Summarizing Benghazi: Terrorists Were There to Kill Americans
“God grant me the courage not to give up what I think is right even though I think it is hopeless. “~Chester W. Nimitz
This Sunday evening, CBS aired the show 60 Minutes which featured Lara Logan speaking about Benghazi. Logan interviewed a British witness who was there and saw the body of Ambassador Chris Stevens at the local hospital that was under Al Qaida control. The witness and Logan described concerns that Stevens had about lack of security at the compound in Benghazi.
I have been researching Benghazi and gathering information since last October. Much of the information has been reported on and available since day one, and some even from before the attacks.
From a report dated September 12, 2012, I wrote in my notes that “it was clear there were no U.S. Marines protecting Chris Stevens and his staff at the Benghazi compound the night of the attack. Its routine for Marines to be posted to U.S. diplomatic outposts, but the compound in Benghazi was not protected by Marines. One would think that with the upcoming anniversary of 9/11, there would extra security sent to places in Islamic controlled countries.”
On the 13th of September a report from TIMES US said, “The ‘interim’ facility in Benghazi apparently was defended only by a handful of U.S. security officers and local hires. The Marines have let it be known that the two unidentified U.S. officials who died at Benghazi were not Marines.”
The witness told Lara Logan that he had seen the black flags of Al Qaida 5 months before the attack. That also matches notes I have of a report that came out on September 8, three days before the attacks, which read, “Libya claims that they warned the Obama administration of possibility of violence.” American diplomats were warned of possible violence in Benghazi. The claim came as the country’s interim President, Mohammed el-Megarif, said “his government had information that the attack on the US consulate was being planned by an Islamist group with links to al-Qa’ida and with foreigners taking part.”
Diplomatic sources claimed that the threat of an attack against US interests in the region was known to the US administration. The alert was issued by the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security, but not made public. It was reported that a senior military official in Benghazi told CNN that he had warned US diplomats of a rapidly deteriorating security situation in Benghazi. “The situation is frightening, it scares us,” he said.
Highly trained Military officials on the ground were nervous, yet the Obama Administration and the State Department under Hilary Clinton did nothing. It was a full week later when White House Press Secretary Jay Carney finally admitted the attacks were not because of the movie, the same movie Obama’s UN Ambassador Susan Rice went on five Sunday morning talk shows and tried to blame the attack on. Yet on the very same day Carney admitted the attacks weren’t because of a movie, Obama as at a town hall meeting organized by Spanish language Univision Network, still pushing the movie meme. Obama said, “What we do know is that the natural protests that arose because of the outrage over the video were used as an excuse by extremists to see if they can also directly harm U.S. interests.” This was an outright lie.
Logan interviewed Green Beret Commander Lt. Col. Andy Woods, who was one of the top security officials in Tripoli. The last time he had been to Benghazi was in June of last year when Al Qaida attempted to assassinate the British Ambassador. He said, “We had one option. Leave Benghazi or be killed.”
Woods was not surprised at the assassination attempt because AL Qaida had posted their intent online that they would “attack the Red Cross, the British and then Americans in Benghazi.” He said in the interview, “They made good on 2 of their 3 promises. It was just a matter of time ‘til they captured the third one.” When asked if Washington knew, he affirmed, “They knew we monitored it, we included that in our reports to both State Department and DOD.”
Logan also interviewed Gregory Hicks, Ambassador Stevens’ personal assistant who had asked for help in more adequate security, but was denied. He still does not know why those and others’ requests were denied. Again, I refer to my own notes I took in December of last year. On September 26, Hillary Clinton said during a United Nations meeting in New York, “Now, with a larger safe haven and increased freedom to maneuver, terrorists are seeking to extend their reach and their networks in multiple directions. And they are working with other violent extremists to undermine the democratic transitions underway in North Africa, as we tragically saw in Benghazi.” This came one day after Obama’s speech still implicating a movie for the violence, despite the fact that Secretary of State Clinton clearly states that terrorists are to blame. Yet, according to reports, Tyrone Woods’ father Charles claims he was told by Clinton, “We’re going to have that person arrested and prosecuted that did the video.” This also proves that the State Department was aware of the threats, yet denied extra security when repeatedly asked for (with some requests going back as early as March of 2012).
Bottom line, Hillary Clinton knew all but did nothing.
Later in the 60 Minutes broadcast, a graphic was shown of the buildings in the CIA annex that were being held by former US Navy SEALS Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods and a handful of others. It showed the attack in which 3 mortars hit the roof they were on, killing Doherty and Woods. When asked by Lara Logan what it would take to pull off such an attack, Lt. Col. Andy Woods replied, “Coordination, planning, training, experienced personnel. They’ve practiced these things. They knew what they were doing… It was a well-executed attack.”
Logan then finally asks the question I have been asking since November of last year. Why was no CBA given? But no answer has yet been provided by the only person who can give that authorization: Barack Obama.
Gregory Hicks had reportedly asked a defense attaché an hour into the attack what military assets were on the way. According to Hicks, the answer was, “Effectively… they’re not.” He said emotionally, “For a moment, I just felt lost.”
It’s been reported that while the CIA annex was under attack, Tyrone Woods called for help repeatedly, at one point saying, “Where the f**K is the spectre?!” He was referring to a C-130 that was on station in Tripoli. We all know that a drone was sent, but was only used to film the attack, not to help these heroes.
I would like to ask the mainstream media, including those who produced this broadcast to think about these two incidents and the words, “I just felt lost.” Put yourselves in their shoes. You’re fighting off dozens and more armed terrorists; you know there are assets in the country and others within hours away. If you can just fend off, hang in for a little while longer, help will come. And then, all of a sudden you’re told, no help is coming. How lost would you feel? How would you feel if you were the family members of these four men who died, who were murdered that night over a year ago and our government did absolutely nothing to help? And you were still not given truthful answers? And that no one yet had been held accountable- but incredibly those in top positions have been instead rewarded and promoted?
I’m just an observer, someone who has been closely following this since day one, and I have to say, I have felt completely lost, and devastated for the men who died and for their families. I have felt helpless trying to keep the Benghazi story alive and trying to get the truth out. The Obama administration and Hilary Clinton have been incredibly derelict in their duties at least. At worst they have acted in a treasonous manner by using the compounds in Benghazi as a staging area to ship arms to terrorists in Syria.
Logan began off her CBS report saying, “The events of that night have been overshadowed by misinformation, confusion and intense partisanship…”
If I may, I’d like to rephrase that statement for Ms. Logan: The events of that night have been overshadowed by the reelection of the man your media covered up for. Misinformation? I don’t think so. The information has been available for over a year now, but the mainstream media refused to show it or investigate it- because there was an election to be won. Confusion? No. No one is confused except maybe the people who still don’t even know where Benghazi is, let alone what happened there—by and large thanks to your colleagues in the media who have kept a tight lid on the information,
So thanks CBS, but it’s a little too little too late. No one has been held accountable; Obama is still in power, and Hilary Clinton will most likely be running in 2016–and she will most likely have help by the media for that, too.
Remember the four families. Remember the four men who died, who all must have “felt lost.” Never forget Benghazi because yes, it does matter, and no, it is not a “phony scandal”.
