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Subscribe to RSSSens. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, address the Senate Homeland Security Committee's 31-page report on the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi which criticizes U.S. intelligence sources and the State Department for not acting on a warning signs ahead of the incident.
A report released Monday by the Senate Homeland Security Committee lambasted the handling of security around the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, in September when a deadly attack took the lives of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.
In the months leading up to the Sept. 11 attack, there was a "rising crescendo" of evidence from U.S. intelligence sources and State Department personnel that the situation was becoming dangerous and unstable, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, one of the report's authors, said in a press conference on Monday.
"The tragedy is, however, that the reaction to the flashing red indicators was woefully inadequate," said Leiberman.
The 31-page report, "Flashing Red: A Special Report On The Terrorist Attack At Benghazi," paints a picture of a vulnerable outpost in Libya’s second-largest city, where it was clear that the new post-Gadhafi government was unable to provide full protection to diplomatic staff.
Sen. Susan Collins, the ranking Republican member, said the congressional investigation found that "terrorists essentially walked right into the Benghazi compound unimpeded and set it ablaze, due to extremely poor security in a threat environment."
Collins said the State Department failed to take adequate steps to reduce the facility's vulnerability to a terrorist attack of this kind.
"While the Department and the Intelligence Community lacked specific intelligence about this attack, the State Department should not have waited for — or expected —specific warnings before increasing its security in Benghazi, a city awash with weapons and violent extremists," she said.
Both of the senators said the U.S. facility should have been closed, given the absence of sufficient security.
Esam Omran al-Fetori / Reuters
The U.S. Consulate in Benghazi is seen in flames, Sept. 11. Armed gunmen attacked the compound, clashing with Libyan security forces before the latter withdrew as they came under heavy fire.
The report noted that as the security situation deteriorated in eastern Libya in 2012, "the Department of State did not provide enough security to address the increased threats and did not adequately support field requests for additional security."
The congressional report follows a separate investigation by the State Department Accountability Review Board (ARB), which blamed State Department officials for "systemic failures and leadership and management deficiencies" that led to "grossly inadequate" protection for the Benghazi facility. In response at the time, Deputy Secretary of State William Burns said the problems highlighted by the ARB were unacceptable, "problems for which — as Secretary (Hillary) Clinton has said — we take responsibility."
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in a hospital being treated for a blood clot, the result of a concussion suffered earlier in December. Collins said she hopes that after Clinton recovers, she will carefully review the congressional report and see if there are officials that "need to be held accountable."
Collins said that she did not see the tragedy as the fault of the Pentagon, but an indication that the Defense Department has insufficient assets to mount an effective response.
Among the report's recommendations:
- U.S. intelligence agencies need to "broaden and deepen their focus in Libya, and beyond, on nascent violent Islamist extremist groups in the region that lack strong operational ties to core al Qaeda or its main affiliate groups."
- If a host nation can’t provide adequate security for a diplomatic facility, "the Department of State must provide additional security measures of its own, urgently attempt to upgrade the host nation security forces, or decide to close a U.S. Diplomatic facility and remove U.S. personnel until appropriate steps can be taken to provide adequate security."
- The State Department needs to establish a "mandatory process" to determine what security standards are applicable to temporary facilities, such as the Benghazi consulate, to ensure that they are "adequately protected."
"Flashing Red" was the final joint investigation by Collins and Leiberman, who is slated to retire on Jan. 2.
'Inconsistent' statements from the administration
As for the controversy over what the administration knew about the attack — and when — the report said officials in the State Department and the intelligence community were "inconsistent" in stating that the deaths in Benghazi were the result of a terrorist attack.
The candidacy of Ambassador Susan Rice to the post of Secretary of State was scuppered after allegations by Republican lawmakers that she misled the public about the attacks during an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press on Sept. 16.
The administration said Rice, the current U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, was repeating talking points provided by the intelligence community when she initially characterized the Sept. 11 assault as a spur-of-the-moment response to a crude, anti-Muslim film.
In her interview, Rice said that "what happened in Benghazi was in fact initially a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired hours before in Cairo, almost a copycat of — of the demonstrations against our facility in Cairo, which were prompted, of course, by the video."
Independent panel: 'Systematic failures' within State Department
In a letter to President Obama on Dec. 13 withdrawing her candidacy for the top diplomatic post, Rice said she wanted to avoid a "very prolonged, very politicized, very distracting and very disruptive" confirmation process.
