CIA operators were denied request for help during Benghazi attack, sources say

[Lewdog]

[quote name='Jamie_B' timestamp='1351810983' post='1176340']
I took it for what he meant it I think you didn't I don't know what else to say about that
[/quote]

Bottom line, despite all the information provided, he still isn't agreeing it was this Administration's fault that it happened. He is once again glossing over a bad situation, and saying let's move on and learn for what happened. The only thing I would agree with, is mistakes can be made, and they should be used a learning tool for the future. What I can't understand, is how these senseless murders and what caused them can be thrown on the back burner by people just because they believe in Obama. Personally I believe in the people of the United States and rights we as citizens we have thanks to many that died before us. I don't think it is a joke when someone dies while doing their job for this country, and their family deals with the grief of their loss, to making sperm jokes about it. That's pretty low for a person to sink. I know this is a forum, and not some kind of church or what have you, but we are discussing some topics that a little bit moral conjecture should be used.

You can read it how you like Jamie, that's your right to, but I when I read statements like his, that because takes the humanity out of the situation, then it's no longer valid. The people that died were not a number, they had friends and families. The Obama Administration made not one, but many poor choices that lead to their death. Now hurricane Sandy hits, and Obama acts so quickly on it, that for now everyone forgets what happened in Libya. The world is great once again!

[Homer_Rice]

[quote name='Lewdog' timestamp='1351807770' post='1176322']
You can quit calling me a nice fellow at this point, because in my opinion, anything coming from you is up to debate on whether it is truth or nothing more than empty soda bottles.
[/quote]

No, you really are a nice guy. I'm just an asshole. Lots of folks here can confirm that.

[Jamie_B]

I think I figured out [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khuu-RhOBDU"]who Lew is[/url]...

[Jamie_B]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/bob-cesca/the-selective-patriotism-_b_2059227.html

Hmmmm....

[Cat]

[quote name='Jamie_B' timestamp='1351813847' post='1176361']
I think I figured out [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khuu-RhOBDU"]who Lew is[/url]...
[/quote]

No one has ever confirmed - is it ok for an ordained minister to say 'tits'?

[Jamie_B]

They made a timeline of events public yesterday...

[url="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/david-ignatius-cias-benghazi-timeline-reveals-errors-but-no-evidence-of-conspiracy/2012/11/01/a84c4024-2471-11e2-9313-3c7f59038d93_story.html"]http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/david-ignatius-cias-benghazi-timeline-reveals-errors-but-no-evidence-of-conspiracy/2012/11/01/a84c4024-2471-11e2-9313-3c7f59038d93_story.html[/url]




[quote]
[b] In Benghazi timeline, CIA errors but no evidence of conspiracy[/b]


[color=#000000][font=arial][size=2]

[b] [size=4]By [color=#666666][url="http://www.washingtonpost.com/david-ignatius/2011/02/17/ABXXcOJ_page.html"]David Ignatius[/url][/color], [color=#6E6E6E]Published: November 1[/color][/size][/b]
[/size][/font][/color][color=#000000][font=arial][size=2]


