“At this point in time it does not appear that there was an intelligence failure.” So says Susan Phalen, spokeswoman for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers (R., Mich.). This is bad news for the Obama administration. Why? Their story must be either
A. A video made them do it.
or
B. There was an intelligence failure. It was their fault, no blame lies with the White House.
I mentioned last week on the show that the Benghazi attack had the potential to become a fast-moving and dangerous scandal for Obama. Congressional hearings on the attack are scheduled for Oct. 10. Susan Rice has already been shoved under the bus to protect Obama’s reelection narrative. It’s doubtful our spy agencies will volunteer to be become more White House road kill. Think about it: The country finds out the White house ignored actionable intelligence and 4 people were subsequently murdered. This is revealed in the days leading up to a foreign policy debate with Romney.
The Benghazi story is worth watching closely.
From your lips to….
Here’s the link to an interesting read:
http://freebeacon.com/revolt-of-the-spooks/
Same link as yours in the post – didn’t follow it. Sorry bout that…
This article is a few days old, but it is very much worth reading.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/sep/27/benghazi-attack-followed-deep-cuts-in-state-depart/
Benghazi attack followed deep cuts in State Department’s budget
[quote]Investigators looking for lessons from the fatal terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi might want to start on Capitol Hill, where Congress slashed spending on diplomatic security and U.S. embassy construction over the past two years.
Since 2010, Congress cut $296 million from the State Department’s spending request for embassy security and construction, with additional cuts in other State Department security accounts, according to an analysis by a former appropriations committee staffer.
Rep. Michael Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, made clear Wednesday that congressional staff will be looking into the attack, in addition to a probe by the State Department’s inspector general and another State Department investigation required by federal law.
The cuts to the embassy construction, security and maintenance budget was almost 10 percent of the entire appropriation for that account over those two years, said Scott Lilly, now a scholar at the left-leaning Center for American Progress.
“Anytime we cut that account back, we are putting people’s lives at risk, people who are serving the country” in dangerous places abroad, said Mr. Lilly.
The cuts mean that “a lot of places you’d intended to secure better, you don’t reach” this year, he added.[/quote]
It goes on. That was just the beginning of the article.
Fact of the matter is that our government has no $, and we actually have to cut across the board and yes, that includes the state department and security/construction. But, it’s up to the State dept. to make smart decisions about those cuts. We don’t need the same level of security at our Paris or Tokyo embassies. And, frankly – we should be selling those ornate relics and moving the embassies to areas/buildings we can afford. And, in friendly countries, we should rely mostly on local police security so that we can move those resources to high-risk areas, like places where Islamic extremists are taking over the governments.
Run_dmc, In a world without transportation, I would say Paris and Tokyo might be safer than other areas of the world. However, anyone who is unaware of the high representation of people from Northern Africa in Western Europe (especially France) has not been there in long time (or ever). Middle Easterners are all over Europe in large numbers and are causing tension over both legal and illegal immigration and controversies about imported workers. It is why France is passing laws about wearing headscarves. Plus anyone can get to a hub like Paris in a matter of hours by Easyjet or train. Tokyo is similarly close to centers of terrorist activity in the East. I saw demonstrations related to the 9/11 video at the Brandenburg gate Embassies in Berlin. There is no reason why Paris or Tokyo would be immune or can be neglected in a security budget. Wherever you neglect to secure will be the focus of attacks because there is a greater chance of them succeeding there. These are global organizations, not local.
Sally – no one is “immune” to violence or terrorism. I’m not stupid. I understand that. But, you didn’t read my comment. I said, specifcally, not that we should eliminate security for our embassies in countries like France and Japan, but that WE SHOULD RELY ON THEIR OWN COUNTRY-BASED SECURITY to protect our embassies, like many embassies do in the countries where they have embassies around the world. We don’t have the $ to have our OWN security in every country in the world, and we don’t need to particularly when the vast majority of countries actually believe it is their responsibility to protect their foreign embassies. The French, Japanese, etc understand the Islamic terrorist threat as much if not more than we do and can adapt accordingly.
Also, Who do you think pays for security for the Frency, British, Japanese, Saudi, etc. etc. embassies in Washington? We do – they can pay for ours.
That makes us hostage to their idea of security. I don’t think that’s a good idea. France &Japan are not the targets we are so they can be more trusting of our protection. I don’t think you are stupid but I also don’t agree.
Hmm – so where would you cut our budget – i think overbloated State dept spending in places like France, Germany, Japan is a great start? And, if you say Defense, you belie your own argument.
