Special ops veterans’ group calls for select probe of Benghazi attack

[BMT (RIP)]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013...est=latestnews

For its part, the Obama administration has insisted it is fully cooperating with congressional investigators.


BMT

[Box]

It IS cooperating...

...the administration is doing EVERYTHING that it can to help the investigators put this to bed.

Besides, "What difference, at this point, does it make"

[echoes]

Have been following this on Fox News this morning. Since 4:10am, CST, they have run the story twice, including a piece just now narrated by Peter Ducy, highlighting the wording of the letter. Very powerful, IMHO.

Holly

[medic&commo]

Maybe this will be the 'crack in the dam'?
m&c

[Surf n Turf]

Open Letter to the U.S. House of Representatives
April 8, 2013
To: Members of The U.S. House of Representatives
Subject: The Benghazi attacks on 9/11/ 2012
The undersigned are a representative group of some 700 retired Military Special Operations professionals who spent the majority of their careers preparing for and executing myriad operations to rescue or recover detained or threatened fellow Americans. In fact, many of us participated in both the Vietnam era POW rescue effort, The Son Tay Raid, as well as Operation Eagle Claw, the failed rescue attempt in April of 1980 in Iran, so we have been at this for many years and have a deep passion for seeking the truth about what happened during the national tragedy in Benghazi.
The purpose of this letter is to encourage all members of the US House of Representatives to support H.Res. 36, which will create a House Select Committee on the Terrorist Attack in Benghazi. It is essential that a full accounting of the events of September 11, 2012, be provided and that the American public be fully informed regarding this egregious terrorist attack on US diplomatic personnel and facilities. We owe that truth to the American people and the families of the fallen.
It appears that many of the facts and details surrounding the terrorist attack which resulted in four American deaths and an undetermined number of American casualties have not yet been ascertained by previous hearings and inquiries. Additional information is now slowly surfacing in the media, which makes a comprehensive bipartisan inquiry an imperative. Many questions have not been answered thus far. The House Select Committee should address, at a minimum, the following questions:
1. Why was there no military response to the events in Benghazi?
a. Were military assets in the region available? If not, why not?
b. If so, were they alerted?
c. Were assets deployed to any location in preparation for a rescue or recovery attempt?
d. Was military assistance requested by the Department of State? If so, what type?
e. Were any US Army/Naval/USMC assets available to support the US diplomats in Benghazi during the attack?
f. What, if any, recommendations for military action were made by DOD and the US Africa Command?
2. What, if any, non-military assistance was provided during the attack?
3. How many US personnel were injured in Benghazi?
4. Why have the survivors of the attack not been questioned?
5. Where are the survivors?
6. Who was in the White House Situation Room (WHSR) during the entire 8-hour period of the attacks, and was a senior US military officer present?
7. Where were Leon Panetta and General Martin Dempsey during the crisis, and what inputs and recommendations did they make?
8. Where were Tom Donilon, the National Security Advisor, Denis McDonough, his deputy, Valerie Jarrett and John Brennan during the attacks, and what (if any) recommendations or decisions did any of them make?
9. Why were F-16 fighter aircraft based in Aviano, Italy (less than two hours away) never considered a viable option for disruption (if not dispersal) of the attackers until “boots on the ground” (troop support--General Dempsey’s words) arrived?
10. Were any strike aircraft (such as an AC-130 gunship) in the area or possibly overhead that would cause former SEAL Tyrone Woods to laser-designate his attacker’s position and call for gunship fire support, thereby revealing his own location that led to his death?
11. Who gave the order to “STAND DOWN” that was heard repeatedly during the attacks?
12. What threat warnings existed before the attack, and what were the DOD and DOS responses to those warnings? What data (which will reveal exact timelines and command decisions) is contained within the various SITREPS, records, logs, videos and recordings maintained by the myriad of DOD, Intelligence Community and State Department Command Centers that were monitoring the events in Benghazi as they unfolded?
13. Why did the Commander-in Chief and Secretary of State never once check in during the night to find out the status of the crisis situation in Benghazi?
14. What was the nature of Ambassador Stevens’ business in Benghazi at the time of the attack?
15. What guidance has been provided to survivors and family members since the time of the attack, and who issued that guidance?
16. Why are so many agencies now requiring their personnel that were involved in or have access to information regarding the events that took place in Benghazi sign Non-Disclosure Agreements?