[font=Georgia, serif][size=1]
[size=4]A detailed CIA timeline of the [url="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/timeline-of-events-comments-surrounding-attack-that-killed-4-americans-in-benghazi-libya/2012/10/20/ef5addbe-1a89-11e2-ad4a-e5a958b60a1e_story.html"]assault on U.S. facilities in Benghazi[/url] paints an anguishing picture of embattled Americans waiting for Libyan security forces who didn’t come and courageous CIA officers who died on a rooftop without the heavy weapons they needed, trying to protect their colleagues below.[/size][/size][/font] [font=Georgia, serif][size=1]
[size=4]It’s a story of individual bravery, but also of a CIA misjudgment in relying on Libyan militias and a newly formed Libyan intelligence organization to keep Americans safe in Benghazi.[/size][/size][/font]
[size=1]
[size=4]While there were multiple errors that led to the final tragedy, there’s no evidence that the White House or CIA leadership deliberately delayed or impeded rescue efforts.[/size][/size] [size=1]
[size=4]The CIA is now reviewing its security plans around the world to make sure the agency isn’t relying on shaky local forces. This is a difficult task because the United States has vulnerable arrangements in dozens of places.[/size][/size] [size=1]
[size=4]The CIA timeline was described to me Thursday by a senior intelligence official. The narrative of events is dramatic and disturbing. Rather than try to parse each detail, let’s look at a summary of the highlights. The times listed are Benghazi time on the night of Sept. 11 and the morning of Sept. 12:[/size][/size] [size=1]
[size=4]●9:40 p.m.: A senior State Department security officer at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi called the CIA base, at an annex about a mile away, and requested assistance: “The compound is under attack. People are moving through the gates.” CIA officers at the base can hear the alarm, and a team immediately begins gathering weapons and preparing to leave.[/size][/size] [size=1]
[size=4]●10:04 p.m.: A six-person rescue squad from the agency’s Global Response Staff (GRS) leaves in two vehicles. The team leader is a career CIA officer; the team includes a contractor named Tyrone Woods, who later died. During the previous 24-minute interval, the CIA base chief calls the February 17 Brigade, other militias and the Libyan intelligence service seeking vehicles with .50-caliber machine guns. Nobody responds. The team leader and the base chief agree at 10:04 that they can’t wait any longer, and the squad heads for the consulate.[/size][/size] [size=1]
[size=4]The senior intelligence official said that he doesn’t know whether Woods or any of the other team members agitated to go sooner but added that he wouldn’t be surprised. “I want them to have a sense of urgency,” he said.[/size][/size] [size=1]
[size=4]●10:10 p.m.: The rescue team reached a chaotic intersection a few blocks from the consulate. Militias gathered there have several .50-caliber machine guns, which the CIA team tries unsuccessfully to commandeer; three militiamen offer to help. The rescue party now includes 10 people: six GRS officers, a CIA translator and the three Libyan volunteers.[/size][/size] [size=1]
[size=4]●10:20 p.m.: A reconnaissance party of two GRS officers heads to the consulate; at 10:25, three more GRS officers enter the main gate and begin engaging the attackers. The firefight lasts about 15 minutes.[/size][/size] [size=1]
[size=4]●10:40 p.m.: Members of the CIA team enter the burning inferno of “Villa C,” where Ambassador Christopher Stevens is believed to be hiding. CIA officers try numerous times to reach the “safe room” but are driven back by the intense smoke and fire. Small-arms fire continues from the Libyan attackers.[/size][/size]
[size=1]
[size=4]●11:11 p.m.: An unarmed military Predator drone arrives over the compound to provide aerial reconnaissance. The drone had been diverted from a mission over Darnah, about 90 minutes away. But without weapons, it can’t help much.[/size][/size] [size=1]
[size=4]●11:15 p.m.: The CIA team puts a group of State Department officers into a vehicle and sends it to the agency base; at 11:30, the CIA officers depart under fire and reach the annex six minutes later.[/size][/size]
[size=1]
[size=4]●11:56 p.m.: CIA officers at the annex are attacked by a rocket-propelled grenade and small arms. Sporadic attacks continue for about another hour. The attacks stop at 1:01 a.m., and some assume the fight is over.[/size][/size] [size=1]
[size=4]●1:15 a.m.: CIA reinforcements arrive on a 45-minute flight from Tripoli in a plane they’ve hastily chartered. The Tripoli team includes four GRS security officers, a CIA case officer and two U.S. military personnel on loan to the agency. They don’t leave the Benghazi airport until 4:30 a.m. The delay is caused by negotiations with Libyan authorities over permission to leave the airport; obtaining vehicles; and the need to frame a clear mission plan. The first idea is to go to a Benghazi hospital to recover Stevens, who they rightly suspect is already dead. (Also killed was a State Department communication specialist.) But the hospital is surrounded by the al-Qaeda-linked Ansar al-Sharia militia that mounted the consulate attack.[/size][/size] [size=1]
[size=4]●5:04 a.m.: The team from Tripoli arrives at the CIA base. Glen Doherty, one of the GRS men from Tripoli, goes to the roof and joins Woods in firing positions.[/size][/size] [size=1]
[size=4]●5:15 a.m.: A new Libyan assault begins, this time with mortars. Two rounds miss and the next three hit the roof. The rooftop defenders never “laser the mortars,” as has been reported. They don’t know the weapons are in place until the indirect fire begins, nor are the mortars observed by the drone overhead. The defenders have focused their laser sights earlier on several Libyan attackers, as warnings not to fire. At 5:26 the attack is over. Woods and Doherty are dead and two others are wounded.[/size][/size] [size=1]
[size=4]●6 a.m.: Libyan forces from the military intelligence service finally arrive, now with 50 vehicles. They escort the Americans to the airport. A first group of 18, including two wounded, depart at 7 a.m. A second group of 12, plus the four dead, leave at 10 a.m. for Tripoli and then the long flight back to America.[/size][/size]


[/size][/font][/color]
[/quote][color=#000000][font=arial][size=2]






[/size][/font][/color]

[bengalrick]

There were several stories about all of this. Hard to piece everything together. From what I've gathered, looks like Hillary possibly didn't ask for support from the White House. I am going to try to go through some of the stories and figure out what the hell is being reported tomorrow. Looking more like extreme incompetence than a cover up... I hope that is the case.

It is a crying shame that we had so many resources in the area and didn't send them in.

