatic correspondent at The New York Times from 1973 to 1977.
He served as an Assistant Secretary of State in the Carter Administration from 1977 to 1979, serving as director of the Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs and winning the Distinguished Honor Award, the highest award of the US State Department.
He returned to the Times in 1981; from then until 1993, he was in turn its national security correspondent, deputy editorial page editor, editor of the op-ed page, and columnist. This period included his leading role on the Times team that won a Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism in 1986 for a six-part comprehensive series on the “Star Wars” Strategic Defense Initiative).
Gelb became President of the Council on Foreign Relations in 1993 and as of 2012 is its President Emeritus.[3]
He supported the Iraq War but later said[4][5] his “initial support for the war was symptomatic of unfortunate tendencies within the foreign policy community, namely the disposition and incentives to support wars to retain political and professional credibility.”
He serves as the chairman of the advisory board for the progressive foreign policy think tank, National Security Network, on the board of directors of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, member of the board of directors of the Truman Project, board of directors of the Center for the National Interest and the advisory board of United Against Nuclear Iran.[6]
Gelb is a contributor to The Daily Beast, a news aggregation site.
Powerful Ad re Benghazi by American Crossroads:
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/10/09/state_department_no_video_protest_at_the_benghazi_consulate
State Department: No video protest at the Benghazi consulate
Posted By Josh Rogin Tuesday, October 9, 2012 – 6:35 PM
Prior to the attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi late in the evening on Sept. 11, there was no protest outside the compound, a senior State Department official confirmed today, contradicting initial administration statements suggesting that the attack was an opportunistic reaction to unrest caused by an anti-Islam video.
In a conference call with reporters Tuesday [edited to add, FOXNews excluded], two senior State Department officials gave a detailed accounting of the events that lead to the death of Amb. Chris Stevens and three other Americans. The officials said that prior to the massive attack on the Benghazi compound by dozens of militants carrying heavy weaponry, there was no unrest outside the walls of the compound and no protest that anyone inside the compound was aware of.
In fact, Stevens hosted a series of meetings on the compound throughout the day, ending with a meeting with a Turkish diplomat that began at 7:30 in the evening, and all was quiet in the area.
“The ambassador walked guests out at 8:30 or so; there was nobody on the street. Then at 9:40 they saw on the security cameras that there were armed men invading the compound,” a senior State Department official said. “Everything is calm at 8:30 pm, there is nothing unusual. There had been nothing unusual during the day outside.”
The official was asked about why senior officials said in the immediate aftermath of the attack that it was related to the anti-Islam video and the protests at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo earlier in the day.
“But putting together the best information that we have available to us today, our current assessment is what happened in Benghazi was in fact initially a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired hours before in Cairo, almost a copycat of the demonstrations against our facility in Cairo, prompted by the video,” U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice said Sept. 16 on NBC’s Meet the Press.
“That was not our conclusion,” the State Department official said. “We don’t necessarily have a conclusion [about that].”
…