U.S. Drone CAM was watching Benghazi attacks

CBS broke this story late last night. The more I hear of what they didn't do...the more horrified I am.

I've included 2 links from 2 sources.....

Politics: U.S. Drone was watching Benghazi attacks - Obama admin did nothing
Published by: Robert Laurie on Sunday October 21st, 2012
Robert Laurie

By ROBERT LAURIE - former CIA commander “They stood, and they watched, and our people died.”

You would think we’d heard the worst of the news regarding the Obama administration’s reaction to the Banghazi attacks. You’d be wrong. It seems that, with each passing day, some new fact appears that manages to make the situation look worse.

Last night, it was a CBS News report that confirmed the presence of a United States predator drone in the skies over the Benghazi consulate – while the attacks were ongoing.

According to the CBS story, a predator drone and other reconnaissance craft were in the area for the final hours of the violence. This should have triggered a rapid response, alerted nearby assets, and allowed help to reach the embattled facility much sooner. Sadly, none of that happened.www.caintv.com...

And, for those who don't consider Herman Cain a valid source, the New York Post.

US ‘too slow’ to act as drone’s cam captured Libya horror

By TIM PERONE
From With POST WIRE SERVICES
Last Updated: 6:30 AM, October 21, 2012
Posted: 12:37 AM, October 21, 2012

The United States had an unmanned Predator drone over its consulate in Benghazi during the attack that slaughtered four Americans — which should have led to a quicker military response, it was revealed yesterday.

“They stood, and they watched, and our people died,” former CIA commander Gary Berntsen told CBS News.

www.nypost.com...

So, this kinda puts to bed the whole story that the WH didn't know squat about the attack on our US Consulate that resulted in the death of Stevens and 3 other Americans in Benghazi.

Am I the only one who is getting angrier, the more this story comes out.....

Des

I can see Obama and Hilary just sitting and watching the live action unfold.

Obama with his look-down-his-nose-at-the-little-people stare and Hilary...just giggling a little in the corner like the mad woman she is.

These people are disgusting pieces of trash.

But hey...apparently some people want them to continue leading the Nation.

Peace

Without watching the footage ourselves, it's impossible to know what the drone saw.

Either way, I don't think it would have been a good idea to fire missiles at a large group of people gathered outside an embassy in a foreign country

Originally posted by muse7
Without watching the footage ourselves, it's impossible to know what the drone saw.

Either way, I don't think it would have been a good idea to fire missiles at a large group of people gathered outside an embassy in a foreign country

Firing from the drone isn't mentioned:

a predator drone and other reconnaissance craft were in the area for the final hours of the violence. This should have triggered a rapid response, alerted nearby assets, and allowed help to reach the embattled facility much sooner.

reply to post by jude11


The thing that bothers me...Obama didn't even bat an eye. Didn't change his campaign schedule one iota...business as usual attitude.

How could they not even try to save our American Staff...they just watched....

How could they just act like, we would never find out anything.....

Des

reply to post by Destinyone


They broke the story last night? Nah, and that's because it's already known that a drone caught the last hour of the attack on cam. Unless they are releasing that video for public this isn't new. There were also camera's through out the compound that have been reviewed already. This is how we know the White House was full of crap because no where on the tapes or the drone is there a protest.

Video From Benghazi Consulate Shows Organized Attack

www.thedailybeast.com...

Oct 12, 2012 4:45 AM EDT

In addition to the footage from the consulate cameras, the U.S. government is also poring over video taken from an overhead U.S. surveillance drone that arrived for the final hour of the night battle at the consulate compound and nearby annex.

Originally posted by Destinyone
reply to post by jude11

 

The thing that bothers me...Obama didn't even bat an eye. Didn't change his campaign schedule one iota...business as usual attitude.

How could they not even try to save our American Staff...they just watched....

How could they just act like, we would never find out anything.....

Des

edit on 21-10-2012 by Destinyone because: (no reason given)

I sure wish I could take a years paid vacation from my current job while looking for employment at the same company.

I truly believe they think people are so apathetic, they don't bother to hide it anymore. Then again, since nothing has been done, maybe they won that battle and are just going to do whatever the hell they want (as if they haven't done so for a while now).

reply to post by Destinyone


I just wanted to not something Destiny..with all due respect, because this story is SO messy for details getting out. They never seem to come out together, at once..that's for sure.

As I understand the timeline here......The first protester landed feet inside the compound around 9:30pm Local time. As recent as 8:30pm, Ambassador Stevens was cabling his last business for the day and heading to bed as a routine close of business. So nothing was moving in expectation of the whole place being over-run a couple hours later.