[Surf n Turf]

CONTINUED -------
This was the most severe attack on American diplomatic facilities and personnel since the attacks on the US Embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998. Thus far, it appears that there has been no serious effort to determine critical details of this attack. This is inexcusable and demands immediate attention by the Congress. Congress must show some leadership and provide answers to the public as to what actually occurred in Benghazi. Americans have a right to demand a full accounting on this issue.

A longstanding American ethos was breached during the terrorist attack in Benghazi. America failed to provide adequate security to personnel deployed into harm’s way and then failed to respond when they were viciously attacked. Clearly, this is unacceptable and requires accountability. America has always held to the notion that no American will be left behind and that every effort will be made to respond when US personnel are threatened. Given our backgrounds, we are concerned that this sends a very negative message to future military and diplomatic personnel who may be deployed into dangerous environments. That message is that they will be left to their own devices when attacked. That is an unacceptable message.
The House Select Committee should focus on getting a detailed account of the events in Benghazi as soon as possible. H. Res. 36 will provide a structure for the conduct of a thorough inquiry of Benghazi and should be convened immediately.
We ask that you fulfill your responsibilities to the American people and take appropriate action regarding Benghazi. With over sixty members of the US House of Representatives calling for this Select Committee already, it seems that the time is right to take appropriate action on Benghazi.
Signed:
Sign the Petition - http://specialoperationsspeaks.com/p...igate-petition

[Snaquebite]

Letter with signatures

http://specialoperationsspeaks.com/a...presentatives2

[Stargazer]

Thank God for these individuals. The respect and gratitude I feel is immeasurable. I have been waiting for 'truth and nothing but the truth'...

[Trapper John]

HR36 is calling for a select committee to investigate the Benghazi disaster. Contact your Congress Critter with your support for HR36.

[Stargazer]

I wish there would be movement... I have already been writing my representatives. Rep. Susan Brooks has been great about articulating her support and sent a nice letter to my home. Wasn't as 'canned' as the usual canned responses.

You can view who has co-sponsored H.Res 36, along with activity, etc..:

http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-.../36/cosponsors

[Stobey]

Yes, I know that these articles, from the Canada Free Press are old; but based upon what we are seeing now, they're probably closer to the truth than anything we're likely to hear from this administration.

From Canada Free Press:

from 11-29-12: Benghazi explained: Interview with an “Intelligence Insider”
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/51346

from 11-30-12: Benghazi: Behind the scenes (Part II)
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/51400

from 12-12-12: Benghazi explained: Interview with an “Intelligence Insider” (Part III)
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/51679

[98G]

Originally Posted by Trapper John

HR36 is calling for a select committee to investigate the Benghazi disaster. Contact your Congress Critter with your support for HR36.

Up to Speed: 5 Things You Need to Know About Benghazi
by Eli Lake Sep 11, 2013 4:45 AM EDT

It’s been a year since an attack on the U.S. mission in Libya killed four Americans. Yet no one has been arrested, and many questions remain unanswered.

One year ago a band of Libyan fighters gathered around the exterior gates of the United States mission in Benghazi, Libya, and proceeded to torch the compound. The initial wave of attacks ended up killing U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and a communications specialist, Sean Smith, who both died of smoke inhalation. A second wave killed two former Navy SEALs, Glenn Doherty and Tyrone Woods. The attacks sparked a series of investigations in Congress as well as a State Department independent review, which faulted mid-level officials for not providing adequate security before the attack and for failing to account for a series of warnings about the deteriorating security environment in Benghazi. Nonetheless many questions remain unanswered. Below, five facts to bring you up to speed.