[url="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/11/01/new-details-on-benghazi.html"]http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/11/01/new-details-on-benghazi.html[/url]

[i][color=#333333][font=Arial, sans-serif]On the night of the 9/11 anniversary assault at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, the Americans defending the compound and a nearby CIA annex were severely outmanned. Nonetheless, the State Department never requested military backup that evening, two senior U.S. officials familiar with the details of military planning tell The Daily Beast.[/font][/color][/i]

[Lewdog]

Yeah, 6 support units, then a couple more guys in a truck, against 50 or more rioters and terrorist? Versus sending in a drone for support and not just surveillance? Not exactly a good call. I'm dealt with drawing up plans for several types of critical incidents. I had to take several courses about it. There is no way in hell they followed one of these plans. At this point I want to know if they had even taken the time to draw one up. Cutting corners on how to make oversea consulates protected with the type of guys Libya had, could have one. That's a problem that comes from a lot farther up than the Ambassador.

[T-Dub]

Any idea how many times a US embassy was attacked under Bush & how many were killed?

No?

But now you are just OUTRAGED aren't ya...







[img]http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfppslG65J1qgcsdbo1_400.jpg[/img]

[Lewdog]

Yeah I do know. In fact I almost got arrested in Bulgaria because of it. I was walking through the capitol city Sophia, when I decided to take a picture of the U.S. Embassey, not giving it a second thought. Next thing I know I am surrounded by about 10 Bulgarian officer talking about how they were going to lock me up. Finally everything calmed down and they made me give them the roll of my film out of my camera. This occurred not long after the bombings in Kenya and Tanzania. I wasn't using my head when I took the picture. So yeah, I know about them. Can you tell me how suicide bombings can be prevented in a foreign country with little or no intelligence to prevent them?

[|Bunghole|]

[quote name='Lewdog' timestamp='1351914443' post='1176677']
Can you tell me how suicide bombings can be prevented in a foreign country with little or no intelligence to prevent them?
[/quote]

Isn't that the million dollar question?

[Lewdog]

[quote name='Bunghole' timestamp='1351914703' post='1176680']
Isn't that the million dollar question?
[/quote]

I was making that point because bombings under Bush are not even close to the same encounter in Libya. If a person has no regard for their own life, there is little to stop them from causing destruction. Unless their plan is found in the early stages, like has been happening a lot in the U.S. and abroad, it is almost impossible to save lives. Any time you are in a foreign country, you are at risk of someone walking up next to you letting off a bomb that kills multitudes of people.

So yeah, I know about the bombings that took place in Africa, I know about the rule changes that happened because of them first hand.

[|Bunghole|]

What? I am talking about what we have learned post 9/11 to STOP these types of things entirely. I'd say that overall, we're doing a good job, the TSA aside.

[Lewdog]

[quote name='Bunghole' timestamp='1351915159' post='1176685']
What? I am talking about what we have learned post 9/11 to STOP these types of things entirely. I'd say that overall, we're doing a good job, the TSA aside.
[/quote]

Yeah living in Dayton most of my life I noticed several changes were made. At Wright Patterson they put up barriers in a way that a vehicle couldn't be driven through the gate. Some VFW's and several other military places have adopted this. The bombings in Africa occurred 3 years before 9/11. It definitely would be more difficult for these types of things to happen in America today. When it comes to suicide bombers, you can't 'beat' them. All you can do is hope they die off, change the way they think, or keep as much distance from them as possible. Well since we have American citizens that believe they are willing to die for the cause, we can't just keep away from them.

[Lewdog]

Welp folks, either this story is true, and Hillary Clinton didn't get the briefs she was supposed to including the information she was supposed to have, or General Petraeus is taking the fall for Libya and blaming it on extra-marital affairs. You decide. Like I said before, I KNEW they had to have an "Oh shit" plan in place, and they did. From what I am reading, the problem seem to be that Petraeus may have been with his "other" woman and unable to be contacted when shit went down in Libya. [b]They were only a mile away[/b], it should have never taken 30 minutes to respond. His irresponsible actions may have led to the death of all the men in Libya. What a shame, his career is over.


[quote]
Last week, CIA officials revealed that in fact, the intelligence agency’s operations in Benghazi dwarfed diplomatic operations at the consulate and that the CIA maintained what was described as an “annex,” about a mile from the diplomatic mission.
State Department officials have said there was an informal understanding that the annex and its agents would come to the assistance of the consulate (which had private contractors providing security) if a need arose. CIA officials insist their agents responded to the consulate’s distress calls within a half-hour.
[/quote]


[url="http://news.yahoo.com/petraeus-resigns-over-affair-criticism-grows-cia-response-230053238.html"]http://news.yahoo.co...-230053238.html[/url]

[bengalrick]

http://mrctv.org/videos/king-petraeus-said-cias-talking-points-were-edited-play-down-terrorism

[i][color=#000000][font=Arial][size=4]Representative Peter King stated that former CIA Director David Petraeus stated that he knew the Benghazi attack was terrorism and that the talking points given to Ambassador Susan Rice were different from the ones prepared by the CIA. Petraeus stated Rice's talking points were edited to demphasized the possibility of terrorism. [/size][/font][/color][/i]

[oldschooler]

[media]http://youtu.be/T0HreJdrBwA[/media]




