One hundred seventy-six years ago, a hostile military force using heavy weapons laid siege to a foreign outpost populated by a small garrison of American soldier-citizens and indigenous civilians. In the months preceding the battle, the garrison’s acting commander, Colonel James Neill made repeated pleas of his government for additional men and supplies, insisting attack was imminent and he could not defend his position against so great an opposing force. His requests were denied. Instead, a token force eventually arrived to evacuate the garrison and destroy cannon and materiele deemed useful to the enemy. While so engaged, the relief force came under attack, an epic and heroic battle ensued; to the last man as legend has it.
Strategically, the battle carried little import to the outcome of the Texas Revolution, or the Mexican-American War that followed a decade later. But as a lightening rod to galvanize a nation, the Alamo knew no peer.
The parallel to events leading to the Consulate attack in Benghazi are noteworthy. Our government was forewarned of looming danger, the likelihood of attack, and yet withheld measures to secure the compound and protect its occupants – before, during, and even after the attack. The State Department’s Regional Security Officer, Eric Nordstrom, in the months preceding the assault, did his job in sounding the alarm that circumstances on the ground, post-Qaddafi, had become unstable; that local militia had become influenced by hostile, anti-American militants. He believed the compound a target. Ambassador Christopher Stevens concurred.
None of this sat well with the State Department and the administration it served. After all, Libya was a foreign policy success story: the US military (led? joined? followed?) a coalition of uncertain, benevolent, western allies; and with the approval of regional, moderate, despotic regimes, forcibly removed a dictator who had threatened reprisals against poorly-armed rebels seeking his ouster. That such a good cause could somehow deteriorate into a lawless environment lacking central governance, and instead empower a militia-state armed beyond reason, was an unsettling election-year narrative. Compounding the intervention’s outcome was the disconcerting realization that America’s sworn enemy, al-Qaeda linked terrorists, had now gained foothold within Libya (something Qaddafi’s regime actively prevented), infiltrated some militia, and/or established a fighting force of their own.
But the administration had assured the American electorate for more than a year that al-Qaeda was on the run; no longer capable of waging war on the US and its allies. They pointed to increased cross-border drone attacks that expanded America’s reach into several sovereign nations where al-Qaeda operatives sought refuge, effectively killing our enemies without extending ground troops into new theaters. Bin-Laden had been killed. America had been kept safe on Obama’s watch; the President deserved both credit and a second term for that. There were no terrorist attacks on America. That was the re-election narrative.
Except there were attacks on America. But Fort Hood was labeled workplace violence, and the Christmas bomber in Detroit and the Times Square bomber in New York were characterized as thwarted. But not really. The underwear bomb on the plane malfunctioned and the car bomb in New York was spotted by a passerby. Either case could have easily gone the other way. Neither Fort Hood, Detroit, nor New York were initially identified by the administration as a terror attack on our soil; the Fort Hood gunman was a “deeply disturbed individual”, and the underwear bomber was a “lone wolf” with no links to terrorist organizations, and the Times Square bomber was an “amateur acting alone”. When you consider that this administration is loathe to label attacks upon America by radical Muslim extremists for what they are, then one can see a history and better understand how a coordinated military assault by enemies believed vanquished, could be classified as a riot. That smugness, that dissembling of information, the ambiguity and the prevarication about all things terror group-related is deeply worrisome. Doubly so since the national media, despite a record of deceit from this administration, challenges so little that emanates from it, and either castigates or ridicules those who dare.
In the months leading up to the September 11th attack, the Consulate withstood two separate bombing attacks, and relayed through channels specific threats and plots directed against Western targets. Nordstrom’s requests for increasing security forces was denied. As was Nordstrom’s request to forestall a planned decrease in US security personnel. Some five weeks before the attack, Lt. Colonel Andrew Wood was ordered (over his objection) to withdraw his site security team leaving five Diplomatic Security agents and the Libyan 17th February Brigade, which at the time of the attack comprised three troops, to defend the compound. In fairness, permission was granted to augment the Libyan forces, although the means to do so remains unclear.
