More on Benghazi

Lucianne:
Benghazi: A Reader Assesses the Evidence
"A reader, relying on publicly available information, has reconstructed what we know and can infer about what happened in Benghazi. I haven’t tried to verify all of his facts nor do I necessarily vouch for his inferences, although in general they seem reasonable. But his analysis is, I think, a valuable contribution to our understanding, and I reproduce it here in slightly edited form: This last week may have finally broken the protective wall around the POTUS. Between the comments of Hillary Clinton, Gen. Petraeus, Defense Secretary Panetta and the FOX News report, the picture of what really transpired "

Why did Obama choose to “stand down” in Benghazi?
"As John and Scott point out, the CIA has issued a statement making it clear that “no one at any level in the CIA told anybody not to help those in need [in Benghazi]; claims to the contrary are simply inaccurate.” That statement surely was issued with the approval, and presumably at the direction, of the CIA’s director, General Petraeus. Who, then, made the several decisions denying help to the Americans in Benghazi who needed it? Who, initially, told CIA to “stand down” in face of the attack? Who decided that American defense forces an hour or two away."

Bill Kristol;  Ten Questions for the White House
1.) To whom did the president give the first of his "three very clear directives"—that is, "make sure that we are securing our personnel and doing whatever we need to?"
2.) How did he transmit this directive to the military and other agencies?
3.) During the time when Americans were under attack, did the president convene a formal or informal meeting of his national security council? Did the president go to the situation room?
4.) During this time, with which members of the national security team did the president speak directly?
5.) Did Obama speak by phone or teleconference with the combatant commanders who would have sent assistance to the men under attack?
6.) Did he speak with CIA director David Petraeus?
7.) Was the president made aware of the repeated requests for assistance from the men under attack? When and by whom?
8.) Did he issue any directives in response to these requests?
9.) Did the president refuse to authorize an armed drone strike on the attackers?
10.) Did the president refuse to authorize a AC-130 or MC-130 to enter Libyan airspace during the attack?

'Stand Down': U.S. Had Two Drones, AC-130 Gunship, and Targets Painted in Benghazi

"Reports indicate two drones and an AC-130 gunship were in the area when Benghazi was attacked, yet their resources were not used. This runs completely against the current explanation coming out of the White House, which is that Obama did everything he could once he learned of the attack. You'll remember that in the second presidential debate, Obama said that as "soon as I was aware the Benghazi consulate was being overrun, I was on the phone with my national security team." The not-so-subtle intimation is that Obama was stepping up to the protect the U.S. personnel who were in Libya."

Blackfive;
Bigger than Watergate: Proof that the President is Lying about Benghazi?

"One of the former SEALs was actively painting the target. That means that Specter WAS ON STATION! Probably an AC130U. A ground laser designator is not a briefing pointer laser. You do not "paint" a target until the weapons system/designator is synched; which means that the AC130 was on station.

"Only two places could have called off the attack at that point; the WH situation command (based on POTUS direction) or AFRICOM commander based on information directly from the target area.

"If the AC130 never left Sigonella (as Penetta(sp) says) that means that the Predator that was filming the whole thing was armed.
"If that SEAL was actively "painting" a target; something was on station to engage! And the decision to stand down goes directly to POTUS!"  ( Emphases added)

The Consequences of Benghazi

...."The President made the decision to not use F18s (even in a flyover to shake the resolve of the terrorists). "The President made the decision to go to Vegas to a campaign dinner.

"So what is worse than our State people now knowing that the President will do nothing if they are attacked?

"Al Qaeda knows that now, too."

Victor Davis Hanson;
A Bright and Shining Libyan Lie 
"To keep that shining message viable until the November election, the Obama administration and the media had been willing to overlook or mischaracterize all sorts of disturbing events. We had asked for a United Nations resolution for humanitarian aid and a no-fly zone to intervene in Libya, but then deliberately exceeded it by bombing Gadhafi's forces — after bypassing the US Congress in favor of a go-ahead from the Arab League."