#1 – Republicans have been cutting hundreds of millions out of Obama’s proposed budget for embassy security ([b][url="http://thehill.com/homenews/house/250237-gop-embassy-security-cuts-draw-democrats-scrutiny"]source[/url][/b]) and that put all embassies at risk.
#2 – The Paul Ryan Budget that every House Republican voted for cut funding to the State Department by 20% ([b][url="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dana-milbank-forget-about-big-bird/2012/10/09/5f9a411c-1258-11e2-ba83-a7a396e6b2a7_story.html"]source[/url][/b])[b]; [/b]that includes funding for embassy security.
#3 – President Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush Jr. and now Obama have all had attacks on embassies under their watch. Under Bush – 7 different attacks took place where people died ([b][url="http://mediamatters.org/research/2012/09/14/krauthammer-whitewashes-bushs-history-to-bash-o/189890"]source[/url][/b]).
#4 – Officials at the State Department did turn down requests for funding at the Libyan Embassy although the Regional Security officer of Libya – Eric Nordstrom – did not believe having additional agents would have prevented the assault ([b][url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=44J1uT5KYAc"]source[/url][/b]).
#5 – If you want an unbiased blow by blow on the hearing – you can read this very detailed, informative piece by the NY Times with video etc [b][url="http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/10/live-video-house-committee-hearing-investigating-attack-in-benghazi/"]HERE[/url][/b].
The Hill explains how Republicans continue to cut hundreds of millions off of the budget that specifically goes to security of Embassies [b][url="http://thehill.com/homenews/house/250237-gop-embassy-security-cuts-draw-democrats-scrutiny"]HERE[/url][/b]:
[indent=1]
Democrats enacted $1.803 billion for embassy security, construction and maintenance for fiscal 2010, when they still controlled the Senate and House. After Republicans took control of the House and picked up six Senate seats, Congress reduced the enacted budget to $1.616 billion in fiscal 2011, and to $1.537 billion for 2012.
The administration requested $1.801 billion for security, construction and maintenance for fiscal 2012; House Republicans countered with a proposal to cut spending to $1.425 billion. The House agreed to increase it to $1.537 billion after negotiations with the Senate.
The administration requested $1.654 billion for the State Department’s Worldwide Security Protection program for fiscal 2012. House Republicans proposed funding the program at $1.557 billion. Congress eventually enacted $1.591 billion after the Senate weighed in.
For fiscal 2013, the administration requested $2.15 billion in funding for the worldwide security protection program, a larger increase from the previous year. The House countered with a proposal to increase the program to $1.934 billion.[/indent]
Soledad O’Brien asks Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) about his votes to cut funding for embassy security; his response “Absolutely”. Congressman Chaffetz is on the Oversight Committee that is trying to blame Obama for the attack in Libya … oh great irony. From CNN [b][url="http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/10/rep-chaffetz-says-he-absolutely-cut-funding-for-embassy-security/"]HERE[/url][/b]:
[indent=1]
Later in the interview, CNN Anchor Soledad O’Brien asks, “Is it true that you voted to cut the funding for embassy security?”
Chaffetz answers, “Absolutely. Look we have to make priorities and choices in this country. We have… 15,0000 contractors in Iraq. We have more than 6,000 contractors, a private army there, for President Obama, in Baghdad. And we’re talking about can we get two dozen or so people into Libya to help protect our forces. When you’re in touch economic times, you have to make difficult choices. You have to prioritize things.”
O’Brien responds, “Okay, so you’re prioritizing. So, when there are complaints that, in fact, that there was not enough security, you just said, ‘absolutely,’ that you cut, you were the one to vote against to increase security for the State Department, which would lead directly to Benghazi. That seems like you’re saying you have a hand in the responsibility to this. The funding of the security? How am I wrong?”[/indent]
The Washington Post points out that under the Ryan Plan that House Republicans unanimously … funding for the State Department would have been cut by 20% [b][url="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dana-milbank-forget-about-big-bird/2012/10/09/5f9a411c-1258-11e2-ba83-a7a396e6b2a7_story.html"]HERE[/url][/b]:
[indent=1]
Ryan, Issa and other House Republicans voted for an amendment in 2009 to cut $1.2 billion from State operations, including funds for 300 more diplomatic security positions. Under [url="http://budget.house.gov/fy2013prosperity/"]Ryan’s budget[/url], non-defense discretionary spending, which includes State Department funding, would be slashed [url="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/files/fp_uploaded_documents/121009_Democratic%20Hearing%20Memo%20Libya%2010-09-12.pdf"]nearly 20 percent in 2014[/url], which would translate to more than $400 million in additional cuts to embassy security.
The Romney campaign argues that such extrapolations are unfair, because Romney and Ryan haven’t specified which programs they would cut and by how much. And that’s the problem: The danger in Romney’s plan is not in the few cuts he has detailed but in the many he has not.[/indent]
The NY Times gives the background on the House Oversight Committee hearing yesterday [b][url="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/11/world/africa/hearing-focuses-on-attack-that-killed-ambassador.html?hp"]HERE[/url][/b]:
[indent=1]
In his opening statement, the committee chairman, Representative Darrell Issa, Republican of California, said that “on a bipartisan basis,” the committee would try to reassure Americans serving overseas that they were protected. He also praised Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton for cooperating with the committee.
But the committee’s ranking Democrat, Representative Elijah Cummings of Maryland, challenged that assertion. In his statement, he said Republicans had withheld documents and had not made witnesses available for interviews. He also called on the House to restore what he said was “hundreds of millions of dollars” it had cut from embassy security financing in recent years.
The squabbling among the committee members at times appeared to overshadow the testimony of the State Department officials called as witnesses. At one point, Representative Jason Chaffetz, a Utah Republican, objected to a photograph that the State Department displayed of the diplomatic mission and the area surrounding it because he thought it was classified.[/indent]
Mitt Romney has been using one of the victims – a slain Navy Seal – in his stump speech to further politicize this; the Navy Seal’s mother has asked him to stop [b][url="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/10/10/162671671/honoring-slain-seals-moms-request-romney-will-drop-story-on-stump"]HERE[/url][/b]:
[indent=1]
“I don’t trust Romney. He shouldn’t make my son’s death part of his political agenda,” Barbara Doherty [url="http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/12008755850115/romney-agrees-to-stop-sharing-story-about-glen-doherty/"]told Boston’s WHDH[/url]. “It’s wrong to use these brave young men, who wanted freedom for all, to degrade Obama.”
Shortly after, the Romney campaign said they would comply with Doherty’s request.[/indent]
This is after Romney’s disastrous attempt to politicize the deaths of Americans at the Libyan embassy as events were ongoing. Romney was criticized by everyone including members of his own party for his amateurish attempt to appear presidential [b][url="http://www.classwarfareexists.com/romney-campaign-plays-politics-with-death-of-americans-during-embassy-attacks/#axzz28kfAOeSg"]HERE[/url] [/b]in case you forgot how he smirked as he walked off stage thinking he had just won some votes. One of Romney’s aides actually said those 4 Americans would not have died had Romney been the president ([b][url="http://www.classwarfareexists.com/romney-aide-says-americans-at-libyan-embassy-wouldnt-have-died-if-romney-was-president/#axzz28kfAOeSg"]source[/url][/b]).
To further illustrate how politicized the House oversight committee is under Darrell Issa – one need only look at the first image showing when you go to their YouTube channel. This doesn’t feel very law and justice ish. See it for yourself [b][url="http://www.youtube.com/user/oversightandreform?feature=watch"]HERE[/url].[/b]


