Obama Administration ran guns from Benghazi to Syria

[AUFAN78 3,897]

More incompetence............

In the months [between February 2011 and September 11, 2012] leading up to the attack on the Temporary Mission Facility in Benghazi, there was a large amount of evidence gathered by the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) and from open sources that Benghazi was increasingly dangerous and unstable, and that a significant attack against American personnel there was becoming much more likely. While this intelligence was effectively shared within the Intelligence Community (IC) and with key officials at the Department of State, it did not lead to a commensurate increase in security at Benghazi nor to a decision to close the American mission there, either of which would have been more than justified by the intelligence presented. ... The RSO [Regional Security Officer] in Libya compiled a list of 234 security incidents in Libya between June 2011 and July 2012, 50 of which took place in Benghazi.^[64]

This is no surprise. The CIA had briefed Stevens on the threat.

And who did Stevens brief on the threat?

He didnt brief anyone.

In May 2012, Ambassador Stevens replaced Ambassador Cretz and continued to make requests for additional security. In an email in early June, he told a State Department official that with national elections occurring in Libya in July and August, the U.S. Mission in Libya “would feel much safer if we could keep two MSD teams with us through this period [to support] our staff and [personal detail] for me and the [Deputy Chief of Mission] and any VIP visitors.”16 The State Department official replied that due to other commitments and limited resources, “unfortunately, MSD cannot support the request.

On July 9, 2012, Ambassador Stevens responded with a cable that stressed that the security conditions in Libya had not met the requisite benchmarks established by the State Department and the U.S. Mission in Libya to warrant initiating a security drawdown.20 He requested that a sufficient number of security personnel, whether DS agents, or SST or MSD team members, be permitted to stay.

[AUFAN78 3,897]

Being tactically ready in five min is awesome....but were they strategically ready?

Lets see.....Army Rangers, Navy SEALS, Marine Force Recon and Army Special Forces, yeah, I'd say very ready.

You don't know the difference do you? Yes

Another question. Have you ever conducted a mission brief or convoy brief? No

Have you ever been in charge of a group of individuals where your decisions could get them killed? Yes

Then you would know you cant be strategically ready to go in five min, unless you were prestaged. They were not.

If you have been in charge then you would make sure things were in order before sending them out to possibly die, wouldnt you or has your desire to trash other Americans clouded your judgement?

The entire team was briefed the day before the attacks. They were ready. Unfortunately, the Ambassador and his team were ill equipped to respond adequately. They counted on and expected support.

When the annex team accepted this duty, they knew the possibilities. When the compound came under fire the annex team was ready to respond. This wasn't their first day on the job nor their first rodeo.

You are still missing my point. They get briefed everyday. That still doesnt mean they were prestaged. You cant maintain that kind of posture indefinetly. There was no specific intel on a pending attack.

No, i get your point and agree it would be difficult, if not impossible, to maintain a ready posture indefinitely. I read and will try and locate where there was intel of escalation. In fact, I believe "Bob" stated he knew immediately upon hearing gunfire what was going down. Give me a minute to locate.

[AUFAN78 3,897]

Bob met with Stevens on Sept. 10, 2012, when the CIA briefed the ambassador at the diplomatic facility shortly after his arrival from Tripoli. “We did try to convey the seriousness of the terrorism environment in eastern Libya,” he said.

Bob said he first heard gunfire about 9:42 p.m. and suspected immediately that the diplomatic compound was under attack.

On the day of the attack, two consulate security guards spotted a man in a Libyan police uniform taking pictures of the consulate with his cell phone from a nearby building that was under construction. The security guards briefly detained the man before releasing him. He drove away in a police car and a complaint was made to the Libyan police station.Sean Smith noticed this surveillance, and messaged a friend online around noon, "Assuming we don't die tonight. We saw one of our 'police' that guard the compound taking pictures."

According to a local security official, he and a battalion commander had met with U.S. diplomats three days before the attack and warned the Americans about deteriorating security in the area. The official told CNN that he advised the diplomats, "The situation is frightening; it scares us."

Ambassador Stevens' diary, which was later found at the unsecured site of the attack, recorded his concern about the growing al-Qaeda presence in the area and his worry about being on an al-Qaeda hit list.

U.S. security officer Eric Nordstrom twice requested additional security for the mission in Benghazi from his superiors at the State Department. His requests were denied.

The facts alone suggest increased concerns which ultimately led to increased situation awareness/readiness.

[AUUSN 823]

Bob met with Stevens on Sept. 10, 2012, when the CIA briefed the ambassador at the diplomatic facility shortly after his arrival from Tripoli. “We did try to convey the seriousness of the terrorism environment in eastern Libya,” he said.

Bob said he first heard gunfire about 9:42 p.m. and suspected immediately that the diplomatic compound was under attack.

On the day of the attack, two consulate security guards spotted a man in a Libyan police uniform taking pictures of the consulate with his cell phone from a nearby building that was under construction. The security guards briefly detained the man before releasing him. He drove away in a police car and a complaint was made to the Libyan police station.Sean Smith noticed this surveillance, and messaged a friend online around noon, "Assuming we don't die tonight. We saw one of our 'police' that guard the compound taking pictures."