PC in the Military Establishment

American Thinker  "Much of our political elite, and the foreign policy establishment, reject anyone who thinks the Third Jihad is inherently a threat, that the outer jihad is inherently incompatible with the US Constitution, or that Islam is a holistic, totalitarian ideology rather than a religion like Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Taoism, and Buddhism. They do not accept the original meaning of the 1st Amendment of the Constitution or Article VI para 3 prohibition on "religious tests" for public office.
"Also the political elite is too heavily dependent upon exports of energy products from the Middle East to acknowledge the truth. Decades of very clever Saudi-Wah'abi funding, propaganda and subversion have given our leaders a benign impression of Islam. "

A Foreign Policy Failure to Acknowledge the Obvious; After the Benghazi attack, the Obama administration's focus on the YouTube video reflected a years-long denial of the Islamist threat.

Thus the way to defeat the terrorists, according to President Obama, isn't to counter extremist Islamist ideology but to focus on how the United States, through its actions and delinquencies—its supposed excessive support for Israel, for example, and failure to provide more economic aid—is to blame for the hatred that spawns terrorism.

Counterjihad

Romney vs. Obama and Beyond: The Church's Prophetic Role in Politics

Before reading this article, we need to define terms, namely what is meant by "the Church" in this article.

The universal church is that organism of professing believers making up the body of Christ through baptism by the Holy Spirit, which was formed first on the day of Pentecost, is distinct from the nation of Israel, and is not limited to local congregational or denominational affiliation.
Everyone, living or dead, who has ever put their faith in Jesus Christ from the day of Pentecost till now, is a member of the universal church, Christ’s body, of which He is the head.     From bible.org

By Dr. Lawrence Terlizzese at Probe Ministries   "Dr. Lawrence Terlizzese answers a common question of a Christian view of politics and government: How would a biblical worldview inform us on being in the world of politics but not of it? “Dr. T” models a critical yet engaged distance in assessing the beliefs of Presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Barack Obama."

The Church could not be true to its universal calling if it was a political power like Israel because this turns its mission into one of war and conquest, such as the Crusades in the middle ages, rather than conversion through faith (John 18: 36). Islam is a good example of a religion that does follow Israel’s kind of political identity in the establishment of Sharia Law. The Church is not one nation, but one people among many nations, cultures and systems. It cannot afford to be a nation with its own civil law and government, which sets itself against other governments and other people. When the Church establishes itself as a political power it compromises its prophetic mission and loses its unique contribution to politics. Instead the Church has a more complex role in any system it finds itself in.

Read a related post: Urban legend: Should Christians Support President Obama? A message attributed to Dr. David Barton on the Charles Stanley program
My own comment to this post was this (in case anyone cares):

I know all this and am troubled over the way my blog runs counter to the Biblical injunction to always build up and never to tear down. But somebody please tell me how to remain silent and supportive when I see this administration bully average citizens and drive hate-filled wedges between segments of the American population.

Every facet of my beliefs I see being denigrated by the left in Washington, academia, news media and the entertainment industry; people who have my convictions being ridiculed on every channel, called "extremists" in the halls of Congress and I cannot remain silent.

But I do realize that in the end, all will come out as our Lord has ordained and that he chooses who will rule over us. In the end, all that matters is that all will bow down before Him as King of Kings.

So my issue is still unresolved; I only know that - in the end - the good guys win.

                                                                                                                      The Tunnel Dweller

Epic Rant of All That is Wrong With Obama Administration

Dunham

Erin Haust   "The Obama For America “First Time” ad featuring young actress Lena Dunham got my blood boiling. As a woman, I am appalled at the President’s campaign sexualizing the act of voting; an act for which men and women have died. This shameful piece of political garbage demeans all of the struggles in our history fought by very brave women to gain equality, be taken seriously and be given the right to vote.

....
"Beneath the surface of questionable advertising is a culture of immaturity and disrespect not seen before in American history. This president, his campaign staff and his chosen administration has, over the course of 4 short years, belittled the office of the presidency."...