Read more: [url="http://www.classwarfareexists.com/gop-blames-obama-for-libya-embassy-deaths-forget-they-cut-funding-for-embassy-security/#ixzz2CPePzpqQ"]http://www.classwarf.../#ixzz2CPePzpqQ[/url]

[T-Dub]

[quote]We have more than 6,000 contractors, a private army there, for President Obama, in Baghdad.[/quote]

Funny, I thought our involvement there had something to do with national security? At least that was the story from the guy who, y'know, got us involved there in the first place. Because it was not a case of simple embezzlement on his part, that's for sure. [i]Definitely[/i] not that.

But now it's "for President Obama"? Fuck you, Jason Chaffetz (R-UT).

[oldschooler]

This is hilarious.



[url="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=john%20mccain%20misses%20meeting&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&sqi=2&ved=0CDQQqQIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2F8301-34222_162-57550681-10391739%2Fmccain-misses-libya-briefing-while-criticizing-lack-of-info%2F&ei=BJemUKygIYOgywG14YG4Cw&usg=AFQjCNHWJXvl6EfKNaPBVIoea1pZimi7RA"][i]McCain misses[/i] Libya briefing while criticizing lack of info[/url]

[bengalrick]

Your boy is covering all of this up. How can you not admit that? The truth is coming out as we speak.

I've never seen such a powerful minority party in my life.

[bengalrick]

[url="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2012/11/16/flashback-what-susan-rice-said-about-benghazi/"]http://blogs.wsj.com...about-benghazi/[/url]


[list]
November 16, 2012, 12:50 PM ET
[/list]
[b] [/b]



[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=2][size=1][b] [size=4] Flashback: What Susan Rice Said About Benghazi[/size][/b][/size][/size][/font]