According to a local security official, he and a battalion commander had met with U.S. diplomats three days before the attack and warned the Americans about deteriorating security in the area. The official told CNN that he advised the diplomats, "The situation is frightening; it scares us."

Ambassador Stevens' diary, which was later found at the unsecured site of the attack, recorded his concern about the growing al-Qaeda presence in the area and his worry about being on an al-Qaeda hit list.

U.S. security officer Eric Nordstrom twice requested additional security for the mission in Benghazi from his superiors at the State Department. His requests were denied.

The facts alone suggest increased concerns which ultimately led to increased situation awareness/readiness.

Roger that but there wasnt specific intel on a pending attack.

[AUUSN 823]

Yemem Sept 2012.

[AUUSN 823]

Egypt Sept 2012

[AUUSN 823]

This was not a standard military rescue operation. The CIA was not responsible for the security of the State Department Temporary Mission Facility, and the Chief of Base and CIA Security Chief had to consider other factors, including the safety of the remaining CIA personnel under their command at the Annex.

https://intelligence.house.gov/press-release/fact-sheet-house-intelligence-committee’s-benghazi-report

[AUUSN 823]

So much of the testimony has been shown to be inaccurate. There is still an investigation ongoing. Believe what you want, I don't care.

The totality of the evidence indicates that the CIA team departed for the State Department facility 21 minutes after first learning of the attack at 9:42 pm. While Mr. Paronto testified that he believed the call came earlier, the totality of evidence, which includes other eyewitness testimony, FBI reports from the initial eyewitness interviews, time-stamped video footage, and CIA emails and cables, shows that the notification came at 9:42 pm. https://intelligence.house.gov/press-release/fact-sheet-house-intelligence-committee’s-benghazi-report

[AUFAN78 3,897]

Bob met with Stevens on Sept. 10, 2012, when the CIA briefed the ambassador at the diplomatic facility shortly after his arrival from Tripoli. “We did try to convey the seriousness of the terrorism environment in eastern Libya,” he said.

Bob said he first heard gunfire about 9:42 p.m. and suspected immediately that the diplomatic compound was under attack.

On the day of the attack, two consulate security guards spotted a man in a Libyan police uniform taking pictures of the consulate with his cell phone from a nearby building that was under construction. The security guards briefly detained the man before releasing him. He drove away in a police car and a complaint was made to the Libyan police station.Sean Smith noticed this surveillance, and messaged a friend online around noon, "Assuming we don't die tonight. We saw one of our 'police' that guard the compound taking pictures."

According to a local security official, he and a battalion commander had met with U.S. diplomats three days before the attack and warned the Americans about deteriorating security in the area. The official told CNN that he advised the diplomats, "The situation is frightening; it scares us."

Ambassador Stevens' diary, which was later found at the unsecured site of the attack, recorded his concern about the growing al-Qaeda presence in the area and his worry about being on an al-Qaeda hit list.

U.S. security officer Eric Nordstrom twice requested additional security for the mission in Benghazi from his superiors at the State Department. His requests were denied.

The facts alone suggest increased concerns which ultimately led to increased situation awareness/readiness.

Roger that but there wasnt specific intel on a pending attack.

Maybe not specific, but Bob's statement is telling don't you think?

[AUUSN 823]

Bob met with Stevens on Sept. 10, 2012, when the CIA briefed the ambassador at the diplomatic facility shortly after his arrival from Tripoli. “We did try to convey the seriousness of the terrorism environment in eastern Libya,” he said.

Bob said he first heard gunfire about 9:42 p.m. and suspected immediately that the diplomatic compound was under attack.

On the day of the attack, two consulate security guards spotted a man in a Libyan police uniform taking pictures of the consulate with his cell phone from a nearby building that was under construction. The security guards briefly detained the man before releasing him. He drove away in a police car and a complaint was made to the Libyan police station.Sean Smith noticed this surveillance, and messaged a friend online around noon, "Assuming we don't die tonight. We saw one of our 'police' that guard the compound taking pictures."

According to a local security official, he and a battalion commander had met with U.S. diplomats three days before the attack and warned the Americans about deteriorating security in the area. The official told CNN that he advised the diplomats, "The situation is frightening; it scares us."

Ambassador Stevens' diary, which was later found at the unsecured site of the attack, recorded his concern about the growing al-Qaeda presence in the area and his worry about being on an al-Qaeda hit list.

U.S. security officer Eric Nordstrom twice requested additional security for the mission in Benghazi from his superiors at the State Department. His requests were denied.

The facts alone suggest increased concerns which ultimately led to increased situation awareness/readiness.

Roger that but there wasnt specific intel on a pending attack.

Maybe not specific, but Bob's statement is telling don't you think?

Not really. The same could have been said about Nigeria, Kenya, South Sudan, Somolia, Yemen, Pakistan, on and on and on.

