What exactly are the Obama scandals that I referred to in my last post? Here is a partial listing:
1. Why was security not increased in Benghazi, and why were military and security assets not closer to Benghazi, on September 11, 2012, despite all the warnings we had in advance? The Administration has said it was not the money. Perhaps there is a good explanation, but they have not even ventured one. And if there is no good explanation, who made the decisions and what discipline has resulted?
2. Why was help not sent on September 11, 2012 after the attack started. Those on the ground told Washington immediately that the attack was not a reaction to the video but a planned attack. In retrospect it may be, though that is not yet clear, that help would not have arrived on time. But those in charge that night could not have known that when the decision to "stand down" was made. Do we excuse the 911 operator for not sending help just because, in retrospect, help would not have arrived on time? Again, the Administration offers no explanation. Nor has any disciplinary action been taken for the failure to send help.
3. Where was the President, and what was he doing, during the Benghazi fiasco? For that matter, where was Secretary Clinton? What decisions did they make, and if none, why not? This was their 2:00 a.m. phone call and there is no evidence that they acquitted themselves well. Success has many fathers, failure is an orphan.
4. The President, the Secretary of State and many other top officials knew in real time, and directly from the people on the ground, that Benghazi was not a reaction to the video, but a planned attack by Islamists. Where did that story of the video come from? How could the Secretary of State give this version to the families of those killed, and the President repeat the story in the United Nations, knowing that it was completely false? And why would they put the story out at all given it, at least in part, shifts the blame for the incident from, or partially excuses, its Islamist perpetrators. Rather than being the fault of Islamist ideology and Islamist violence, the incident becomes, at least in part, the fault of American freedom of expression and a "shadowy character" who would be arrested and sentenced to a year in jail for making a video. This lie was not a victimless crime. An innocent person, at least innocent of this, went to jail for expressing his opinion.
5. There was enough information in the news reports in the days following the September 11 attack to at least alert Ambassador Rice that the video story was dubious. It was not in even the final scrubbed talking points. Where did it come from? Why did she not raise some questions about this story before going on the Sunday shows? And if she did raise questions, how was it that the story was perpetuated?
6. Why have we done nothing in response to the Benghazi attack? Granted that it is probably difficult to identify specific individuals, or apprehend them - probably more difficult after the Libyan leader, who said from the beginning, and correctly, that this was a terrorist attack, was publicly contradicted and humiliated by Ambassador Rice and the President. But we knew, and know, what group was at fault, and we know where they have their camp. Why did we at least not blow something up? This attack called out for a decisive response, but there was no response at all. A great power cannot let this kind of thing go unavenged and remain a great power for long.
7. How is it that only low-level people who were probably not the ones ultimately responsible the only ones who have been punished? And why is it that the survivors are being kept from testifying (or even identified to Congress), and potential whistle-blowers being intimidated?
More in the next post.
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