[size=4][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]United Nations Ambassador [b]Susan Rice[/b]’s comments on the Sunday news shows following the Sept. 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, have made her a central target for critics of the White House’s handling of the incident, in which four Americans were killed.
At his press conference Wednesday, President [b][url="http://topics.wsj.com/person/O/barack,-obama/4328"]Barack Obama[/url][/b] defended Ms. Rice, a front-runner for the secretary of state job, in response to fierce Republican attacks.
GOP Sens. [b]Lindsey Graham[/b] of South Carolina and [url="http://topics.wsj.com/person/M/john,-mccain/6226"]John McCain[/url] of Arizona have suggested Ms. Rice — who appeared on the news programs on Sept. 16 — was part of a political cover up heading into the Nov. 6 presidential election. Mr. Obama has said she was making statements based on intelligence reports she had received.
In the TV interviews, Ms. Rice said the attack resulted from a popular protest against a U.S.-made video, rather than a pre-planned terrorist attack. The administration later said it believed it was a terrorist attack, not a protest that turned violent.
Below are excerpts from the news programs.
[b]ABC’s “This Week”:[/b]
JAKE TAPPER: So, first of all, what is the latest you can tell us on who these attackers were at the embassy or at the consulate in Benghazi? We’re hearing that the Libyans have arrested people. They’re saying that some people involved were from outside the country, that there might have even been Al Qaida ties. What’s the latest information?
MS. RICE: Well, Jake, first of all, it’s important to know that there’s an FBI investigation that has begun and will take some time to be completed. That will tell us with certainty what transpired.
[b]But our current best assessment, based on the information that we have at present, is that, in fact, what this began as, it was a spontaneous — not a premeditated — response to what had transpired in Cairo.[/b] In Cairo, as you know, a few hours earlier, there was a violent protest that was undertaken in reaction to this very offensive video that was disseminated.
[b]We believe that folks in Benghazi, a small number of people came to the embassy to — or to the consulate, rather, to replicate the sort of challenge that was posed in Cairo. And then as that unfolded, it seems to have been hijacked, let us say, by some individual clusters of extremists who came with heavier weapons, weapons that as you know in — in the wake of the revolution in Libya are — are quite common and accessible. And it then evolved from there.[/b]
[url="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/week-transcript-us-ambassador-united-nations-susan-rice/story?id=17240933#.UKQD2GfSnpg"]Full transcript.[/url]
[b]CBS’s “Face the Nation”[/b]
MS. RICE: So we’ll want to see the results of that [FBI] investigation to draw any definitive conclusions. [b]But based on the best information we have to date, what our assessment is as of the present is in fact what began spontaneously in Benghazi as a reaction to what had transpired some hours earlier in Cairo where, of course, as you know, there was a violent protest outside of our embassy– –sparked by this hateful video. But soon after that spontaneous protest began outside of our consulate in Benghazi, we believe that it looks like extremist elements, individuals, joined in that– in that effort with heavy weapons of the sort that are, unfortunately, readily now available in Libya post-revolution. And that it spun from there into something much, much more violent.[/b]
BOB SCHIEFFER: But you do not agree with him that this was something that had been plotted out several months ago?
MS. RICE: [b]We do not– we do not have information at present that leads us to conclude that this was premeditated or preplanned.[/b]
MR. SCHIEFFER: Do you agree or disagree with [the previous guest, the president of Libya’s general national congress] that al Qaeda had some part in this?
MS. RICE: Well, we’ll have to find out that out. I mean I think it’s clear that there were extremist elements that joined in and escalated the violence. Whether they were al Qaeda affiliates, whether they were Libyan-based extremists or al Qaeda itself I think is one of the things we’ll have to determine.
[url="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3460_162-57513819/face-the-nation-transcripts-september-16-2012-libyan-pres-magariaf-amb-rice-and-sen-mccain/"]Full CBS transcript.[/url]
[b]“Fox News Sunday”[/b]
[b]CHRIS WALLACE:[/b] Let’s talk about the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi this week that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.
The top Libyan official says that the attack on Tuesday was, quote, his words “preplanned”. Al Qaeda says the operation was revenge for our killing a top Al Qaeda leader.
What do we know?
[b]MS. RICE:[/b] Well, first of all, Chris, we are obviously investigating this very closely. The FBI has a lead in this investigation. [b]The information, the best information and the best assessment we have today is that in fact this was not a preplanned, premeditated attack. That what happened initially was that it was a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired in Cairo as a consequence of the video. People gathered outside the embassy and then it grew very violent and those with extremist ties joined the fray and came with heavy weapons, which unfortunately are quite common in post-revolutionary Libya and that then spun out of control.[/b]
[b]But we don’t see at this point signs this was a coordinated plan, premeditated attack. Obviously, we will wait for the results of the investigation and we don’t want to jump to conclusions before then. But I do think it’s important for the American people to know our best current assessment.[/b]
[url="http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/fox-news-sunday-chris-wallace/2012/09/16/amb-susan-rice-rep-mike-rogers-discuss-violence-against-americans-middle-east#p//v/1843960658001"]Full Fox transcript.[/url]
[b]NBC’s “Meet the Press”[/b]
DAVID GREGORY: Well, let’s talk– talk about– well, you talked about this as spontaneous. Can you say definitively that the attacks on– on our consulate in Libya that killed ambassador Stevens and others there security personnel, that was spontaneous, was it a planned attack? Was there a terrorist element to it?
MS. RICE: Well, let us– let me tell you the– the best information we have at present. First of all, there’s an FBI investigation which is ongoing. And we look to that investigation to give us the definitive word as to what transpired. But putting together the best information that we have available to us today our current assessment is that [b]what happened in Benghazi was in fact initially a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired hours before in Cairo, almost a copycat of– of the demonstrations against our facility in Cairo, which were prompted, of course, by the video. What we think then transpired in Benghazi is that opportunistic extremist elements came to the consulate as this was unfolding. [/b] They came with heavy weapons which unfortunately are readily available in post revolutionary Libya. And it escalated into a much more violent episode. Obviously, that’s– that’s our best judgment now. We’ll await the results of the investigation. And the president has been very clear–we’ll work with the Libyan authorities to bring those responsible to justice.
[url="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49051097/ns/meet_the_press-transcripts/t/september-benjamin-netanyahu-susan-rice-keith-ellison-peter-king-bob-woodward-jeffrey-goldberg-andrea-mitchell/#.UKQEqWfSnpg"]Full NBC transcript.[/url]
[b]CNN’s “State of the Union”[/b]
Ms. RICE: I have been to Libya and walked the streets of Benghazi myself. And despite what we saw in that horrific incident where some mob was hijacked ultimately by a handful of extremists, the United States is extremely popular in Libya and the outpouring of sympathy and support for Ambassador Stevens and his colleagues from the government, from people is evidence of that.
The fact is, Candy, that this is a turbulent time. It’s a time of dramatic change. It’s a change that the United States has backed because we understand that when democracy takes root, when human rights and people’s freedom of expression can be manifested, it may lead to turbulence in the short-term, but over the long-term, that is in the interest of the United States.
The mobs we’ve seen on the outside of these embassies are small minority. They’re the ones who have largely lost in these emerging democratic processes, and just as the people of these countries are not going to allow their lives to be hijacked by a dictator, they’re not going to allow an extremist mob to hijack their future and their freedom,. And we’re going to continue to stand with the vast majority of the populations in these countries.
[url="http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1209/16/sotu.01.html"]Full CNN transcript.[/url][/font][/size]