For its part, the congressional report said Director of National Intelligence James Clapper had offered to provide the committee with a detailed timeline regarding the development of the intelligence community's talking points on Benghazi. "At the time of writing this report, despite repeated requests, the committee had yet to receive this timeline," the report notes.
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Obama to the families of the four dead Americans: "Sorry, just got a little sloppy. But nobody's going to be held accountable. Certainly, not me." At that point, he is off again to his latest tee time.
This debacle SHOULD have kept Obama from winning a second term, but Republicans gave Obama a "pass", believing it would be "mean spirited" to press issue. But "fast and furious" should have been this Administrations "swan song" as well.
The election was handed to Romney on a "silver platter", there was enough evidence of a "cover-up" and LYING to the American public. The Obama campaign was behind the "video" smear, to cover for Obamas incompetent foreign policy.
It also highlighted Obamas out-right lack of interest in anything else except HIS re-election.
Having to put his campaign appearances on "hold", and being seen "smoozing" it up with the likes of Letterman and J Z, to deal with al Qaeda and the fact killing Bin Laden did nothing to stop the advance of terrorism in the Middle East, was unacceptable.
But the millions of "low information" voters, who VOTED for "Obama-claus", in reality didn't care about any of this anyways, whats a couple of dead people more or less, just as long as it didn't interrupt their entitlements promised by the left.
Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Panetta, and the rest of the "human garbage" running our country are nothing more than accomplices to the Benghazi slaughters as far as I'm concerned. They should all be behind bars for allowing such an atrocity to happen. As for Hillary NOW HAVING a blood clot, I'm sure the next "excuse" down the line to keep her from testifying will be selective amnesia. Only good thing about that excuse is that she will not be fit to become a Presidential candidate. After all, who wants a President that can't remember anything? Oh yeah, we already not only have that but a President who is so gutless he blames everybody else for his abysmal failures. Barack Obama is a total disgrace to the office of the Presidency.
No actually if Hillary can "milk" this "fall" until after she is no longer SOS, as a "private citizen" the only way she can be COMPELLED to testify, is by subpoena,
and Congress very unlikely to do that given the "fiscal cliff" and "impending "debt ceiling" debates.............and this "grandiose limp-dik" investigation(after the re-election)
will result in a couple of UNDER-LINGS falling on the sword for Barry.......and MOVE ON. .....
Obama and Democrats 1.......America and the families of those killed 0.....GAME OVER.
Accomplices to Benghazi murders,Federal border agent murder,murder of U.S. troops by Afgan gov. forces who hussien obami is giving millions in cash,millions in cash to libya, the step by step deliberate weakening of the USA,militarily,financially and economicaly. They are traitors and should be treated as such. GAME OVER SHOULD BE FOR THEM.
Again what we see on a lot of these posts is the desire to assign blame instead of solving problems, we think Congress is broken but what I see here is a reflection of our broken congress, guess if you want to blame govt then just look in the mirror for who is at fault.
Square..........the "problem" was we had a willing liberal media that REFUSED to cover any of this, until AFTER the election. The FACTS are.......there was an UNMANNED DRONE.......flying over the Consulate sending back LIVE VIDEO of the ATTACK.
The "live feed" was being beamed back to the "situation room" AT the White House (the same "situation room" made famous, during the Bin Laden compound raid).....
remember Barry's "photo-op" intently watching Bin Laden raid in his "flight jacket"(cause Obama wears one all the time,right?), with Hillary and Jarrett admiringly looking at Barry breathlessly waiting for him to give the order to "take the shot".
There was NO MISS-INFORMATION here, there was NO underlings responsible for not giving Obama, Hillary, or Rice BAD INFO.
This WAS a simple campaign "cover up" because it was decided that it might be DAMAGING to Obamas re-election.......if there was an attack by al Qaeda on 9/11.....
because Obama and the Democrats had been "spiking the ball" over Bin Ladens death......CLAIMING Obama had, because of Bin Ladens death......TAKEN OUT....al Qaeda.
YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR...........if you voted to re-elect our Liar-In-Chief.
Reading your post M just reinforces my opinion that folks dont care about the problem all they want to do is assign blame, peoples hate for certain political parties blinds them that there is a cliff just ahead of all of us and solutions are much more important than stabbing the other party in their back.
And reading YOURS "re-enforces" my belief that you and all those like you, are willing participants(sheeple, lemmings, ect.) being PLAYED by lame stream media.
