Us Ambassador Chris Stevens Killed In Libya

[Scott]

Does Fox post on this thread?

If they do, then it is probably a violation of the rules.

[Chicog]

Does Fox post on this thread?

If they do, then it is probably a violation of the rules.

I don't think they do, you know. They're a bit busy wiping away the tears this morning.

[Chicog]

Are all of these people still in office and/or allowed to participate in Senate Intelligence Committee Closed Hearings?

2011-2012 Democrats Republicans Dianne Feinstein,

California

Chairman Saxby Chambliss,

Georgia

Vice Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV,

West Virginia Olympia J. Snowe,

Maine Ron Wyden,

Oregon Richard Burr,

North Carolina Barbara A. Mikulski,

Maryland James Risch,

Idaho Bill Nelson,

Florida Daniel Coats,

Indiana Kent Conrad,

North Dakota Roy Blunt,

Missouri Mark Udall,

Colorado Marco Rubio,

Florida Mark Warner,

Virginia Harry Reid, Nevada, Ex Officio Mitch McConnell, Kentucky, Ex Officio Carl Levin, Michigan, Ex Officio John McCain, Arizona, Ex Officio

[Chicog]

Sorry, that didn't format particularly well, the list is here:

http://www.intelligence.senate.gov/memberscurrent.html

[chuckd]

Sorry, that didn't format particularly well, the list is here:

http://www.intellige...erscurrent.html

Do you have a point you are trying to make?

[Chicog]

Sorry, that didn't format particularly well, the list is here:

http://www.intellige...erscurrent.html

Do you have a point you are trying to make?

No, it was a question, that's why I put the funny "?" at the end.

[koheesti]

Well, now that the election is over, I look forward to the findings of the Obama admin's 2-month long investigation into what really happened in Benghazi.

[Chicog]

I thought there were supposed to be hearings on the 15th, I was just asking who of the people on that list will be participating, and my next question would have been what is the process for replacing any that might have been voted out or retired or whatever.

And what rights does "Ex Officio" have?

My next question is irrelevant if they are all still there.

[chuckd]

I thought there were supposed to be hearings on the 15th, I was just asking who of the people on that list will be participating, and my next question would have been what is the process for replacing any that might have been voted out or retired or whatever.

And what rights does "Ex Officio" have?

My next question is irrelevant if they are all still there.

The House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform is holding the hearings, NOT the Senate.

Since the hearing is scheduled to resume on 15 November and, any potential defeated members who might have been on the House committee would not leave office until 2 January 2013, why would they require replacements?

[Chicog]

I thought there were supposed to be hearings on the 15th, I was just asking who of the people on that list will be participating, and my next question would have been what is the process for replacing any that might have been voted out or retired or whatever.

And what rights does "Ex Officio" have?

My next question is irrelevant if they are all still there.

The House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform is holding the hearings, NOT the Senate.

Since the hearing is scheduled to resume on 15 November and, any potential defeated members who might have been on the House committee would not leave office until 2 January 2013, why would they require replacements?

That more than answers my question.

Thanks.

I'm just a bit confused about this, because it says "Senate". And it has the same names I listed above. Did something change?

http://thehill.com/b...enghazi-hearing

Edited November 7, 2012 by Chicog

[chuckd]

I thought there were supposed to be hearings on the 15th, I was just asking who of the people on that list will be participating, and my next question would have been what is the process for replacing any that might have been voted out or retired or whatever.

And what rights does "Ex Officio" have?

My next question is irrelevant if they are all still there.

The House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform is holding the hearings, NOT the Senate.

Since the hearing is scheduled to resume on 15 November and, any potential defeated members who might have been on the House committee would not leave office until 2 January 2013, why would they require replacements?

That more than answers my question.

Thanks.

I'm just a bit confused about this, because it says "Senate". And it has the same names I listed above. Did something change?

http://thehill.com/b...enghazi-hearing

The House had begun hearings earlier.

The Senate can also hold hearings. Minority parties may also hold sub-committee hearings as well. None of which impacts your question about committee members being voted out of office yesterday.

I provided you the answer for that.

Edit in: I just realized I didn't provide you with an answer to your "ex-officio" question.

"ex officio - Literally, by virtue of one's office. The term refers to the practice under Senate rules that allows the chairman and ranking minority member of a committee to participate in any of the subcommittees of that committee, but generally not to vote."

http://www.senate.gov/reference/glossary_term/ex_officio.htm

Edited November 7, 2012 by chuckd

[Chicog]

OK I'm with you. Do they both have access to the same sources of information? I can't really see the point of having one held behind closed doors if they do.

[chuckd]

OK I'm with you. Do they both have access to the same sources of information? I can't really see the point of having one held behind closed doors if they do.

Sigh...