Back in 1836, and without on-the-ground Intel from sit-reps, emails, land-line communications, and video feeds, Sam Houston did at least send Colonel Travis and 30 men to the Alamo to do something constructive. The Obama administration would no doubt point to the demise of Travis’ expedition as demonstrative of exactly why it chose to stand down. But in the aftermath, this administration has yet to give a complete and rational accounting of the attack. The President, speaking from the Rose Garden on September 12th before heading to Las Vegas for a fund raiser, tells us he did indeed reference the attack on the Benghazi Consulate as a terrorist act. The context and ambiguity of his statement that day can be parsed by partisans to support or discredit his claim, but his spokesperson Jay Carney did not convey this message at any time in the days that followed. Carney’s best assessment, based on “what he knew”, was that the attack was a spontaneous mob action in response to a US-made anti-Islamist internet video. The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, seemingly went out of her way on a grand scale to publicly endorse the video-caused-it scenario, based on “everything we now know”, five days after we surely knew differently. The President made no further mention of a terrorist act following the Rose Garden allusion. He did reference the video, still being cited by Carney, six times during his UN speech two weeks after they knew better, but did not label it a terrorist attack against America in front of the world body. A month later, on the Letterman Show, he did acknowledge terrorists leveraged the tumult over the video to stage their attack.
It took more than a month for us to learn that they knew plenty more; and knew at the time they said they didn’t know. We now know there was live-time video feeds of the attack streaming into the White House Situation Room, the State Department, CIA headquarters, and the Pentagon. We now know situation reports were conveyed via email to over 400 recipients throughout the tentacles of government that night detailing a coordinated assault by an organized military force. Yet absent vocal demonstrators and anti-American banners, slogans and flag-burning, this administration chose to label the event a likely mob action that got out of control, perhaps hijacked by armed militants. Based on what, exactly?
In an ill-timed, and at best under-informed statement, Presidential candidate Mitt Romney took umbrage at what he characterized as an apologetic tone by the administration, but presciently cast doubt that a spontaneous mob could pack such firepower. The President’s surrogates immediately assailed Romney’s statement as political opportunism, shamelessly exploiting a national tragedy, and Romney’s camp (sadly) stepped back. Such is the power and predilection of the national media to chase the wrong story.
Eventually, in a magnanimous gesture reminiscent of Janet Reno’s taking responsibility for Waco, Hillary Clinton, on the eve of a hastily-called House Congressional Investigation, stepped forward to take responsibility for the Consulate’s vulnerability and the loss of life. Not, however, for the wrong-headed foreign policy that saw this administration funnel arms to suspect end-users, or the folly to militarily depose a regime that practiced a non-hostile disposition toward US interests in the past decade. All done in the hopes of currying favor in the Mideast and North Africa, and in no small part, to protect Western Europe’s vital oil interests. No, the Secretary of State stated she now knew this to be a terrorist act and had concluded such for some time, even as the administration clung to an alternate reality. When and how and through whom this realization crystallized for her, she did not say.
Once Ms. Clinton laid that marker down, the administration stumbled into line, discounting the internet video and blaming terrorist organizations within the al-Qaeda umbrella. When questions persisted on how they could get it so wrong, reach such unfounded and unsupported conclusions, senior officials pointed to the “fog of war” and the uncertainties of a situation in flux. Vice President Joe Biden told the American people during the vice presidential debate that the administration had simply gotten bad intelligence. No they didn’t. The intelligence they had was gleaned from live video in real time in constant communication with those dying on the ground. His opponent, Paul Ryan, might have pointed out as much. No knock on Ryan; Romney inexplicably failed to take the President to task over Benghazi a week later. To this day Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says that the military lacked sufficient information, and that putting forces at risk was too dangerous. Criticism of that assessment he labels as Monday-morning quarterbacking. CIA Director David Petraeus’s low profile remains a curiosity, weeks after the Vice President laid blame at his Langley doorstep.
Where this “bump in the road” shall lead is difficult to tell. That as new reports emerge that clarify presidential and cabinet-level complicity in a cover-up, or illustrate massive chain-of-command ineptitude, or simply point to more failures of intelligence, will the electorate hold the administration accountable? Will the families of the dead press, and press loud enough, for answers? Will the survivors (surely there had to be some, but who they are and where they are remains unasked) speak out and tell their side? The administration promises those responsible will be held accountable; a sentiment perhaps expressed absent self-reflection. But to date, only the “filmmaker” has been jailed.