We know by documents out since, that Tripoli didn't instantly launch Helicopters for support. So..it wasn't 9:30 on the button that they left and headed to help. yet...... Tripoli is 400 strait line air miles from Benghazi. I actually checked..and the cruise speed for a Blackhawk (assuming they grabbed the standard issue flying taxi to run there in to help) is 160Mph. The timeline shows American support forces from Tripoli coming into the compound at 1am.

Now...given the diplomatic crap when they knew all hell was starting to break lose but surely no one yet believed we'd LOSE the whole position (..for the first time in over 30 years I might add...), I'd say the reaction force hauled ass and didn't stop for anything once they DID get cleared to take off and go try and save those guys.

Now.. the BIG question.... Was the drone armed? AND.... MORE important...COULD it have done anything more than REALLY REALLY piss off the attackers? Recall....there was still a CIA Station several blocks away that I understand was one of the more OPEN 'secrets' in the area....I wonder if they considered losing them both by doing something that might feel good but have no actual helpful effect. Like launch just ONE or TWO hellfires into a rampaging mob....and nothing more to back it up with when they don't stop but get much worse.

Good for thought?

Originally posted by jude11
I can see Obama and Hilary just sitting and watching the live action unfold.

Obama with his look-down-his-nose-at-the-little-people stare and Hilary...just giggling a little in the corner like the mad woman she is.

These people are disgusting pieces of trash.

But hey...apparently some people want them to continue leading the Nation.

Peace

edit on 21-10-2012 by jude11 because: (no reason given)

and fapping to the death porn no doubt, had an effect on their reaction time, the flag then serving as a convenient and handy rag to wipe their hands with. as the hempen sheets of the constitution were used and discarded long ago.

it's looking more and more like the o-men wanted to upstage the opposition with an "october surprise"
that has blown up in their faces.

reply to post by DerepentLEstranger


I agree.



I remember reading some where they didn't even see the footage that night because the SEALs weren't broadcasting, or something like that. Bottom line is, that pic is BS. I think this info came out with that recent book by the SEAL who shot OBL.

Navy SEAL Author Rejects the Pentagon's Legal Threat

So fire on the consulate and risk murdering all the Americans and any civilians around the base?

Originally posted by 3chainz
So fire on the consulate and risk murdering all the Americans and any civilians around the base?

First of all, when has the US cared about civilian casualties? 80% of deaths in these strikes are civilians.

Secondly it is stated that they had the time to call in support from the area but did not. That's the issue and not that they did or did not use the drone.

The fact remains that they had warnings, Hilary did not send support when asked and they got to watch it all unfold in their private screening rooms in those nice comfy chairs reserved for arm chair warriors that they are.

Peace

reply to post by jude11
Jude, referring to top US leadership as armchair warriors, as ATS opinion posters, is a bit pot-kettle-black, is it not?

Weeks later, the loss of four Americans continues to be used as political ammo - In the MSM, on and campaign trail, and because they've got you divided like they want you, right here on ATS as well.

As if the Obama administration wanted them dead, and really just sat there and did nothing... Is that what is implied here?

Originally posted by Sek82
reply to post by jude11

 

Jude, referring to top US leadership as armchair warriors, as ATS opinion posters, is a bit pot-kettle-black, is it not?

Weeks later, the loss of four Americans continues to be used as political ammo - In the MSM, on and campaign trail, and because they've got you divided like they want you, right here on ATS as well.

As if the Obama administration wanted them dead, and really just sat there and did nothing... Is that what is implied here?

No, I am not saying they wanted them dead. What I am saying (Not implying) is that they didn't care if they died or not.

Very different.

Peace

reply to post by Destinyone


1. It was unmanned. If it were manned? The situation may have turned out better.

2. Such a system for alerts was either not active or non-existent in the first place.

Originally posted by VaterOrlaag
reply to post by Destinyone

 

1. It was unmanned. If it were manned? The situation may have turned out better.

2. Such a system for alerts was either not active or non-existent in the first place.

1. Umm, technically all drones are unmanned. UAV = Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, but all drones are flown by a human operator or fly a predetermined flight path that a human operator plugged in. Chances are the surveillance drone that arrived the last hour of the Benghazi attack was flown by a human operator. I'm not sure if all surveillance drones are armed with weapons?

2. There absolutely is a system set up for alerts. The DOD has it's own versions of the internet for classified information, ie Top Secret, Secret, etc. There is already a system in place for messages to be receive by the White House, and anyone else CC/BCC'd, in an instant just like an email. There are people who monitor message traffic 24/7. Messages have priorities of importance, for example

Message precedence

CCEB military precedence

The Combined Communications Electronics Board (CCEB), a five-nation joint military communications-electronics organization (consisting of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States), uses the following message precedence designators, in descending order of importance:

FLASH (Z)

This precedence is reserved for initial enemy contact messages or operational combat messages of extreme urgency. Brevity is mandatory. FLASH messages are to be handled as fast as humanly possible, ahead of all other messages, with in-station handling time not to exceed 10 minutes. Messages of lower precedence are interrupted on all circuits involved until the handling of FLASH messages are completed.