....Instead of screaming into a pillow or drinking away my frustration, I ranted on Facebook with all of the immature, demeaning, weak and embarrassing moments that have dominated this presidency. Many have asked that I post it here so they can share it with friends.
So, here ya go: ...   Read on. 

We the People

That experienced transformed me.

However it was forcible, not consensual while I was being held down by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid who bragged all over town about what they had done. Nancy even taunted my friends about helping Obama do it to me.

BOMBSHELL: CIA Operators On Ground In Benghazi During Attack Were Denied Request For Immediate Help, Told To Stand Down…Watching other networks to see if they cover the story

Rush calls this a major breaking story:

Via Weasel Zippers   "BOMBSHELL: CIA Operators On Ground In Benghazi During Attack Were Denied Request For Immediate Help, Told To Stand Down…"

EXCLUSIVE: CIA operators were denied request for help during Benghazi attack, sources say
"Former Navy SEALs Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty were part of a small team who were at the CIA annex about a mile from the U.S. Consulate where Ambassador Chris Stevens and his team came under attack. When they heard the shots fired, they radioed to inform their higher-ups to tell them what they were hearing. They were told to “stand down,” according to sources familiar with the exchange. An hour later, they called again to headquarters and were again told to “stand down.” "
....
But they went anyway:
"Woods and at least two others ignored those orders and made their way to the Consulate which at that point was on fire. Shots were exchanged. The quick reaction force from the CIA annex evacuated those who remained at the Consulate and Sean Smith, who had been killed in the initial attack. They could not find the ambassador and returned to the CIA annex at about midnight.
"At that point, they called again for military support and help because they were taking fire at the CIA safe house, or annex. The request was denied."

As of 11:40 CST, no coverage at NBC
Nothing so far at ABC  and nothing at CBS
FOX, on the other hand...

Update at 12:45, CST NBC, nothing; ABC, bupkis; At CBS, just this.

More Evidence of the Administration’s Failure in Benghazi

Max Boot  "Defense Secretary Leon Panetta now explains the decision not to act militarily by saying that he and top military commanders “felt very strongly that we could not put forces at risk in that situation” because they didn’t have enough “real-time information about what’s taking place.” But of course more real-time information could have been obtained by sending aircraft to overfly Benghazi.
"In any case, Special Operations Forces and other military forces are used to acting on incomplete information, especially in a situation where Americans are under fire and in danger of being overrun. At that point, caution is normally thrown to the wind, and Quick Reaction Forces are launched. It is indeed puzzling that there was apparently no standing plan to send a Quick Reaction Force to Benghazi (or other areas in North Africa where U.S. outposts are located) or, if such a plan existed, the decision was made not to activate it."
Ah HA! It all becomes clear now; the Bush Administration failed to set up this plan! Obama was merely following the procedures left behind by the previous administration! Watch and see if this petulant juvenile doesn't use this excuse. TD

The men at the safe house were killed by a mortar barrage. This video shows you what we could have done with Islamist mortar positions

Andrew C. McCarthy on Sharia killing Ambassador Stevens:  "...our willfully blind government refuses to assimilate despite years of anti-American atrocities. Under the supremacist interpretation of sharia ...non-Muslim Westerners who seek to implant Western ideas and institutions in Islamic countries are deemed enemies who must be driven out or killed. As U.S. Ambassador to Libya, as an American attempting to transition the former Qaddafi dictatorship into something approximating Western democracy, Christopher Stephens was deemed an enemy worthy of killing; therefore, sharia ideologues killed him, along with three other similarly “culpable” Americans."

Obama Administration Will Pay Companies to Violate the Law

WARN, We Don’t Need No Stinkin WARN Act  "So lets run down a few of the laws this administration has thumbed it’s nose at under President Obama’s tenure. There was the lack of concern for the bondholders when the auto industry was bailed out and GM and Chrysler we basically turned over to the UAW."