You literally are completely and blissfully UNAWARE that since Obama was first elected, the MEDIA has had a NON-STOP frenzy of "one crisis to the next" campaign to DEFLECT public awareness over the BLATANT CORRUPTION of this Administration.
You and everyone else are participation in "slight of hand" and "shell game" politics, as you are being fooled into watching one thing, while your pocket is being picked......fools the lot of you.
I mean just look at YOUR post. I just got through explaining to you that the Obama campaign KNOWINGLY, with the help of liberal media, covered up the Benghazi attack, and ON CUE as if you were READING a SCRIPT........ YOU BLAME THE REPUBLICAN CONGRESS.....and give Barry a PASS......sheeple.
M you blame so called liberal media for all these problems yet I do wonder if you blame them because they dont reflect your own biased attitude. Media is supposed to take a balanced approach to the news and thats not a popular position today, extremists hate any balanced approach which I guess defines a few of these posts.
The media is supposed to report the news truthfully no matter how damaging it may be to a president or his campaign, The media is not supposed to edit tapes to make a person seem like he is making a racist comment like they did in the Zimmerman/Martin case, Media is supposed to be fair and impartial to any candidate or elected official and not take sides, You can not sit there and honestly tell anyone that any of the media has done that.
There is no honest media anymore, Just paid political hacks following their party agenda and MSNBC and NBC are the absolute worst.
Lost, what is the true changes from person to person, todays truth has been so twisted by extremists that their followers will believe that the sun comes up in the west if the extremists tell their followers its does. Being balanced when media approaches a story isnt appreciated anymore since each side claims biases because it doesn't follow their own story line.
wrong, The truth is always the truth, Some may try to twist facts so that it hides responsibility but in the end the truth is always the truth.
Who cares? As the President says all these peoples lives and deaths on his little head is just a "huge problem" for him. Poor baby. And he also said those darn school shootings really made "him" feel bad. Awwww... Poor wittle Presy was upset and thats all that matters.
why is anyone surprised?
this is the way it is done: make a political mess by electing a non-american who didn't have the experience to pour pee from a boot (but he could speak well)
let him simply do whatever he wants because he is black and he can speak well
watch him persue the total ruination of the contry (but it's okay cause he talks ALOT and speaks well)
re-elect him because the "black man has been kept down for two hundred years" and this one talks well
watch him surround himself with people will to end their own political careers to take the flak the idiot generated by being a liar and totally inept (bengazi, susan rice, hillary, and more...)
and then act all surprised when your liberal ass wakes up one morning to discover that the country is a *UCked up as a soup sandwich and wonder what happened.....
I laugh at you A** *OLES that made this mess and I will continue to laugh as you just make more of a mess of it than it already is because you are simply not presidential material - you got the office because of your skin color, not in spite of it. I hope your constituants are proud of the multiple messes you have made out of this country
A quote from Debra Barone - "Idiot...."
Hey Jim, you have some cohones, juevos, whatever to speak your heart and mind! Too bad so many of the other posters do not. You have my vote Buddy!
The quacks are out in strength today, people who hate our political leaders today have only to look in the mirror to see who is at fault, we all voted in these fanatics, when gerrymandered districts vote in the crazies from both parties what do you expect? Good people no longer want to expose themselves to the toxic political landscape we have here so what do we have left is the kooks who take extreme positions and hire themselves out to the lobbyists, thats our fault, the voter.
Oh! Please! Get a grip!
The golfer in chief left the embassy people hung out to dry,just like he wants to leave OTHER people's kids hung out to dry in the gun free school zones.
Arrogant,elitist hypocrite.
Benghazi and 911.....instigated and propagated by elements of the Republican "Machine"...the Pentagon and the CIA.
The guys were just a speed bump in the path of Obama's glory. Who cares? Certainly not Democrats, or MSNBC, or US NEWS, or CBS, ABC, or CNN.
Why else release this story after the Odumbo's election and way before Hillarity runs, and on New Year's Eve, unless, to the publishers and thier sheep, it just doesn't really matter?
As I recall, the topic of Benghazi was discussed on the Vine before the election. Fox was discussing it 24/7, so don't say there was a cover-up. More people tune in to Fox than to any of the so-called liberal media, right? Accept the fact that the subject was in the open. If people didn't react to it the way you think they should have, that's not the fault of the administration. Rather ironic that people who hate Muslim-loving liberals should now be so concerned about Ambassador Stevens. Kind of makes you wonder if such people have suddenly become more generous . . . or if the ambassador's death is just one more stick to beat the president with.