[AUUSN 823]

The former security contractors who are telling their version of events in the media do not represent the totality of the two CIA rescue teams.

https://intelligence.house.gov/press-release/fact-sheet-house-intelligence-committee’s-benghazi-report

[AUUSN 823]

House investigation into the Benghazi embassy attack concluded that the Obama administration was not guilty of any deliberate, negligent wrongdoing, according to Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.). Thompson told SFGatethat the report, from a GOP-led panel, "confirms that no one was deliberately misled, no military assets were withheld and no stand-down order" was given to troops in the area.

http://theweek.com/speedreads/448820/house-intel-report-benghazi-finds-no-secret-obama-scandal

[TexasTiger 12,881]

House investigation into the Benghazi embassy attack concluded that the Obama administration was not guilty of any deliberate, negligent wrongdoing, according to Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.). Thompson told SFGatethat the report, from a GOP-led panel, "confirms that no one was deliberately misled, no military assets were withheld and no stand-down order" was given to troops in the area.

http://theweek.com/speedreads/448820/house-intel-report-benghazi-finds-no-secret-obama-scandal

Facts are soooo boring!!!

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

You are working awfully hard to deny what happened.

It was about a video.

That's the narrative some must cling to, no matter what.

Raptor! Put the goal post down!

No one except you is talking about that. We are discussing the actions on the ground. Everyone knows the narrative was bs.

There was no standdown order. None. Zero. Zilch. Nata.

Prove it with a reliable trustworthy source with no political office, and no ax to grind that the CIA station chief didn't say "quit" twice and then "do not go." There are only three who are speaking out. I trust them. They were there.

[TexasTiger 12,881]

You are working awfully hard to deny what happened.

It was about a video.

That's the narrative some must cling to, no matter what.

Raptor! Put the goal post down!

No one except you is talking about that. We are discussing the actions on the ground. Everyone knows the narrative was bs.

There was no standdown order. None. Zero. Zilch. Nata.

Prove it.

Have you read the report of the Republican congress that sooooo wanted to find what Fox News has convinced you is true? They interviewed those not speaking to the media.

[AUUSN 823]

You are working awfully hard to deny what happened.

It was about a video.

That's the narrative some must cling to, no matter what.

Raptor! Put the goal post down!

No one except you is talking about that. We are discussing the actions on the ground. Everyone knows the narrative was bs.

There was no standdown order. None. Zero. Zilch. Nata.

Prove it with a reliable trustworthy source with no ax to grind. There are only three who are speaking out. I trust them.

You mean like the GOP lead House Intel Committee? You are a fanatic. As Napoleon said, there is no room in the mind of a fanatic for reason to enter.

[AUUSN 823]

Oh Proud Tiggy...

The former security contractors who are telling their version of events in the media do not represent the totality of the two CIA rescue teams.

https://intelligence...benghazi-report

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

Oh sailor boy.....you keep referencing the House report. I said someone who doesn't have a political office.I assume you don't believe the three guys who were there and lost comrades and risked their lives trying to save the Ambassador. Why didn't the committee talk to them? Why did Hillary lie to the families?

[TexasTiger 12,881]

He can't read nor reason.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

He can't read nor reason.

Can you? Then maybe you can answer for him? Simple question......do you think the three guys I refer to who were there are lying as well as the families?

[TexasTiger 12,881]

He can't read nor reason.

Can you? Then maybe you can answer for him? Simple question......do you think the three guys I refer to who were there are lying as well as the families?

I don't think the majority of the guys not out to make a buck were motivated to lie. You prefer the handful who say what you want to hear.

[AUFAN78 3,897]

Just based on this thread alone it is rather easy to understand the differing opinions on Benghazi. You have a group that is 100% satisfied with intelligence reports, another group (myself included) which aren't totally convinced, and yet another that don't believe a damn thing from this administration. Again, based on data contained in this thread alone, these three stances are understandable. Like I stated early in the thread, I hope the entire truth comes to light. There are some things that don't add up, that make no sense, that beg to question. My hope is that eventually all questions are answered to everyone's satisfaction.

Got to call it a night mates. Until tomorrow, good day.

[AUUSN 823]

I feel like I'm in a freaking mad house. It doesnt matter what those three said and I think they're honorable men but the evidence freaking proves that 21 min after the attack started, they were rolling out of the CIA safe house. That absolutely does not equal a stand down order. It doesnt. Now way. No how.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

He can't read nor reason.

Can you? Then maybe you can answer for him? Simple question......do you think the three guys I refer to who were there are lying as well as the families?

I don't think the majority of the guys not out to make a buck were motivated to lie. You prefer the handful who say what you want to hear.

No I prefer to believe the guys who were there. Why didn't the House committee even talk to them?

[AU_Tiger_88 417]

I find some things on both sides troubling, I don't know to believe the story in its entirety. I do know that during one of the benghazi televised times that HRC spoke that she lied. As Secretary of State she is the top person in that department, responsible for everything, however in her testimony she said she wasn't responsible for the security at any embassy unfortunately when you are a leader of a department you are responsible for it all.