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[webfact]

'Move on' from Benghazi? Republicans say it's unlikely
By MATTHEW DALY

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Clinton says it's "time to move on" after a congressional report on the deadly 2012 Benghazi attacks accused the Obama administration of lethal mistakes, but produced no new evidence pointing to wrongdoing by the former secretary of state.

Not likely, especially in an election year with Clinton's presidential rival — Donald Trump — lashing out.

An 800-page report by a special House committee makes no direct accusations of wrongdoing by Clinton, who was secretary of state during the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks that killed four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens.

Still, Republicans point to Benghazi as a major failure by the administration and by Clinton during her tenure leading the State Department. The issue is likely to shadow Clinton as she continues her bid for president.

"Four Americans died, yet no one has been fired. No one even missed a paycheck," said Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "Americans — including all our men and women serving overseas — deserve better."

Clinton, now the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, said the report by Republicans on the House Benghazi Committee took more than two years and $7 million but "found nothing to contradict" the findings of earlier investigations.

"I think it's pretty clear it's time to move on," Clinton said Tuesday.

Republicans were not ready to let the issue go, especially with an election that will decide who occupies the White House and which party will control the House and Senate. The Benghazi panel has scheduled a July 8 meeting to formally adopt the report — 10 days before the Republican National Convention begins in Cleveland.

Sen. Kelly Ayotte, a New Hampshire Republican facing a tough re-election race, said the administration "ignored a deteriorating security situation" in Benghazi, "and the State Department disregarded repeated requests for increased security."

Trump said on Twitter that "Benghazi is just another Hillary Clinton failure. It just never seems to work the way it's supposed to with Clinton."

Meanwhile, Stevens' sister said she does not blame Clinton for her brother's death.

Dr. Anne Stevens, chief of pediatric rheumatology at Seattle Children's Hospital, told the New Yorker magazine that in hindsight, it's clear the Benghazi facility "was not sufficiently protected by the State Department and the Defense Department."

But Stevens added, "I do not blame Hillary Clinton or (former Defense Secretary) Leon Panetta. They were balancing security efforts at embassies and missions around the world. And their staffs were doing their best to provide what they could with the resources they had. ... Perhaps if Congress had provided a budget to increase security for all missions around the world, then some of the requests for more security in Libya would have been granted."

Even after issuing the report, the committee's work is not over. The panel interviewed a witness Wednesday who posted on Facebook that he was a crew chief at an air base in Italy on the night of the attacks. A committee spokesman said a transcript of the 2 ½-hour interview will be posted on the panel's website. Information from the interview might be added to the report.

Democrats called the interview ridiculous.

"Republicans are addicted to Benghazi and to exploiting this tragedy for political reasons," said Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the committee's senior Democrat.

The Libya attacks have been political fodder from the start, given their timing in the weeks before President Barack Obama's re-election, and that has not abated despite seven previous congressional investigations. There has been finger-pointing on both sides over security at the diplomatic outpost and whether Clinton and the White House initially tried to portray the assault as a protest over an offensive, anti-Muslim video, instead of a calculated terrorist attack.

The prolonged investigation into the attacks has also been marked by partisan sniping.

Republican insistence that the investigation was not politically motivated was undermined last year when House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., suggested that the committee could take credit for Clinton's then-slumping poll numbers.

The committee interviewed more than 100 witnesses and reviewed some 75,000 pages of documents, but an almost accidental discovery by the panel last year has shadowed Clinton's candidacy. The committee disclosed that she had used a private email server to conduct government business while serving as secretary of state, a practice that has drawn widespread scrutiny, including an FBI investigation.

The GOP report severely criticizes the military, CIA and administration officials for their response as the attacks unfolded, and their subsequent explanations to the American people.


-- (c) Associated Press 2016-06-30

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

maybe the republicans should look at themselves for starting all their illegal wars for oil. Why didn't they invade Saudi after 9/11 instead of Iraq?

9/11 happened on their watch, why isn't there still more focus on that?

Pre election witch hunt BS.

[Buzzz]

Reinforcements Were Scrambled To Aid The Diplomatic Post ... A six-member quick-reaction team and 60 Libyan militiamen in Benghazi responded to the initial distress calls from the diplomatic post, and reinforcements from the embassy in Tripoli arrived the same night, before the second round of attacks on the CIA annex. In fact, one of the four Americans who were killed that night, Glen Doherty, was part of the rescue effort.