The three State Department employees who resigned there positions were given different positions in the State Department. Three dead, including an ambassador, and no one is held accountable at all. Must be the Obama administration.
Those that "resigned" were given paid vacations until the media sweeps this thing completely under the rug. They'll all be back, probably with better pay or better titles. Can't be having pi$$ed off civil servants losing their jobs and writing books now can we?
Does the U.S. Congress actually think anybody cares what they have to say anymore? They're a political hatchet service working for the Tea Party. They are no longer a legislative body. What our Congress has to say should be posted on supermarket newstands along side the National Enquirer.
Thank god for the Tea Party or Obamba and Reid ,Pelosi and Company would have spent this country into oblivion...Oh wait, They have already done that, Obama walks on the bodies of victims from Fast and Furious, Benghazi and anyone else he can to climb over to maintain his presidency, Yes there are people who care what this bozo has done and we will do what ever is necessary to wrestle our country from the hands of those who would try to make it into a model of the failed European Socialist Countries.
sorry wrong post
And the same for any thing that POS Hairy "The Hole" Reid and Nancy "Pus Bag" Pelosi have to say. These two and any other crooked government officials,Republican or Demorat should be exiled to the most conservative Muslim country we can find. Then the only words we would have to hear from them would be on CNN,NBC,etc. as they would be begging to be rescued as their be headings were about to begin.
Richard Nixon was impeached for lying there is a difference in his lie as no one died , the president lied and he needs to suffer the same consequence as Nixon.
Ed if you think Nixon was impeached for lying than your re writing history, all Presidents lie, its part of their job to lie by omission or in fact. Nixon was ALMOST impeached (he resigned actually) because he directly ordered a burglary of a Democratic office. By the way its your opinion and not fact the current President did any lying about Benghazi.
Wrong square dude
Article 1
RESOLVED, That Richard M. Nixon, President of the United States, is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanours, and that the following articles of impeachment to be exhibited to the Senate:
ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT EXHIBITED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN THE NAME OF ITSELF AND OF ALL OF THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AGAINST RICHARD M. NIXON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, IN MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT OF ITS IMPEACHMENT AGAINST HIM FOR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANOURS.
ARTICLE 1
In his conduct of the office of President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his consitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has prevented, obstructed, and impeded the administration of justice, in that:
On June 17, 1972, and prior thereto, agents of the Committee for the Re-election of the President committed unlawful entry of the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee in Washington, District of Columbia, for the purpose of securing political intelligence. Subsequent thereto, Richard M. Nixon, using the powers of his high office, engaged personally and through his close subordinates and agents, in a course of conduct or plan designed to delay, impede, and obstruct the investigation of such illegal entry; to cover up, conceal and protect those responsible; and to conceal the existence and scope of other unlawful covert activities.
The means used to implement this course of conduct or plan included one or more of the following:
etal...
Nixon was not involved in the actual burglary, he was impeached because of the coverup and lies afterward and he chose to resign
Was Blackwater inc. in charge of security again?
I seem to remember an incident in 1983 under The All Powerful Reagan where 241 American servicemen lost there lives in Beirut do to a lax security apparatus and neither he nor Sec of State Geo Shultz took any criticism. Hmmmmm. Republicans = hypocrites AGAIN!
seems to me that all secuity measures that have been put in place since the 1983 Beirut bombing were disregarded with this obama administration. It is really hard to throw away nearly thirty years of know security measures and then blame the issue on a video. But that is is exactly what obama and Clinton did!
IF you noticed,THERE is no mention OF PAUL RYAN cutting $110 million in his 1st budget from EMBASSY SECURITY. BUT I GUESS REPUBLICANS ONLY HAVE THE STONES TO BLAME DEMOCRATS INSTEAD OF TELLING THE TRUTH.
and you get your accurate information from where?
Keith there were a lot of articles that congress did cut the state depts security budget, but thats still no excuse for Benghazi. However congress doesn't have as clean of hands about this affair as they would like the public to think because of that budget cut.
Charlene Lamb testified before congress that funding was not an issue with the decision to reduce the security detail in Benghazi and that there was sufficient funding to cover whatever they needed, The decision to reduce the security was a political one and not budgetary one.
Lost where do you basis your OPINION that was a political decision? Lamb didnt say that during his testimony, perhaps your own biases provides that story line?
square dude, If it was not a budgetary decision and they had the money to provide the security yet after repeated requests for additional security they still denied said security then what other reason could there have been.