IMMEDIATE (O)

This precedence is reserved for messages relating to situations gravely affecting the security of the nation. It requires immediate delivery. Examples include reports of widespread civil disturbance, reports or warning of grave natural disaster, and requests for or directions concerning search and rescue operations. IMMEDIATE messages are processed, transmitted, and delivered in the order received and ahead of all messages of lower precedence. They are to be handled as quickly as possible, with in-station handling time not to exceed 30 minutes. Messages of lower precedence should be interrupted on all circuits involved until the handling of the IMMEDIATE message is completed. The use of the letter "O" comes from the original name for this level, "operational immediate".

PRIORITY (P)

This precedence is reserved for traffic requiring expeditious action by the addressee or for conducting operations in progress when ROUTINE precedence will not suffice. PRIORITY precedence messages are processed, transmitted, and delivered in the order received and ahead of all messages of ROUTINE precedence. Examples include requests for supplies or equipment during the conduct of an operation, time-critical items requiring quick response, and situation reports. They are to be handled as quickly as possible, with in-station handling time not to exceed 3 hours.

ROUTINE (R)

This precedence is used for all types of message traffic justifying transmission by rapid means, but not of sufficient urgency to require higher precedence. ROUTINE precedence messages are delivered in the order received and after all messages of higher precedence. Examples include any message that requires the documentation of its transmission and/or delivery; messages concerning normal operations, programs, or projects; and periodic or consolidated reports. They should be handled as soon as traffic flow allows, but no later than the beginning of the next duty day.

And whoever was flying that unmanned drone most definitely had an operator on their watch floor writing the FLASH message and hitting send.

Originally posted by 3chainz
So fire on the consulate and risk murdering all the Americans and any civilians around the base?

It's called close air support which the Us has expierence since WW2 or if anyone who watched "When we were soldiers".

Broken Arrow.

Which immediately calls for all air combat craft in theatre.

But then again a civilian in Benghazi that nite?

Right!

For reference to help the thread a bit for context on this attack.....

Photo series of CIA Compound as well as Consulate Compound - Overhead series

There were no civilian neighborhoods near this place and they may have been a lot better off if there HAD been. At least they could have had half a chance of escaping into the surrounding neighborhoods. Here? Well....it was hide inside or die outside. Not much else....although the bomb issue of killing Americans they couldn't likely know were ALL dead yet is an important one. How well could they even see that 1 or more Americans may not have been in the middle of a knot of them at any given moment as prisoners or worse?

I hadn't thought about how hard ..if not impossible...identifying right good guys from the bad guys may have been from a drone, in chaos at night? That alone could be all the reason for never firing?

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Wrabbit, thanks for the timeline. No offense intended, I highly respect you. I think that is only a limited timeline we are getting, and much more will unfold in the days ahead. Have you seen the FOX, Bret Baeir, timeline special they have done on the Benghazi attack, there are a lot more details included. Bret Baier, and his research team, did an amazing, and in depth timeline, in 2 parts/videos. I am posting both links to videos.. You would do yourself a real service to watch them both. Incredible detail, and visuals from Benghazi. Information the WH is very upset about getting out.

I AM TRYING TO FIND THEM ON UTUBE. FOX WEBSITE KEEPS REDIRECTING. WAIT A MINUTE, I'LL HAVE THEM.


FOUND IT COMBINED INTO ONE VIDEO...COMPLETE TIMELINE SHOW.


Special Report investigates: DEATH AND DECEIT IN BENGHAZI w/Bret Baier 10/19/2012



Des

reply to post by Destinyone


Err..... Awkward.. I was wandering back to not only post my timeline (well..I found it anyway.. Wall Street Journal built it from the basic facts). I also discovered my memory deceived me.

First attackers breached the Compound at 9:30 and the actuall screaming to all of creation for help came between 9:30 and 10. Thats also when CIA and another location I can't find a map for anymore...at least gave the Consulate people a place to retreat to. They came under attack there at the CIA station around 2am.


I was also off on memory of reinforcements. They landed from Tripoli at 1:45...not 1am. Sowwy... I should have dug for the original before going off what I'd read from it a few days ago.

Wall Street Journal Timeline of Banghazi Attack 8pm - 9am the following morning

I haven't had a chance to watch the vids you posted yet but I'm doing that next. The only real advantage over those for the WSJ one here is that it's a slide/flip Applet as opposed to a running video one has to sit through the 2nd or 3rd time returning for a bit of data out of it.