[oldschooler]

[quote name='bengalrick' timestamp='1353099246' post='1181171']
Your boy is covering all of this up. How can you not admit that? The truth is coming out as we speak.
[/quote]


WTF? "My Boy"? He should be your Boy too.
His success = Your Country's success.


Anyway. I posted quite awhile ago, where Obama called it "acts of terror."
when he first addressed it. Then when he did '60 Minutes', he, Obama,
again stated that it "was not like the other attacks in Egypt."



[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]President Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush Jr. and now Obama have all had attacks on embassies under their watch. Under Bush – 7 different attacks took place where people died ([/font][/color][b][url="http://mediamatters.org/research/2012/09/14/krauthammer-whitewashes-bushs-history-to-bash-o/189890"]source[/url][/b][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]).[/font][/color]



What? Where were the Committees, meetings, Press Conferences and the other Circus activities then that are happening now?



[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Let's get real here. This happened less than a month before the election. The Repubs jumped on it[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]with both feet and made it a rallying cry. And they are still using it for political purposes.[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]And you are here carrying their torch. Point blank. Period. [/font][/color]

[Jamie_B]

[quote name='oldschooler' timestamp='1353100806' post='1181175']
WTF? "My Boy"? He should be your Boy too.
His success = Your Country's success.


Anyway. I posted quite awhile ago, where Obama called it "acts of terror."
when he first addressed it. Then when he did '60 Minutes', he, Obama,
again stated that it "was not like the other attacks in Egypt."



[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]President Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush Jr. and now Obama have all had attacks on embassies under their watch. Under Bush – 7 different attacks took place where people died ([/font][/color][b][url="http://mediamatters.org/research/2012/09/14/krauthammer-whitewashes-bushs-history-to-bash-o/189890"]source[/url][/b][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]).[/font][/color]



What? Where were the Committees, meetings, Press Conferences and the other Circus activities then that are happening now?



[color=#ff0000][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Let's get real here. This happened less than a month before the election. The Repubs jumped on it[/font]
[font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]with both feet and made it a rallying cry. And they are still using it for political purposes.[/font]
[font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]And you are here carrying their torch. Point blank. Period. [/font][/color]
[/quote]


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY9ucdI22ZE

[bengalrick]

[quote name='oldschooler' timestamp='1353100806' post='1181175']
WTF? "My Boy"? He should be your Boy too.
His success = Your Country's success.


Anyway. I posted quite awhile ago, where Obama called it "acts of terror."
when he first addressed it. Then when he did '60 Minutes', he, Obama,
again stated that it "was not like the other attacks in Egypt."



