Monday, October 29, 2012
Obama and Libya, Incompetence, Deceit, or Both
It is beyond comprehension that the Obama administration has so fundamentally botched their response (s) to the Benghazi attack on the U.S. Ambassador and other Americans. The fact that they botched, or rather failed to protect our citizens has been well articulated. (see this statement by Judge Jeanine. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg-e71IDAUw&feature=share).
It was September 11th, everyone knew that this would be a day to be especially sensitive to the possibility/probability of a terrorist attack. Terrorists have a penchant for punctuating their violence on meaningful dates... it is apparently a terrorist creed to instill irony in their terror actions.
Libya has been and is a hotbed of terrorist activity and support. Requests for additional security went unheeded.
The first statements from the White House and the State Department blamed an unreleased anti-Islamic film and they rushed to condemn it (free speech in America, that is constitutionally protected by the way). This "theory" of causation for the attack was quickly debunked by nearly every credible source within hours, not days.
For the next ten days, no one from the White House or the State Department acknowledged this was a terrorist attack that was planned and executed by extremely well armed and prepared insurgents. This was no spontaneous act.
Mr. President, to say you "didn't know" implies that you did not have the resources to obtain real time information. (We now know that there was real time information available).
To say you "didn't know" implies that if the resources were available, that no one, not one of your cabinet level or other staff told you about the real time events and then didn't tell you the truth while your press secretary and ambassador to the U.N. were spinning the "we didn't know" story.
It is the height of incredulity to assume you didn't know. You are the President of the United States with a situation room, named such because it gathers all intelligence to give YOU the situation so YOU can make decisions in consultation with your cabinet and staff.
I don't believe for a minute that You "didn't know". That would be an indictment of too many agencies and departments and people who live day in and day out to protect the U.S. and its citizens.
I would have been willing to give You, the President, the benefit of the doubt if you had even responded with a statement that said, "Look, this is a National Security issue and there are more lives at stake that we are protecting and we are protecting the interests of the U.S. and are unable to get into the details of this situation at the moment." That at least would have implied that You were engaged in the process, that you knew what was going on, but there were higher National interests at stake here.
Instead, You blamed the video, You blamed the lack of information, You blamed others, You even blamed Governor Romney!. That may work in political elections, but it never works as Commander in Chief of the United States of America. The blame game shows weakness and disregard for those you serve, starting first with those have died and those who are still in harms way, and the citizens of this country.
The truth is coming out. It shows that You knew everything, You had the resources to respond, and You chose not to even try and save the lives of your ambassador and those serving with him. If there was a valid reason for not acting, great... tell is there was a reason for not acting... You don't even have to tell us why if it is a National Security issue... but at least You should be straight with the families of those who lost their lives and with the American people. At best You have been disingenuous, at worst You have outright lied. You cannot feign not knowing, You cannot stand behind the excuse of incompetence (though if that were true it would demand a change at every level starting with You!).
Either way, it is an indictment of You as President, You know... where the buck stops.
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