Yes, both committees have subpoena power and can call whomever they wish and have them testify under oath...including Obama.

The Senate committee is controlled by the Democrats and Harry Reid. As such, it will do everything it can to cover up all of Obama's failed decisions during and after the attack.

The House committee is controlled by the Republicans who will try and find out the truth, regardless of where the fault lies.

If the real truth comes out Hillary might just possibly have lost her last chance at the Oval Office. It now seems neither of them were up to that 3 AM phone call.

[geriatrickid]

One of the reasons why Romney went quiet on the Libyan affair is that General Petraeus is implicated. It is beginning to look like the CIA dropped the ball.

Maybe they did, maybe they didn't, but the loyal GOP general may have some splainin' to do.

It's easy for FOX to accuse, but lost in this story is that the State Department professional diplomats are a close knit bunch and any loss hurts them all. These people all have families and can be in similar situations. They know the risks and I think the resent the attempt by politicians to play politics with this event.

[geriatrickid]

Voting's already started. You can stop with the pointless semantics now.

Really, get over it. Either it swung voters or it didn't.

This is not the election thread. This is the Benghazi-gate thread.

There is no Benghazi-gate as much as you need another issue to cling to. There is no commie plot.

[chuckd]

Voting's already started. You can stop with the pointless semantics now.

Really, get over it. Either it swung voters or it didn't.

This is not the election thread. This is the Benghazi-gate thread.

There is no Benghazi-gate as much as you need another issue to cling to. There is no commie plot.

Neither Watergate nor Benghazi-gate were or are "commie" plots. One was a Nixon plot, the latest is an Obama plot.

[chuckd]

I wonder if Obama's AG now considers the Benghazi case as being closed? They have a sacrificial lamb all staked out.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Man behind anti-Muslim film sentenced to prison

By GREG RISLING, Associated Press – 6 hours ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The California man behind an anti-Muslim film that led to violence in many parts of the Middle East was sentenced Wednesday to a year in federal prison for probation violations in an unrelated matter, then issued a provocative statement through his attorney.

The sentence was the result of a plea bargain between lawyers for Mark Bassely Youssef and federal prosecutors. Youssef admitted in open court that he had used several false names in violation of his probation order and obtained a driver's license under a false name. He was on probation for a bank fraud case.

Shortly after Youssef left the courtroom, his lawyer, Steven Seiden, came to the front steps of the courthouse and told reporters his client wanted to send a message.

"The one thing he wanted me to tell all of you is President Obama may have gotten Osama bin Laden, but he didn't kill the ideology," Seiden said.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/world/2012/11/08/anti-muslim-movie-man-sentenced-to-a-year-in-prison

[Chicog]

"The one thing he wanted me to tell all of you is President Obama may have gotten Osama bin Laden, but he didn't kill the ideology," Seiden said.

Might as well have just told them "My client is an insane, blithering idiot" for all that's worth.

[Chicog]

There's a reasonable article here which shows there are some definite issues with the CIA putting too much faith in local allies. Presumably that will have to change. And for those who missed it, there is a re-run of the timeline.

In case you weren't watching, Fox News as usual have been telling lies again.

Columnist CIA’s Benghazi timeline reveals errors, but no conspiracy November 05, 2012 10:50 PM By David Ignatius The Daily Star

A detailed CIA timeline of the assault on U.S. facilities in Benghazi paints an anguishing picture of embattled Americans waiting for Libyan local security forces that didn’t come and courageous CIA officers who died on a rooftop without the heavy weapons they needed, trying to protect their colleagues below.

It’s a story of individual bravery, but also of a CIA misjudgment in relying on Libyan militias and a newly formed Libyan intelligence organization to keep Americans safe in Benghazi. While there were multiple errors that led to the final tragedy, there’s no evidence that the White House or CIA leadership deliberately delayed or impeded rescue efforts.

The CIA is now reviewing its security plans around the world to make sure the agency isn’t relying on shaky local forces. This is a difficult task because the U.S. currently has such vulnerable arrangements in dozens of places.

The CIA timeline was described Thursday by a senior intelligence official. The narrative of events is dramatic and disturbing. Rather than try to parse each detail, here’s a summary of the highlights. The time sequence is Benghazi local time on the night of Sept. 11 and the morning of Sept. 12:

- 9:40 p.m.: A senior State Department security officer at the consulate in Benghazi called the CIA base, at an annex about a mile away, and requested assistance. “The compound is under attack. People are moving through the gates.” CIA officers at the base can hear the alarm, and a team immediately begins gathering weapons and preparing to leave

- 10:04: A seven-person rescue squad from the agency’s Global Response Staff leaves in two vehicles. The team leader is a career CIA officer and includes a contractor named Tyrone Woods, who later died. During the previous 24-minute interval, the CIA base chief calls the 17 February Brigade, other militias and the Libyan intelligence service seeking vehicles with 50-caliber machine guns. Nobody responds. The team leader and the base chief agree at 10:04 they can’t wait any longer and head for the consulate.