Additional special operations teams were ordered to deploy from Croatia and the United States, but did not arrive in Libya until long after the attack had concluded. Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates has accused critics who believe more U.S. forces should have responded of having a "cartoonish impression of military capabilities."

... But Fox News Aired 134 Segments Suggesting That No Forces Were Sent To Benghazi During The Attack.

Fox has frequently claimed that no assistance was deployed during the attacks, with contributors even going so far as to suggest that Obama "sacrificed Americans" as a "political calculation." Hannity led once more, with 42 segments. Special Report, On the Record, The Five, and The O'Reilly Factor followed with 33, 24, 19, and 16 segments, respectively.

[Pinot]

Sad to see the investigation end. It was the last hope Republicans had of trying to paint the nonsense conspiracy bullshit on to HRC.

Now what?

Five months of trying to prop up Cheeto Jesus as a legitimate Presidential candidate. Good luck with that.

Madam President. Get use to it boys. Adam Silver released his up to date chances for the election: HRC 79%, Trump 20%.

[Chicog]

Sad to see the investigation end.

Don't put it past the twerps to try and start Number Nine!

[elgordo38]

Trial by hateful opposition politicians that is the level that congress has sunk to. They also turn down all of Obama's nominees for the Supreme Court so they can elect their own stooge to do away with abortion rights and envoke their right wing agenda. They do not give a Rat's A about the voter you the people that voted them scumbags into office. Election time is the only time they want to hear your opinion. They have no proof of any wrong doing but because it is an election year they want to flog this dead horse as long as possible. If they really want to do something important arrest that war criminal George Bush and put him on trial for the deaths of millions of people in his phony war now there would be a magnificent achievement. The Republican's are on a hate mission and wish to destroy the Democratic party plain and simple. Beware the Krakon cometh.

[Srikcir]

no one has been fired. No one even missed a paycheck

Including the Republican Congressmen who under-budgeted the State Department and forced it to balance security needs at US embassies and missions around the world. Regardless of funding, it wasn't a security failure that led to Chris Stevens' death in the mission safe room but from smoke inhilation caused by a design flaw in the room ventilation system. The attackers otherwsie never breached the room. Special Agent Strickland who was in the room with Stevens did escape from the room.

[ilostmypassword]

If you want to locate the motherlode of all the lunacy about Benghazi read the entire article

Benghazi conspiracy theorists turn on Trey Gowdy

A day after the House Benghazi committee released a final report that left Hillary Clinton relatively unscathed, conservative activists — the conspiracy-minded ones who pressured House leaders to appoint the committee in the first place — rounded on Chairman Trey Gowdy for failing to deliver the goods.

... then-House Speaker John Boehner named the Benghazi committee because activists were dissatisfied that seven previous congressional investigations had failed to uncover major scandal material. Now an eighth has produced more of the same — and the agitators are as agitated as ever.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/benghazi-conspiracy-theorists-turn-on-trey-gowdy/2016/06/29/7c513ed4-3e44-11e6-80bc-d06711fd2125_story.html

[NovaBlue05]

maybe the republicans should look at themselves for starting all their illegal wars for oil. Why didn't they invade Saudi after 9/11 instead of Iraq?

9/11 happened on their watch, why isn't there still more focus on that?

.."

Aided and abetted by half the Democrats including the presumptive POTUS nominee. There weren't too many innocents in that fiasco

[ozyjon]

EPA EPA EPA

This is a subliminal message to get inside your brain, move on now.

[JAG]

You can see how it will pan out can't you.

Mrs Clinton is elected President. Instead of the nonsense about birth certificates we had last time, those Republicans, who cannot accept that their candidate got fewer votes (again) will start banging on and on and on about Benghazi.

What they don't understand is that virtually no-one who doesn't live in a fortified log cabin and sleep with an assault rifle in their bed will take any notice of them...

Edited June 30, 2016 by JAG

[Boon Mee]

Widow Of Benghazi Victim: No One Has "The Right To Tell Me It's Time To Move On"

Why were the troops who could have rescued the Ambassador and his men told to stand down, eh?

[Buzzz]

Widow Of Benghazi Victim: No One Has "The Right To Tell Me It's Time To Move On"

Why were the troops who could have rescued the Ambassador and his men told to stand down, eh?

A 66 man force was on the ground and mowed down 100 terrorists. One of the rescue team is in fact one of the 4 US fatalities.

Defense Secretary Gates said the quik reaction forces could not be mustered in time and said people like you are misinformed & have a cartoonish view of the military.