1. The Killers Are at Large

In July, President Obama confirmed that at least one suspect, a militia leader in Benghazi named Ahmed Abu Khattala, had been indicted in secret by a grand jury. But Khattala has yet to be arrested and no other indictments have been filed. In an interview with The New York Times last fall, he said he was at the U.S. mission on the night of the attack and that U.S. guards shot first. This past weekend, Obama’s chief of staff, Denis McDonough, was asked on Fox News Sunday why reporters were able to gain access to Khattala but not law enforcement. His response: “The United States government does what it says, and we will do what we say in this instance, as we do in every other instance.”

2. The Investigation Is Stymied

It’s no surprise, given that no one has been arrested, that the investigation is not going well. From the beginning Obama has treated the Benghazi attack as a criminal act and not an act of war. This means that instead of deploying special operations and covert action, as he’s done in the hunt for al Qaeda in Pakistan and Yemen, Obama has made the FBI the lead agency to track down the Benghazi killers. There have been numerous stumbles. The Bureau was not able to gain access to the Benghazi compound until more than three weeks after the crime. And when some special operations forces in October had the suspected culprits in their sights, no order was given to kill or capture them. The U.S. persuaded Turkey to send Ali Ani al-Harzi to Tunisia, a suspect who fled Libya for Turkey, but the Tunisian authorities released him, reportedly because they didn’t have enough evidence to hold him. Rep. Frank Wolf, a Republican who is pushing for a special investigation into Benghazi, told The Daily Beast that the FBI only had three hours to interview al-Harzi after waiting for weeks to get access to the suspect. “Now he is gone, and missing,” he said.

3. It Could Hurt Hillary in 2016

If the former first lady and secretary of State runs for president in 2016, the Republican attack will likely start with Benghazi. It was under her leadership that the State Department declined to send all the diplomatic security resources requested by officials in the field—something that might have saved lives that fateful night. It also didn’t request more back up on the night itself, beyond the CIA contractors who arrived from the nearby annex and later from Tripoli. Yet the State Department’s Accountability Review Board failed to hold any senior officials at the State Department or the CIA accountable. The four State Department employees who were singled out went back to work this summer. Greg Hicks, the former deputy chief of mission at the embassy in Benghazi and one of the whistleblowers who testified before Congress in May, says he has been punished for going public. In an interview with ABC News on Sunday, Hicks said he was given a desk job that is the equivalent of being “put in closet.” On Wednesday, a State Department spokesman disputed that Hicks had been punished, saying, "We appreciate his exemplary service on the evening of September 11 and his long career as a member of the foreign service."

4. The CIA’s Role Is Still in Question

What we know is that the State Department isn’t the only agency that screwed up that night. The CIA was operating in secret from a nearby annex and also had several officers using State Department cover at the Benghazi diplomatic mission. It was the CIA’s job to vet the Libyan militia that failed to protect the compound on the night of the attacks. But little else is known about the CIA’s mission on the ground. Was the CIA engaged in missions against some of the jihadist militias that may have provoked the attack a year ago? Some members of Congress have said the CIA was sending Libyan weapons collected in the aftermath of the country’s civil war to arm Syrian rebels. Senior U.S. officials have denied these claims. Earlier this year, the chief of the CIA base in Benghazi won an intelligence award for his performance there. The award raised some eyebrows among others in the special operations community because he was seen as presiding over an intelligence failure.

5. At This Rate, It Might Be a Dead End

Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) currently has 168 fellow GOP House members supporting his resolution to establish a bipartisan commission to investigate Benghazi. Wolf says he wants to know what exactly the CIA was doing in Benghazi before the night of the attack and on the night itself. He told The Daily Beast he wants to have CIA director John Brennan and David Petraeus, who was the CIA director a year ago, testify in open session about Benghazi. While Wolf has most of the Republicans in the House, he does not have House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), the man who ultimately determines what resolutions and legislation get a vote on the House floor. Wolf also doesn’t have the support of Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, who has conducted his own largely classified investigation of the CIA’s role on the evening of the Benghazi attack. For now, Wolf is saying he won’t let it go.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated with a response from the State Department regarding Greg Hicks.