The senior intelligence official said he doesn’t know if Woods or any of the other team members agitated to go sooner, but that he wouldn’t be surprised. “I want them to have a sense of urgency,” he said.

- 10:10: The rescue team reached a chaotic intersection a few blocks from the consulate. Militias gathered there have several 50-caliber machine guns, which the CIA team tries unsuccessfully to commandeer; three militiamen offer to help. The rescue party now includes 10 people: six GRS officers; a CIA translator, and the three Libyan volunteers.

- 10:20: A reconnaissance party of two GRS officers heads to the consulate; at 10:25, three more GRS officers enter the main gate and begin engaging the attackers. The firefight lasts about 15 minutes.

- 10:40: Members of the CIA team enter the burning inferno of “Villa C,” where Ambassador Christopher Stevens is believed to be hiding. CIA officers try numerous times to reach the “safe room,” but are driven back by the intense smoke and fire. Small arms fire continues from the Libyan attackers.

- 11:11: An unarmed military Predator drone arrives over the compound to provide aerial reconnaissance. The drone had been diverted from a mission over Darnah, Libya, about 90 minutes away. But without weapons, it can’t help much.

- 11:15: The CIA team puts the State Department group into a vehicle and sends them to the agency base; at 11:30, the CIA officers depart under fire and reach the annex six minutes later.

- 11:56: CIA officers at the annex are attacked by a rocket-propelled grenade and small arms. Sporadic attacks continue for about another hour. The attacks stop at 1:01 a.m., and some assume the fight is over.

- 1:15 a.m.: CIA reinforcements arrive on a 45-minute flight from Tripoli in a plane they’ve hastily chartered. The Tripoli team includes four GRS security officers, a CIA case officer and two U.S. military personnel who are on loan to the agency. They don’t leave Benghazi airport until 4:30. The delay is caused by negotiations with Libyan authorities over permission to leave the airport, obtaining vehicles, and the need to frame a clear mission plan. The first idea is to go to a Benghazi hospital to recover Stevens, who they correctly suspect is already dead. But the hospital is surrounded by the Al-Qaeda-linked Ansar al-Shariah militia that mounted the consulate attack.

- 5:04: The team from Tripoli arrives at the CIA base. Glen Doherty, one of the GRS men from Tripoli, goes to the roof and joins Woods in firing positions.

- 5:15: A new Libyan assault begins, this time with mortars. Two rounds miss and the next three hit the roof. The rooftop defenders never “laser the mortars,” as has been reported. They don’t know they’re in place until the indirect fire begins, nor are they observed by the drone overhead. The defenders have focused their laser sites earlier on several Libyan attackers, as warnings not to fire. At 5:26 the attack is over. Woods and Doherty are dead and two others are wounded.

- 6:00: Libyan forces from the military intelligence service finally arrive, now with 50 vehicles. They escort the Americans to the airport. A first group of 18, including two wounded, depart at 7 a.m. A second group of 12, plus the four dead, leave at 10 for Tripoli and then the long flight back to America.

David Ignatius is published twice weekly by THE DAILY STAR.

[chuckd]

Chicog:

Just for the record, I haven't watched Fox News in nearly nine (9) YEARS. May I suggest you try to follow suit.

[chuckd]

"The one thing he wanted me to tell all of you is President Obama may have gotten Osama bin Laden, but he didn't kill the ideology," Seiden said.

Might as well have just told them "My client is an insane, blithering idiot" for all that's worth.

Quick translation:

Osama Bin Laden's ideology is what killed the diplomats in Benghazi, NOT the so called film.

[Chicog]

"The one thing he wanted me to tell all of you is President Obama may have gotten Osama bin Laden, but he didn't kill the ideology," Seiden said.

Might as well have just told them "My client is an insane, blithering idiot" for all that's worth.

Quick translation:

Osama Bin Laden's ideology is what killed the diplomats in Benghazi, NOT the so called film.

I'm afraid that's your translation, but when a Coptic Christian makes a highly offensive film that caused a lot more deaths than just American ones, I think he's just a (four letter word,slang term for women's genitalia).

[Chicog]

Chicog:

Just for the record, I haven't watched Fox News in nearly nine (9) YEARS. May I suggest you try to follow suit.

Aw Chuck, you can't deny me the five star entertainment it's offered over the last few weeks.

Plus it's got Maria Molina. That woman should have her own show.

[geriatrickid]

I wonder if Obama's AG now considers the Benghazi case as being closed? They have a sacrificial lamb all staked out.