And what of the heroes? Of Stevens and Smith, dead at their posts. Of Doherty and Woods, defiant of orders and yet morally compelled to rescue comrades under fire. Dauntlessly they, and their tiny contingent of outgunned (and unknown) American warriors of the highest caliber, repelled the assault – some reports saying in excess of four hours – on the Annex compound. Their living legacy is manifested in the thirty lives they saved that night. Will school children a generation from now know their names, read of their bravery, the way we learned of Crockett and Bowie and Travis?
Is there anyone in this administration that will draw strength from their courage and their sacrifice to stand up and set the record straight, for the good of the nation?
What of the President’s legacy in this? Does he get another “bye” this time?
Where in God’s name is the outrage?
Published November 10, 2012 . The Free-Lance Star, Fredericksburg, VA
When I initially commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a comment
is added I get three e-mails with the same
comment. Is there any way you can remove people from that service?
Thanks a lot!
My relatives always say that I am wasting my time hereat net, however I know I am getting experience daily byreading such fastidious posts.
Admiring the time and effort you put into your blog and
detailed information you present. It’s great to come across a blog
every once in a while that isn’t the same outdated rehashed information. Wonderful
read! I’ve saved your site and I’m adding your RSS feeds to
my Google account.
What’s Happening i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I havediscovered It positively useful and it has helped me out loads.I hope to give a contribution & aid other customers like its helped me.Good job.
I am sure this paragraph has touched all the internet viewers, its really really nice paragraph
on building up new webpage.
This article will help the internet visitors for creating new website or even a blog from start to end.
of course like your website but you have to take a look at the spelling on quite a few of your
posts. Many of them are rife with spelling issues and I to find it very troublesome to inform the truth however I will certainly come again again.
This is a topic that’s near to my heart…Cheers! Where are your contact details though?
Hola! I’ve been following your website for a while now andfinally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shoutout from Huffman Texas! Just wanted to say keep up the goodjob!
Hey there! Someone in my Facebook group shared this site with us so I came to take a look.
I’m definitely loving the information. I’m bookmarking
and will be tweeting this to my followers! Superb
blog and excellent design and style.
My spouse and I stumbled over here by a different website and thought Ishould check things out. I like what I see so now i’m following you.Look forward to going over your web page for a second time.
cloud seo
you are in point of fact a good webmaster. The web site loading pace is incredible.It sort of feels that you are doing any distinctive trick.Furthermore, The contents are masterwork. you have done a fantastic activity on this matter!
Does your website have a contact page? I’m having problems
locating it but, I’d like to send you an e-mail.
I’ve got some ideas for your blog you might be interested in hearing.
Either way, great website and I look forward to seeing it develop
over time.
you are in reality a good webmaster. The web site loading speed is incredible. It kind of feels that you are doing any unique trick. Moreover, The contents are masterpiece. you have done a magnificent activity on this topic!
This is very interesting, You’re a very skilled blogger.
I have joined your rss feed and look forward to seeking more of your wonderful post.
Also, I have shared your web site in my social networks!
Great post however , I was wondering if you could write a litte more on this
subject? I’d be very thankful if you could elaborate
a little bit more. Appreciate it!
Its like you read my mind! You appear to know so much about this, like youwrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do withsome pics to drive the message home a bit, but other than that,this is fantastic blog. A great read. I will certainlybe back.
Hey there, I think your blog might be having browser compatibility
issues. When I look at your website in Ie, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping.
I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that,
amazing blog!
Pretty! This has been an extremely wonderful article. Thanks for providing these details.
What i do not understood is actually how you are now not really much more
smartly-liked than you may be right now. You are so intelligent.
You already know therefore significantly with regards to this matter, produced me in my view
consider it from a lot of various angles. Its like women and men are not involved until it is something to do with Woman gaga!
Your own stuffs great. Always maintain it up!
I loved as much as you’ll receive carried out right here.