[MaxYakov]

maybe the republicans should look at themselves for starting all their illegal wars for oil. Why didn't they invade Saudi after 9/11 instead of Iraq?

9/11 happened on their watch, why isn't there still more focus on that?

Pre election witch hunt BS.

Afghanistan was invaded on October 7, 2001 in response to 9/11, not Iraq.

Try to keep up, huh?

If you want to reopen the investigation of 9/11 or the invasion of Iraq, good luck with that!

The US forces are still fighting in Afghanistan even after a so-called formal end to combat.

Maybe this situation should be investigated, since it's ongoing.

Edited July 7, 2016 by MaxYakov

[Andaman Al]

"Four Americans died, yet no one has been fired. No one even missed a paycheck," said Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "Americans — including all our men and women serving overseas — deserve better."

Apply the same standard to 9/11, Iraq and Afghanistan please.

What we have here are a group of people sooooo desperate they embarrass themselves and their nation in front of the rest of the world. The problem the Republicans are now facing is that they know that in the next 5 months they are going to have to address political issues in order to win the Presidential election as they cannot sink Hillary with conspiracy theory, and they KNOW that means the Donald is going to take a complete beating. Putting Trump on stage in a political debate with Clinton will be like putting a 15 year old in the ring with Mike Tyson when he is in a really grumpy mood. It's showtime !!!! I just cannot wait ! The other absurd thing that comes out of this is that the USA tries to bring 'democracy' to other nations in the world that do not have it !!! Oh my God! Why would the rest of the world want such a shambolic and corrupt system to replace whatever they have. In the UK even votes dont matter now and in the US the justice system has failed, both cases because the loser will not accept the democratic process when it does not end in their favour!

[Andaman Al]

maybe the republicans should look at themselves for starting all their illegal wars for oil. Why didn't they invade Saudi after 9/11 instead of Iraq?

9/11 happened on their watch, why isn't there still more focus on that?

Pre election witch hunt BS.

Afghanistan was invaded on October 7, 2001 in response to 9/11, not Iraq.

Try to keep up, huh?

If you want to reopen the investigation of 9/11 or the invasion of Iraq, good luck with that!

The US forces are still fighting in Afghanistan even after a so-called formal end to combat.

Maybe this situation should be investigated, since it's ongoing.

My how your history is clouded already.

The US are still in Afghanistan because they cannot pull out due to the utter balls up they have created. Despite all the lessons from the last 2000 years when not ONE occupying force has EVER been successful in Afghanistan, the US and Brits went in as if they were different and it would be a piece of cake. The US have ended formal combat, they are there in a training capacity as the national military are completely unable to cope with the crock of s*** the country has been left in.

Lets get this straight, because this is still ongoing your rationale is investigate Obama for Afghanistan and not the lying baboon and his crooked administration that started it? There is only one word that can be used to describe any Republican in 2016 - Desperate.

[Rancid]

maybe the republicans should look at themselves for starting all their illegal wars for oil. Why didn't they invade Saudi after 9/11 instead of Iraq?

9/11 happened on their watch, why isn't there still more focus on that?

Pre election witch hunt BS.

Those are good points, but as former prosecutor (and Clinton supporter) Chuck Hobbs puts it:

But the fact that no prosecution is pending this day is so not because Clinton was right or has been vindicated, but because the Washington elites in both major political parties protect their own. Generally, I am not prone to conspiracy theories, but I do not find it coincidental that last week, former President Bill Clinton just happened to force a meeting with Attorney General Loretta Lynch — in private — on an airport tarmac in Arizona only days before Lynch’s employee, James Comey, announces his recommendation that no charges should be pursued. Or that on the same day that Comey announces his decision, that his big boss — President Obama — just happens to be campaigning with Clinton in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Fact is the wealthy and politically connected live under different laws, its not a left or right thing, if it had been a republican they would have sailed through as well. The aristocracy and their privileges never went away, just a different group took their place...

[NickJ]

There is no Moving On from Benghazi....Shiiit happened and it doesnt matter. It should not be politics and budget that promotes policy or security.....They should be matter of fact. People need to know there is back up if needed and it will come no matter regards to face or elections or trying to keep a false peace.....

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

maybe the republicans should look at themselves for starting all their illegal wars for oil. Why didn't they invade Saudi after 9/11 instead of Iraq?

9/11 happened on their watch, why isn't there still more focus on that?

.."