[Trapper John]

It looks like this issue still has life in Congress. I sent letters to my Congress Critters Senator Bill Casey, Senator Pat Toomy, and Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick.

Casey never responded, Toomy sent me a blah, blah form letter from one of his staff. Fitzpatrick actually replied and entered into an email dialog on the subject. Today I received the following from him.

September 11, 2013

Dear Jim,

Today we remember the 12th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks here in the United States; we also mark one year since terrorists stormed the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, leaving four Americans dead.

On the one year anniversary of the terrorist attack on our consulate I wrote to Speaker John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi urging the appointment of a select committee to fully investigate this attack and the subsequent handling by the current Administration:

Dear Speaker Boehner and Leader Pelosi,
Today marks one year since terrorists stormed the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, leaving 4 Americans dead.

Several of the House Committees have been diligent in searching for answers, yet many more questions remain about that night. Five committees have conducted investigations, as well as the State Department, but still no one has been held accountable for this attack. The terrorists remain at-large; and the bureaucrats who fumbled the response remain at their posts.

Former Homeland Security Advisor to President George W. Bush Thomas Bossert correctly noted the complexity of the questions and the intricacy of overlapping jurisdictions that are slowing down America’s response:

“[t]he gamut of issues is broad, ranging from strategic issues of national security, global counterterrorism and international affairs to operational force protection, intelligence analysis and crisis management. The range of congressional committees with jurisdiction is equally broad.”

Therefore, I implore you to heed the calls of 171 members of our Republican Caucus and establish a select committee to investigate and report on the attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

The families of Ambassador Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty deserve to know what happened on that night exactly one year ago. They deserve to know that the U.S. Government has not relented in the pursuit of justice, and that we will do what it takes prevent another tragedy like Benghazi.
President Obama vowed that his biggest priority was to bring those responsible to justice—yet the terrorists still walk free. Let Congress, through the establishment of a select committee, work with the president to fulfill our duty to the victims’ families and to the American people.

I will continue to seek the answers to these questions and work to hold those responsible accountable. Thank you for your time and feel free to contact my Washington, D.C. office at 202-225-4276 with any questions or concerns.

Still, this may be nothing more than a Congressman placating a constituent, but it least he is trying to be responsive.

I will test him again on the VA issue and see where that goes. If he is responsive on that one then maybe he is the rare breed that actually tries to do his job.

We'll see.

[Richard]

Has nobody read this?

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/202446.pdf

Richard

[Stobey]

"Today we remember the 12th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks here in the United States; we also mark one year since terrorists stormed the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, leaving four Americans dead."


I'm afraid that either this congressman is seriously mis-informed, doesn't care, or he is one of those who perpetuate the lie that what was attacked was a "consulate". Even in the report that Robert referred to, the government was careful to call it a "mission", never a consulate.

The articles I referenced above in my post of 9/1/13 give us some idea of what was going on there; and what was worse was that since we are currently about 6 hours behind that particular time zone in Libya, that would put the approximate time of the attack in the middle of the afternoon in DC. Drones were sent up; and there were those in DC who were watching the events occur in real-time - and still did nothing. (Remember that the attack lasted what, almost 9 hours?)

Nothing more to say except that the truth will most probably not come from "official" sources; but instead may manage to find the light of day from those who were there who at some point are able to speak out. Was this a "proxy" hit by the Russians to alert the world to the clandestine arms for al-Qaida program in Syria? Or was it something else? At any rate, I don't need to tell you - or anyone on this board - that handling this as a criminal case has been about as effective as pissing on a forest fire.