The sketch is attractive, your authored material stylish.
nonetheless, you command get got an edginess over that you wish be delivering the following.
unwell unquestionably come more formerly again since
exactly the same nearly a lot often inside case you
shield this increase.
Right here is the right webpage for anyone who wants to find out about this topic.You know so much its almost tough to argue with you (not that I personally would wantto…HaHa). You certainly put a fresh spin on a subject that’s been written about for years.Great stuff, just wonderful!
I am sure this paragraph has touched all the internet viewers,
its really really nice post on building up new weblog.
Superb blog you have here but I was curious about if you knew of any forums that cover
the same topics discussed in this article? I’d really like to be a part of community
where I can get comments from other knowledgeable individuals that share the same interest.
If you have any recommendations, please let me know. Thanks a lot!
I read this post fully on the topic of the resemblance of hottest and earliertechnologies, it’s awesome article.
I’m excited to uncover this site. I want to to thankyou for your time just for this wonderful read!! I definitely appreciated everypart of it and I have you book marked to check out new stuff in your site.
Heya just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know a few of the pictures aren’t loading correctly.I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue.I’ve tried it in two different browsers and both showthe same results.
Greate post. Keep posting such kind of info on your site.
Im really impressed by it.
Hey there, You’ve performed a fantastic job.
I will definitely digg it and individually suggest to my friends.
I’m sure they will be benefited from this site.
Hello, Neat post. There’s a problem with your site in web explorer, maytest this? IE still is the market chief and a big element of other folks will omit yourmagnificent writing due to this problem.
Hiya! Quick question that’s completely off topic. Doyou know how to make your site mobile friendly?My blog looks weird when viewing from my apple iphone. I’mtrying to find a theme or plugin that might be able to resolvethis issue. If you have any suggestions, please share.Thank you!
Hello, i feel that i saw you visited my blogso i got here to go back the favor?.I’m trying to find things to improvemy site!I guess its adequate to make use of a few of your ideas!!
I couldn’t refrain from commenting. Well written!
I always spent my half an hour to read this website’s content daily along with acup of coffee.
What’s up, the whole thing is going nicely here and ofcourse
every one is sharing information, that’s truly good, keep
up writing.
I all the time used to study piece of writing in news papers butnow as I am a user of net therefore from now I am using net for posts, thanks to web.
Wonderful goods from you, man. I’ve understand your stuff previous to and you’re just extremely excellent.I really like what you’ve acquired here, really like whatyou’re saying and the way in which you say it. You make it enjoyable and you still care for to keep it smart.I can not wait to read far more from you.This is really a terrific site.
Hi there! Quick question that’s totally off topic. Do you know
how to make your site mobile friendly? My website looks weird when viewing from my
iphone 4. I’m trying to find a theme or plugin that might be able
to correct this issue. If you have any recommendations, please
share. Thanks!
Heya! I know this is somewhat off-topic however I needed to ask.
Does operating a well-established blog such as yours take a lot
of work? I am completely new to operating a blog but I
do write in my diary everyday. I’d like to start a blog so I
can share my personal experience and views online.
Please let me know if you have any ideas or tips for new aspiring blog owners.
Appreciate it!
Hello there! This is my first visit to your blog! We are a team of volunteers
and starting a new initiative in a community in the same niche.
Your blog provided us valuable information to work on.
You have done a wonderful job!
It’s going to be end of mine day, but before end I am reading this impressive piece of writing to increase my experience.
I just couldn’t depart your website prior to suggesting that I extremely enjoyed the standard information an individual supply
to your guests? Is going to be back often in order
to check out new posts
Wow, marvelous blog layout! How long have you been blogging for?you made blogging look easy. The overall look of your siteis magnificent, let alone the content!
Right away I am ready to do my breakfast, afterward having my breakfast coming again to read more news.
I know this website provides quality dependent articles and extra information, is
there any other website which offers these stuff in quality?
It’s remarkable to pay a visit this site and reading the views of all friends about thispiece of writing, while I am also keen of getting knowledge.
I’m gone to inform my little brother, that he should also visit this web site on regular basis to obtain updated from most up-to-date gossip.
I am regular visitor, how are you everybody? This paragraph posted
at this site is in fact nice.