Well well… i asked every caller on the show this week if the debate was a game changer. They all seemed to think it was…my callers are are very smart…
http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2012/oct/6/new-polls-shows-romney-overtake-obama-colorado-nat/
I also always believed that the “polls” would be much more “reality-based” closer to the election as they don’t really want to be completely wrong right before the election. I don’t know if this particular poll always had a more reflective sampling of the electorate, but it’s telling that versus the major oversampling of Democrats in most other polls in the last weeks – - – -
“The political party affiliation of the survey’s sample was about 32 percent Republican, 28 percent Democrat and 40 percent “other.”
also when the New Yorker turns on Obama with a mocking cover…well… things have…hmmm…evolved…
http://ricochet.com/main-feed/The-Shield-Cracks
That New Yorker cover is EXACTLY how I’ve felt about O all along.
Getting the Left excited now about voting for barry will be as difficult as Giancarlo Giannini’s character in SEVEN BEAUTIES getting it up for the camp commandant.
How will this Administration deal with the trail of requests for more security at Benghazi, and the reporting of at least eleven ‘dangerous incidents’ in the weekss before the attack ?
Allow me to answer my own question; they won’t deal with it at all, it seems there is no Official in the O gang that has the least objection to lying their ass off, sorry, Hillary included, not that any committee would dare even ask her the questions..
Besides, the base can’t find Libya on a map, and doesn’t care to try.
Pray for low turnout of low information voters, folks.
John – on a completely non-serious note, Finlay and Smart look a lot like a famous football player and that yummy Paul Rudd in the picture right below. Sign me up!
Another anecdotal observation from Northern Cal. I lived in Menlo Park and Palo Alto from 89-92 and so come back frequently to see friends. I was here in 2008 and Obama/Biden signs were everywhere. (Although, funnily enough, once you drove south past Mountain View into Los Altos, they disappeared. Not like there were McCain/Palin signs there, but the O/B signs weren’t there)
Driving through my former neighborhoods this past weekend, there were lawn signs everywhere – for city council and for a community park resolution. Not one single sign for Obama/Biden. Not. One. No bumper stickers either. (Which actually is the same in Seattle; people seem to have scraped them off their Priuses and Subarus)
CA is not going Republican. That I know, but the lack of enthusiasm for this administration is palpable everywhere I go.
SImilar note from here in LA yesterday.
There’s a corner near my house where people tend to stand with signs to wave at traffic on the weekends. ALL of them were in support of local politicians…. not a single Obama sign to be found.
Is schadenfreude fattening?
Jay – Hah.
This is just a guess, but I think that Obama signs are generally not available for pickup at local Dem headquarters like signs for local and state candidates. OFA wants your information before they give you a damn thing, so most likely you have to donate online or to an OFA robot to get a sign or sticker. The Dem HQs I’ve seen here in western NC don’t even have Obama signs in their windows. That’s gotta be because they don’t have any and never did have any. The Obama organization considers itself to be vastly superior and apart from “regular” democrats, so why would they want their exalted merchandise coming out of those low-class store fronts?
I have seen several ’08 Obama signs, which I think supports my theory. People who want to put up a sign are having to dig in their closets for them. The only bumper stickers I’ve seen are the “2012″ ones with the Obama logo as the zero (how appropriate!). Those were sent to donors beginning early in the year. It is possible that we may see a strategic dump of new Obama signs in key states in the coming weeks, but they just don’t exist at the moment.
On the other hand, I saw a significant number of Romney signs go up on roadsides and in yards after last week’s debate.
The site was suppose to be somewhat undercover , in that the size and the number of people working there,( which this attack exposed, ) was a big shock to the Libyans themselves . How can you have big security and secrecy ? This is one of our biggest problems with our actual policies over there as apposed to the lies we tell about our role. Our Ambassador and the others died by accident . When this crowd wants you dead , it’s not by smoke inhalation.
I’m thinking a gold payment was late and our employees got restless and so attacked ….The attack came from the very people we hired to take down Libya and are now employed in Syria and increasingly Lebanon … The attack was carried out with weapons we supplied them. These are the same the folks we just gave 45 million to…They are are our foreign legion so to speak….If there’s trouble abrewing for this huge cock up,within our criminal enterprise of hiring terrorist groups to do our bidding, they will hang it on Hill of course . You don’t get to just leave a crime family.
But also if Obama is reinstalled, we’ll see him pilloried in the press at last for 4 years, making way for GOP return, that is if political norms are retained
Interesting, Paper Doll. Your theory rings true in many ways.
Love the quote from Katy Perry. Sky people indeed. Stick to singing sweetheart.
No. OMG doesn’t cover it.
OH
MY
GOD.
It gets worse….
http://www.katyperry.net/2012/04/10/katy-perry-obsessed-with-aliens-of-the-e-t-variety/
When the aliens come, I intend to collaborate with the occupation.
OT but hysterically funny: Hugo Chavez raps?!
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2012/10/07/Turnout-big-in-Venezuelan-election/UPI-77541349611982/#ixzz28fDuSeUd