Aided and abetted by half the Democrats including the presumptive POTUS nominee. There weren't too many innocents in that fiasco

The dems actually voted to give the president more power not to specifically invade Iraq, get your facts straight.

[Andaman Al]

There is no Moving On from Benghazi....Shiiit happened and it doesnt matter. It should not be politics and budget that promotes policy or security.....They should be matter of fact. People need to know there is back up if needed and it will come no matter regards to face or elections or trying to keep a false peace.....

And this is exactly the type of post that is made on a subject when one has never been bothered to inform yourself of the reality of the situation. Back up was there, back up came. You are believing the Fox disinformation channel. Funny how the back up that 'never arrived' managed to kill 100 of the attackers. For the Republicans, removing HRC from the presidential race, using Benghazi and emails as an excuse has become an obsession. So much so they would no longer know or accept the truth if it slapped them in the face. The reason the Republicans are following this strategy is they know that it is impossible to beat HRC in a proper political debate/contest. Over the next 4-5 months we will not hear Trump talk about Health, Jobs, Foreign policy, Internal Security he and all the Republican TV adverts will be talking 'Benghazi, emails' that will be it.

AND................If it is so difficult to move on from Benghazi, how can any true patriot even contemplate moving on from 9/11 and Iraq???

Edited July 7, 2016 by Andaman Al

[Skywalker69]

Republicans Rocked By Report Detailing GOP Lies And Abuses During Benghazi Investigation

 

House Republicans were dealt a severe blow by a 339-page report from the Democrats on the Benghazi Select Committee who not only provided the evidence that Republicans have hidden but also detailed the Republican abuses and lies throughout the investigation.

 

http://www.politicususa.com/2016/06/27/republicans-rocked-report-detailing-gop-lies-abuses-benghazi-investigation.html

[boomerangutang]

On 7/7/2016 at 3:11 PM, NickJ said:

There is no Moving On from Benghazi....Shiiit happened and it doesnt matter. It should not be politics and budget that promotes policy or security.....They should be matter of fact. People need to know there is back up if needed and it will come no matter regards to face or elections or trying to keep a false peace.....

                                 There have been dozens of investigative panels on Banghazi, and none have found any remotely criminal activity on the part of HRC or the US State Dept personnel.  

 

                                I read a lengthy and detailed report by a Brit who was the first journalist on the scene, while smoke was still in the air.   I doubt any Republican has read that report. Based mostly on interviews with local witnesses, and US personnel in Tripoli, it detailed what happened, and there was no reason to believe HRC did anything wrong.  If any fingers need to be pointed (other than at the attackers themselves), they could be pointed at the US security troops in Tripoli at the time.  When a combat situation arises, decisions should be made by military brass closest to the action.  

 

                    If Republicans want to blame top echelon leaders for military disasters which happened thousands of miles from Wash DC, then perhaps they should open an investigation to blame then-prez Ron Reagan for the bombing deaths of dozens of US marines in Beirut, on his watch.    

[Skywalker69]

48 minutes ago, boomerangutang said:

                                 There have been dozens of investigative panels on Banghazi, and none have found any remotely criminal activity on the part of HRC or the US State Dept personnel.  

 

                                I read a lengthy and detailed report by a Brit who was the first journalist on the scene, while smoke was still in the air.   I doubt any Republican has read that report. Based mostly on interviews with local witnesses, and US personnel in Tripoli, it detailed what happened, and there was no reason to believe HRC did anything wrong.  If any fingers need to be pointed (other than at the attackers themselves), they could be pointed at the US security troops in Tripoli at the time.  When a combat situation arises, decisions should be made by military brass closest to the action.  

 

                    If Republicans want to blame top echelon leaders for military disasters which happened thousands of miles from Wash DC, then perhaps they should open an investigation to blame then-prez Ron Reagan for the bombing deaths of dozens of US marines in Beirut, on his watch.    

Benghazi attack followed deep cuts in State Department security budget

 

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/sep/27/benghazi-attack-followed-deep-cuts-in-state-depart/

[Skywalker69]

Republicans Rocked By Report Detailing GOP Lies And Abuses During Benghazi Investigation

 

House Republicans were dealt a severe blow by a 339-page report from the Democrats on the Benghazi Select Committee who not only provided the evidence that Republicans have hidden but also detailed the Republican abuses and lies throughout the investigation.

 

http://www.politicususa.com/2016/06/27/republicans-rocked-report-detailing-gop-lies-abuses-benghazi-investigation.html

[metisdead]

Off topic posts have been removed.