It is best to take part in a contest for among the best blogs on the web. I’ll advocate this site!
I don’t know whether it’s just me or if everyone else experiencingproblems with your site. It appears like some of the text in your posts are running off the screen. Can somebody else please comment and let meknow if this is happening to them too? This couldbe a issue with my browser because I’ve had this happen previously.Thanks
I like the valuable info you provide in your articles.
I will bookmark your weblog and check again here regularly.
I’m quite certain I will learn a lot of new stuff right here!
Best of luck for the next!
Hello! Would you mind if I share your blog with myfacebook group? There’s a lot of people that I think would reallyappreciate your content. Please let me know. Thanks
Hey there! I know this is kind of off-topic but I needed to
ask. Does running a well-established website such as yours take
a lot of work? I am brand new to running a
blog but I do write in my diary every day.
I’d like to start a blog so I can easily share my experience and thoughts online.
Please let me know if you have any kind of ideas or
tips for brand new aspiring blog owners. Appreciate it!
I am curious to find out what blog system youhave been working with? I’m experiencing someminor security issues with my latest site and I’d like to find somethingmore secure. Do you have any solutions?
I have been browsing online more than 3 hours today,
yet I never found any interesting article like yours.
It is pretty worth enough for me. Personally, if all webmasters and bloggers made good content as you did, the web will be a lot more
useful than ever before.
I have been exploring for a bit for any high-quality articles or blog posts on this sort of area . Exploring in Yahoo I at last stumbled upon this web site. Reading this info So i’m happy to convey that I have an incredibly good uncanny feeling I discovered just what I needed. I most certainly will make sure to do not forget this website and give it a glance regularly.
I am extremely impressed along with your writing talents and also with the layout on your blog. Is this a paid topic or did you modify it yourself? Anyway keep up the nice high quality writing, it is uncommon to peer a nice weblog like this one these days..
Thanks for this good idea.
Akrilik-Yün Cami Halıları
Thanks again for the blog article. Will read on…
very good website. I will visit regularly. thanks.
It is a very useful and helpful site. I will always follow here from now on, thanks, also the theme and site speed is excellent.
great content thanks a lot.
great content thanks a lot.
My sister won the race and won a gold medal.
I have never seen such beautiful subject before
I am going shopping right now someone She is looking at me interesting.
I love this site very much.
I am interested in reading, taking a walk,
My husband and I went to Amsterdam last summer. We both think it’s a wonderful city.
I’ve been using this site for a long time, thanks for everything.
Six years have passed since I resolved on my present undertaking. I can, even now, remember the hour from which I dedicated myself to this great enterprise. I commenced by inuring my dream to hardship. Thanks for your excellent site.
He was quiet for some time, then he spoke again. ”I can’t walk
While my husband and Mr. Henley were engaged in
While my husband and Mr. Henley were engaged in
Bayern Munich’s Mario Basler scored the first goal for his team
very useful information. It will also make your daily work much easier. Thanks to those who contributed to this information 🙂
While my husband and Mr. Henley were engaged in
While my husband and Mr. Henley were engaged in
While my husband and Mr. Henley were engaged in
While my husband and Mr. Henley were engaged in
Thanks for sharing superb informations. Your website is very cool. I’m impressed by the details that you have on this blog. It reveals how nicely you perceive this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for extra articles. You, my pal, ROCK! I found just the info I already searched everywhere and just couldn’t come across. What a great web site.
thanks for sharing. I will try.
Thank you very much to the creators. it will be very useful for me
thanks for everything. I hope it will be very useful. good information for newbies.
Great, thanks for sharing this article post.Much thanks again. Cool.
I didn’t fully read the description part, I think I have a problem
I’ve been looking for a long time, I believe I will see the benefit.
I was looking for exactly this, where do I download it?
nice and useful information but needs to be improved a bit more still looks nice
I cannot thank you enough for the post. Will read on…
do you have a source?
Good information. Lucky me I ran across your blog by accident (stumbleupon). I’ve book marked it for later.
thanks for everything. I hope it will be very useful. good information for newbies.
wow thanks. ım so happy
Very good article.Really thank you! Will read on…