Remeber Bin Laden is Dead and Al Quaida is on the run, Unfortunately our fearless leaders forgot to mention that Al Quaida was running towards us and not away, The Alquaida talking point was removed right after the Benghazi attack, The decision to not provide additional security was to try to show that Obamas actions in Libya and the ME were resulting in stability and a rduction in AQ influence and recent events has shown us otherwise. It was political
Many are speaking with great authority with a great lack of facts. The Secretary of State is where the buck stops. She should have known about the security of all the embassies...that is her responsibility. The ultimate buck stops with the President, but he and his little followers refuse to release pertinent information, again, that might clarify the situiation more. Just like in the deal with shipping thousands of guns to the Mexican drug cartels: why won't the Pres. release the information on that?? Protecting his buddy, the AG. This whole administration reeks with lies and deceit. (By the way, two of the other americans killed in Benghasi were former SEALs and they had names.) If something needs to be hidden then something is wrong. All of these political aholas speak of open government for the people but that is just bull manure! They keep everything secret so they can continue to rip off the American tax payer to make themselves richer and more powerful; and we might as well throw in the corporations who do the same thing. Greed fuels all of these things.....and who pays the price?? The youngsters of America with their lives, their limbs and their emotional life. While the fat politicians and corporate heads rake in the billions for their off shore bank accounts. The whole thing stinks because it is so rotten and the government no longer serves the needs of the people but only those who make a profit from it. They should be ashamed to even show their faces! But they do and that shows us just how brazzen they are.
'Inconsistent' statements from the administration
and now the chief cannot testify because of blood clots.
I fear the real truth will not be revealed until we are all dead and gone.
What a shame.
On Sunday, Senator Lindsey Graham pushes for Hilary Clinton to testify before the Senate prior to any confirmation hearings for John Kerry. Now on Monday, Clinton has a set-back from her concussion. I wish her the best of health, but the circumstances are extremely suspect.
Hillary finds herself in the uneasy position of telling the truth - or lying under oath - as her husband Bill Clinton did in order to save herself and perhaps the Obama presidency
Bill would like having an even play if Hillary got caught lying - as he did
I find it strange Marcus that you automatically assume Clinton has to lie, you have already decided on your own story line of this attack on Benghazi without knowing any of the facts, I would find it strange that Clinton made any decision about security when the state dept has people are assigned to make these decisions at a much lower level. Clinton doesn't have the expertise to make decisions like this and has to depend on the so called experts who messed up so badly.
Ask yourself - why coaches in the NFL are being fired today - and reconsider your rant
Gee, I wonder if the report mentions the fact that additional funds for security were requested and Congress denied the request. I guess it's just easier to blame the President.
No it wouldn't because that never happened, the denied funding had nothing to do with security or even that particular embassy.
Don't believe me? Check out this article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/10/jason-chaffetz-embassy_n_1954912.html
Jason Chaffetz Admits House GOP Cut Funding For Embassy Security: 'You Have To Prioritize Things'
We will never know what happened now, Hellary has a blood clot that wiped out her memory of that day!
Do you think another bash in the head might help her remember? Just a thought.
It is amazing how a republican tries to blame other when they know that they cut the security budget for the protection of U.S. Consulate and Embassies. So they can not just blame the Democrats for the backdown but themselves also. I find both parties in fault with the breakdown in security. Why do we get on here blaming on party or the other, when you open your eyes you will find that both parties are equally at fault.
Security for embassys comes from the military budget, what you claim is a LIE!
Man, your confusing the Marines who man the embassy for all security, the state dept also has a security budget, for example those ex seals who were killed at Benghazi were not part of any military budget. Security budget also might included fences, cameras, safe rooms. So be careful of calling people liars when obviously your not the brightest candle around.
BlackMan see my post above (46.2). The GoP admitted that they rejected the funding request.
And Charlene Lamb testified that budgetary concerns had nothing to do with the decision to reduce security for Amb Stevens, They had plenty of money and refused to provide the requested security.
What did you expect when you elected an incompetent president for the second time?
Is he the one who rejected funding for additional embassy security? No, I didn't think so...
People who live in glass houses should NOT throw stones. The House of Representatives, controlled by the GOP, refused increased funding for all Embassies and Consulates, so how dare they criticize inadequate security!!!
diane311: I'm sure after spending years at home reading the National Inquirer and eating gallons of ice cream that YOU are an expert on government affairs. Go cook your husband a nice meal and stay of the thread.