CIA says they knew after the first day it was not a protest Where are these people who still say the Obama administration wasn't lying?
[rquoter]The two U.S. officials said the CIA station chief in Libya compiled intelligence reports from eyewitnesses within 24 hours of the assault on the consulate that indicated militants launched the violence, using the pretext of demonstrations against U.S. facilities in Egypt against the film to cover their intent. The report from the station chief was written late Wednesday, Sept. 12, and reached intelligence agencies in Washington the next day, intelligence officials said.[/rquoter] What's new about this? There were militants who were exploiting the protests to cover their intent. That sounds very similar to what Obama was saying. [rquoter]U.S. intelligence officials say in this case the delay was due in part to the time it took to analyze various conflicting accounts. One official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss the incident publicly, explained that "it was clear a group of people gathered that evening" in Benghazi, but that the early question was "whether extremists took over a crowd or they were the crowd."[/rquoter] So there was uncertainty in the first week or so about what actually transpired at Benghazi. Hence, "investigation is on-going" and "nothing is definitive yet".
Or not. The CIA was telling the White House, for several days, that it was a response to the video. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...ad82ae-1a2d-11e2-bd10-5ff056538b7c_story.html The Romney campaign may have misfired with its suggestion that statements by President Obama and U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice about the Benghazi attack last month weren’t supported by intelligence, according to documents provided by a senior U.S. intelligence official. “Talking points” prepared by the CIA on Sept. 15, the same day that Rice taped three television appearances, support her description of the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate as a reaction to Arab anger about an anti-Muslim video prepared in the United States. According to the CIA account, “The currently available information suggests that the demonstrations in Benghazi were spontaneously inspired by the protests at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and evolved into a direct assault against the U.S. Consulate and subsequently its annex. There are indications that extremists participated in the violent demonstrations.” The CIA document went on: “This assessment may change as additional information is collected and analyzed and as currently available information continues to be evaluated.” This may sound like self-protective boilerplate, but it reflects the analysts’ genuine problem interpreting fragments of intercepted conversation, video surveillance and source reports.
makes sense: -- Let’s cut to the chase. With the Petraeus affair revealing information that a CIA Black Site was in Benghazi, it is now very clear why the administration tried to blame the attack on a video. Ready? 1. CIA Black Site near the Benghazi consulate. 2. Benghazi consulate, despite repeated attacks prior to 9/11/12, was severely lacking in security. Also, extra security denied prior to the attack. Conclusion – The administration decided that properly securing the consulate would attract too much attention to the CIA Black Site down the road. 3. Terrorists attack the consulate AND the CIA Black Site. Ambassador Stevens was in Benghazi that night – for unknown reasons – without the proper security. The worst case scenario happened and the administration needed a plausible scapegoat. 4. ???? 5. The video. Okay? That’s what’s going on here, Mainstream Media. Go do your jobs. http://www.therightsphere.com/2012/...on/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
So now Basso, the board's resident chickenhawk neo-con wants ala Karl Rove outting Valerie Plame, for the Adminstration to have immediately spilled the beans to the world on a CIA black site, possibly further compromising intelligenc gagthering and just because it could have possibley benefitted Romney I guess.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-34222_1...ibya-briefing-while-criticizing-lack-of-info/ Hmmm... McCain misses Libya briefing while criticizing lack of info While Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., was leading a press conference Wednesday to condemn the administration's lack of transparency regarding the attacks in Benghazi, Libya, it turns out he could have been attending a classified briefing on the subject. Due to what his office called a "scheduling error," McCain accompanied Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., at 11:30 a.m., Wednesday to demand before reporters a select committee of Congress to investigate the violence in Libya, rather than attend the scheduled 11 a.m. closed-door briefing for members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. At his press conference, McCain continued to rail on the president and his administration - including U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice - for botched handling of information in the aftermath of the attack. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, the ranking Republican on the committee, reneged slightly from a report today that she was critical of McCain for missing the meeting, but maintained it's important he's fully briefed on intelligence, and disagreed with his call for a select committee. McCain scolds reporter for "one of the dumbest questions I've ever heard"."All I was trying to point out is that he's a very valuable member of our committee," she told CBS News. "He would be involved in all the briefings and the hearings and the investigation, and thus I don't think that it's necessary to create a whole new separate committee." McCain told CBS News he hadn't yet viewed the thousands of pages of classified emails, telegrams, and intelligence reports that the State Department made available to the committee. As a member, he can access the documents by visiting a secure room on the Hill. Collins hasn't requested that viewing either but attended the briefing and viewed whatever documents were presented there. When asked about the scheduling flap Thursday, McCain reportedly grew angry at a CNN producer and refused to answer the question. Meanwhile, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., another member of the Homeland Security committee, also missed the briefing, but did an interview on CNN the same day attacking Mr. Obama for his handling of the Benghazi attack, and, at one point, admitting, "I don't know enough of the details."
I can't find that meeting on today's schedule at all. There was something which might have been it at a different time ( I don't work in the Senate, so I'm not totally sure), but yeah, I could see a mishap occurring.
I dont understand where the scandal is here. People scream watergate - but where was the crime committed? Seems like it was an intelligence break down that led to a lack of security. As for the reaction afterwards. You had Romney screaming blood for Obama had even had all the facts and Obama had poor intel so he made incorrect statements - but still called it an act of terror. So where's the cover-up? This is just political poo poo.
MccCin needs to resign or be impeached- he is senile and dangerous. He melted down on CNN, screaming at the reporter.
I agree, not sure what all the outrage is about. Its a sad situation but a coverup? I don't think so.
Have we learned nothing about the risks of international engagement and the fog of war? This whole deal seems like an easily foreseeable and expected risk of of CIA and diplomatic service; certainly not outside the experiences of Iraq, Afghanistan etc. etc. The idea that this is a "controversy" would be laughable if it didn't involve such tragedy. Anybody that doesn't see this being 'played' for political leverage is inexperienced or complicit.
The only thing remotely interesting about this story is the further confirmation that Obama has continued Bush's tactics regarding the farcical "war on terror". Yay America.
Obama, Romney, Bush - we are so ****ed as a nation- while it really HURTS me to admit it, they really are the perfect representation for America now. The truth is, when you have selfish ignorant citizens your going to get selfish ignorant leaders
This is not really even a scandal..... and quite frankly no one really cares. Bill O'Reilly, Fox news and Breitbart can continue to beat this dead horse into the ground but it isn't getting them anywhere.... America is more concerned about the economy, the issues in Israel and the Financial fiscal cliff.....