[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]President Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush Jr. and now Obama have all had attacks on embassies under their watch. Under Bush – 7 different attacks took place where people died ([/font][/color][b][url="http://mediamatters.org/research/2012/09/14/krauthammer-whitewashes-bushs-history-to-bash-o/189890"]source[/url][/b][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]).[/font][/color]



What? Where were the Committees, meetings, Press Conferences and the other Circus activities then that are happening now?



[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Let's get real here. This happened less than a month before the election. The Repubs jumped on it[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]with both feet and made it a rallying cry. And they are still using it for political purposes.[/font][/color]
[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]And you are here carrying their torch. Point blank. Period. [/font][/color]
[/quote]

Many points to make with your rant

1) Not one attack led to a death of an Ambassador in the last 33 years

2) I don't care about the Republican party. I was lied to by them as well and at least with the Democrats, I expect to disagree with them. They didn't 'betray' me or the principles the Republican party are supposed to stand for. I admit, I was anti-Obama in this election because I think he is a HORRIBLE leader. Point blank.

3) YOU of all people talking about carrying the torch for a party? I know you were a supporter or Bush in those days. Whoopty fucking doo. I don't care if you "call it as you see it" I think your fucking blind. You argue that the economy is doing fine. What the hell are you looking at? You hear about the first first ambassador to die in 33 years, then you hear that the CIA director's talking points were completely ignored and changed by who knows who, and all you can talk about is how bad the minority party is and how they cut funding and caused it in the first place?

4) He called it an act of terror, yes... But as I posted above, Susan Rice also went on countless talk shows and said it was a spontaneous reaction to a video and made that case for WEEKS afterwards. How the hell can you justify your stance on that?

5) Here i am carrying the torch even after the election. I want the answers. I wanted them out before the election ended because I wanted that worthless piece of shit out of office before he can cause more harm, but now that it is over, I still give a fuck because I still want the truth. I can tell by your responses that you don't care about the truth. Don't even come on here and say you do because all you seem to do is carry water... check that... spread the lies that this admin is getting caught at spouting.

[oldschooler]

[quote name='bengalrick' timestamp='1353118426' post='1181219']
Many points to make with your rant

1) Not one attack led to a death of an Ambassador in the last 33 years[/quote]



They might not have been Ambassadors but people have died in recent attacks
under different Presidents.


And you're acting like Obama killed them in Libya and is trying to 'cover it up'.


[quote]
2) I don't care about the Republican party. [/quote]














[quote]3) YOU of all people talking about carrying the torch for a party? I know you were a supporter or Bush in those days. Whoopty fucking doo. I don't care if you "call it as you see it" I think your fucking blind. You argue that the economy is doing fine. What the hell are you looking at? You hear about the first first ambassador to die in 33 years, then you hear that the CIA director's talking points were completely ignored and changed by who knows who, and all you can talk about is how bad the minority party is and how they cut funding and caused it in the first place?[/quote]



Rick. I am as swing voter, Independent, as there is.
I don't care that you think I'm blind. I know I can see.

I have never said the economy is "doing fine."
You act like there is some magical switch that Romney could have flipped that Obama refuses to use.

And I'm not acting like they caused it in the first place. But don't point fingers and stand on soap boxes
when you contributed to shit. Mother fuckers missing meetings to bitch about there not being any meetings.
Pathetic.

[quote]4) He called it an act of terror, yes... But as I posted above, Susan Rice also went on countless talk shows and said it was a spontaneous reaction to a video and made that case for WEEKS afterwards. How the hell can you justify your stance on that?[/quote]



I have no stance on what she said.
I was talking about Obama. You know, what he said.

Even still. The fact that 4 Americans were killed was never "covered up."
by Obama. And he acknowledged it as what it was.

[quote]5) Here i am carrying the torch even after the election. I want the answers. I wanted them out before the election ended because I wanted that worthless piece of shit out of office before he can cause more harm, but now that it is over, I still give a fuck because I still want the truth. I can tell by your responses that you don't care about the truth. Don't even come on here and say you do because all you seem to do is carry water... check that... spread the lies that this admin is getting caught at spouting.[/quote]



Cause more harm?
See, this kind of shit kills me.

On Geoge W Bush's last day in Office the US public debt was $10.626 trillion.
Where was your fucking outrage then? Obama drives up the debt $6 more
Trillion, by trying to kick start a spiraling economy. Now you can say it was a
"failed" bailout, or whatever other bullshit. But imagine how many jobs would
have been lost without it. Go ahead, imagine it. And the economy has been
rebounding for over 2 years now. The numbers and facts don't lie.

And you're right. It sucks what happened. I hate that it happened.
But standing up on a soap box and politicizing it was bullshit from the get go.
And now that the Repubs lost and are all but hurt, it is just down right pathetic.

Again Rick, where was your outrage when Bush had our economy in the shitter
and we were stuck in 2 Wars and over $10 trillion in debt? Where was your outrage
when Americans died in attacks on our Embassies under Bush? Did you want to
know the truth then? Did you even seek it out? So spare me your fucking truth seeking
and other bullshit grandstanding. It's not a good look.