The Foundry;   "That’s worth saying again: The Obama Administration is encouraging people to violate a law, and promising that it will use taxpayer money to cover fines incurred from this action.
" The law: The law in question is called the WARN Act, and it requires that federal contractors send employees layoff notices 60 days before a plant closing or mass layoff.
"The inconvenience: Massive defense spending cuts under sequestration are scheduled to hit on January 2, 2013. Defense contractors affected by the budget cuts would have to issue notice letters to employees by November 2 (four days before the election) to meet the January 2 start date for the spending cuts.
"The penalty taxpayers would pay: Employers who violate the WARN Act are liable to their former employees for “back pay for each day of a violation” and “benefits under an employee benefit plan,” as well as a penalty of $500 for each day that notice has not been sent to the local government where the layoffs will occur."
....
"But this is no joke. This is the ultimate abuse of the President’s executive authority: inducing federal contractors to violate a federal law and promising to use taxpayer funds to reimburse them for any resulting liability that they incur for violating that law."  (emphasis added)

Hot Air Blog: Lockheed [Martin]: Sure, we’ll keep our workers in the dark about layoffs

Debates within the debate

Dick Morris "There were at least four separate debates going on Monday night when the candidates met for the last of their presidential match-ups."
....
"If anyone had hoped that a Romney presidency would represent a sharp break with Obama’s policies on Iran, Iraq, Libya or Russia, they were disappointed. Only on China was there a real difference of opinion. Romney’s tougher stand on Beijing will win him points in the Midwest."

More looks at the Benghazi attack

http://terrellaftermath.com/

STRATFOR; Diplomatic Security in Light of Benghazi   "First, whenever discussing the security of diplomatic facilities, it must be understood that, by treaty, the responsibility for the security of diplomatic facilities lies with the host government. This clear responsibility was codified in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which took effect in 1964.

"This is generally not a problem in a developed, friendly country. There is little doubt that the Australian government will take the appropriate steps to ensure that the U.S. Embassy and the British High Commission in Canberra remain safe. The problems with the responsibilities outlined in the Vienna Convention occur when a diplomatic facility is located in a country that is either unable or unwilling to provide adequate security."
Diplomatic Security in Light of Benghazi is republished with permission of Stratfor

CBS Busts Obama--and Itself--in Benghazi Cover-Up   "CBS News has released a clip of an interview by Steve Kroft of 60 Minutes on Sep. 12 with President Barack Obama that indicates Obama knew the assault on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya was a premeditated terror attack--and suggests the White House later deceived the public by blaming protests against an anti-Islam video. CBS chose not to air the clip for over a month--but did air Obama’s attack on Romney that same night."  As Obamaphile Norah O'Donnell said, the president "responded forcefully."

Sorry you have to sit through the commercial.

Ryan on Poverty; The VP nominee takes on a huge challenge.

Byron York  "While the GOP team has routinely discussed the plight of the nation’s poor, references to poverty have been largely absent from Obama’s speeches.  And today, Ryan made the Republican ticket’s most extensive statement yet on poverty and the question of how to promote upward mobility in America.  Here is the speech, in its entirety:"....

Ryan on Poverty; The VP nominee takes on a huge challenge.  "Ryan exposed the moral and fiscal bankruptcy of the liberal welfare state, driving dependency on more than 80 federal means-tested programs to the tune of $1 trillion annually. The Wisconsin Republican also owned up to conservatives’ leadership deficit when it comes to fighting poverty — and made a big down payment toward erasing it."

From The Heritage Foundation Culture Watch

Fathers’ Involvement Helps Teens Delay Sexual Activity

Heritage   "The study found that teens who have close emotional relationships with their fathers are more likely to put off sexual activity. The findings also show that teens delayed sexual activity if their fathers had disapproving attitudes toward teen sex.

"This study adds to a long line of research linking fathers’ presence and involvement with teens’ well being. Besides delayed sexual activity, adolescents who have close relationships with their fathers tend to have higher levels of psychological health and are less likely to experience emotional distress, such as sadness and loneliness. "