How is he a sactificial lamb? Did he not violate the terms of his parole? Was the violation not a wilful and intentional act?

Are you saying he should be ignored and his parole reinstated?

[chuckd]

I wonder if Obama's AG now considers the Benghazi case as being closed? They have a sacrificial lamb all staked out.

How is he a sactificial lamb? Did he not violate the terms of his parole? Was the violation not a wilful and intentional act?

Are you saying he should be ignored and his parole reinstated?

In your self righteous indignation you are forgetting one simple fact. His film had nothing to do with the killings in the Benghazi Consulate.

Just like Watergate, the actual crime was overshadowed by the cover up that followed. Get indignant at the government personnel that told the world for three weeks the movie caused the attack not terrorists, and the newly reelected President has still not stepped up to take any part of the blame.

The House Committee on Oversight meets again on 15 November in closed session. I want to hear what they say rather than argue with others that have no clue what happened.

Thank you.

[Chicog]

You and your ilk are the ones that invented and perpetuate "Benghazi-gate", so don't start calling me judgmental if you please.

I was the one that had to point out to you that there is a meeting of the Senate Intelligence Committee on the 15th, and I'm not even American.

[chuckd]

You and your ilk are the ones that invented and perpetuate "Benghazi-gate", so don't start calling me judgmental if you please.

I was the one that had to point out to you that there is a meeting of the Senate Intelligence Committee on the 15th, and I'm not even American.

Four dead Americans is not an invention of my mind or anybody else. It is a cold, hard fact and it was a needless loss led by the inaction and confusion of the Obama administration. The American people have a right to know what happened and who made whatever decisions were actually made.

I will be watching the House Select Committee and not the Senate. Harry Reid won't permit the Senate committee to get very intrusive with their questioning.

Regardless of whether non-Americans such as yourself are seemingly outraged at the continuation of Benghazi-gate or not, the committee hearings will proceed and, hopefully, heads will roll when the truth comes out.

[geriatrickid]

You and your ilk are the ones that invented and perpetuate "Benghazi-gate", so don't start calling me judgmental if you please.

I was the one that had to point out to you that there is a meeting of the Senate Intelligence Committee on the 15th, and I'm not even American.

Four dead Americans is not an invention of my mind or anybody else. It is a cold, hard fact and it was a needless loss led by the inaction and confusion of the Obama administration. The American people have a right to know what happened and who made whatever decisions were actually made.

I will be watching the House Select Committee and not the Senate. Harry Reid won't permit the Senate committee to get very intrusive with their questioning.

Regardless of whether non-Americans such as yourself are seemingly outraged at the continuation of Benghazi-gate or not, the committee hearings will proceed and, hopefully, heads will roll when the truth comes out.

I'm sure the American people are heartened that you and Limbaugh are on the job. Did you know that last year, of all US military fatalities, traffic accidents caused 17%? You should direct your attention to that horrific number. Maybe you can save lives.

Edited November 9, 2012 by geriatrickid

[chuckd]

You and your ilk are the ones that invented and perpetuate "Benghazi-gate", so don't start calling me judgmental if you please.

I was the one that had to point out to you that there is a meeting of the Senate Intelligence Committee on the 15th, and I'm not even American.

Four dead Americans is not an invention of my mind or anybody else. It is a cold, hard fact and it was a needless loss led by the inaction and confusion of the Obama administration. The American people have a right to know what happened and who made whatever decisions were actually made.

I will be watching the House Select Committee and not the Senate. Harry Reid won't permit the Senate committee to get very intrusive with their questioning.

Regardless of whether non-Americans such as yourself are seemingly outraged at the continuation of Benghazi-gate or not, the committee hearings will proceed and, hopefully, heads will roll when the truth comes out.

I'm sure the American people are heartened that you and Limbaugh are on the job. Did you know that last year, of all US military fatalities, traffic accidents caused 17%? You should direct your attention to that horrific number. Maybe you can save lives.

Thank you for contributing yet another flippant comment on the death of Americans.

[chuckd]

Seems like my "ilk" are still wanting the truth.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obama’s battle on Benghazi far from finished

By Shaun Waterman-The Washington Times Thursday, November 8, 2012

President Obama’s victory in the general election this week does not silence those who have been criticizing his administration’s response to the deadly Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

The critics, which include of former military and intelligence personnel, conservative commentators and grieving relatives, are set to redouble their efforts, highlighting what they call the administration’s failure to give straight answers to questions about security at the consulate and official actions before, during and after the attack.

“We are going to keep the pressure on,” said Fred W. Rustmann Jr., from the advocacy group OpSec.

http://www.washingto...-from-finished/

Edited November 9, 2012 by Scott
edited for fair use policy