CIA operators were denied request for help during Benghazi attack, sources say

Sources: Key task force not convened during Benghazi consulate attack
By Sharyl Attkisson
www.cbsnews.com...

First, I am very happy to see a MSM (CBS) cover this story. Sharyl Attkisson gets a from me for this and her work on the Fast and the Furious.

CBS has learned that neither President Obama or any member of his Administration convened the Counterterrorism Security Group, (CSG) regarding the Sept. 11 attack in Benghazi. CSG is their top interagency counterterrorism resource.

"The CSG is the one group that's supposed to know what resources every agency has. They know of multiple options and have the ability to coordinate counterterrorism assets across all the agencies," a high-ranking government official told CBS News. "They were not allowed to do their job. They were not called upon."

Another huge omission of resources:

The Administration also didn't call on the only interagency, on-call, short notice team poised to respond to terrorist incidents worldwide: the Foreign Emergency Support Team (FEST). FEST's seasoned experts leave within four hours of notification and can provide "the fastest assistance possible."

I could scratch my head for hours over why these groups were not utilized but for me the bottom line is this:

President Obama said "the minute" he became aware of the Benghazi attack, he directed his staff to "make sure that we are securing our personnel and doing whatever we need to do."

The information in this article contradicts that statement.

I still haven't heard who it was that originally came up with the explanation that this was a spontaneous protest against a video trailer, and why UN Ambassador Rice was sent to all the Sunday shows to inform the public of this "fact". Why intentionally create confusion if there is no story here?

reply to post by elouina


yeah ... is this 'news' to you elouina ??
just in case it is ... read up on the Feb 17 Brigade

the Brigade is loosely affiliated with alCIAda and were directly involved in providing 'security' for the consulate.
here's a few links ...
link 1 13 days post attack

link 2 10 days post-attack

link 3 newly released but most will balk at the source.

reply to post by Honor93


Actually it is news to me. So then this is the truth, huh? Now I can say... I really didn't think it could possibly be the truth.

But does this even matter? Did you see the front page of CNN? Looks like they released something in time for the elections and it is once again not the entire truth. Just a muddled version. CIA supposedly were not told to stand down.

Intelligence official offers new timeline for Benghazi attack

reply to post by elouina

you seem well versed from the posts i've read so i was surprised that Feb 17 was news to you.
the link you offered, i read as i hadn't seen it before but i cannot blindly accept that timeline with what i've been reading for almost a month now.

hmmm, if that was news, try this on for curiousity sake.
the title won't pass ATS censors, so please cut/paste to search or google "Penetta Doctrine" [spelled wrong on purpose]

blackfive.net/main/2012/10/former-delta-operator-on-the-panetta-doctrine-or-also-known-as-the-dumbest-#-i-ever-heard.html

i find it odd that CNN doesn't name their source (any of them), especially when Dempsey has been quite vocal about the denial, and of course, there's the Panetta Doctine (above c/p link) and the basic presumption that 'security' shouldn't have to arrive if they are tasked with protecting the consulate, should they ??

ETA -- and here's another point that nags at me ... the primary excuse is poor intel ... well ok, since there is an existing "investigation", why aren't the participating militia members being interviewed ?? [you know, those Feb 17 guys who agreed to the post]

i'd have to spend some time looking for it, but, i do remember reading something about this "possibility" ... since we don't really know any details, i guess anything is possible.
it is said that the whole debacle was a pre-planned, coordinated kidnapping gone wrong.
there was a prisoner exchange value they wanted to exploit. (they being alCIAda)

reply to post by Honor93


Well, I had a few very important things that kept me a bit preoccupied at the time. In fact there is something new, even right now. Anyways, not too long ago, I was reading some news articles and ATS posts, here and there, but was not as involved as I am now. It just suddenly clicked, and I made up my mind that instead of sitting back and reading what everyone else had to say, I needed to be proactive. There is so much new information, that it is easy to miss something older. What bothered me the most and contributed to my involvement was how CNN was handling this Benghazi business. They are a major news source and it just seems like they have something to gain by not being honest with the public. I can feel it, can you? What you see of my posts here on ATS is not my entire effort. I have been actively sharing this info in every way that I can.

My agenda is to expose the truth to as many people as possible no matter what it may be. I have my integrity, so even if the truth is not what I am looking for, so be it.

I will look into the article you mentioned next.

Originally posted by sad_eyed_lady


Another huge omission of resources:

The Administration also didn't call on the only interagency, on-call, short notice team poised to respond to terrorist incidents worldwide: the Foreign Emergency Support Team (FEST). FEST's seasoned experts leave within four hours of notification and can provide "the fastest assistance possible."

The White House was notified of the attack at 4:05 p.m. Embassy personnel e-mailed the White House at 4:54 p.m. and told them that the shooting had stopped. That is 49 minutes. Why would the White House deploy anyone when they were told that the attack had stopped and that a CIA security team was already at the site? And, even if they were going to send someone, why would they contact experts who "leave within four hours of notification"?

Well, things are looking up folks. The Obama deception is nearing an end!

Nevada’s Biggest Paper: Obama 'Unworthy Commander-in-Chief' After Benghazi

Nevada’s largest newspaper blasted President Barack Obama in a blistering editorial on Thursday about the Benghazi attacks in which four Americans died, calling him an “unworthy commander-in-chief.”
Obama, who holds a small lead in Nevada, which has six electoral votes, was taken to task by the LV Review-Journal for his handling of the Benghazi, Libya attacks in an editorial headlined, “Benghazi blunder: Obama unworthy commander-in-chief.”

Originally posted by Vitruvian

MORE BREAKING on Benghazi :

It just keeps going, and going and going.
New Details on Benghazi
Nov 1, 2012 4:19 PM EDT
Two U.S. officials tell Eli Lake that the State Department never requested military backup the night of the attack.
Opening paragraph(s)

On the night of the 9/11 anniversary assault at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, the Americans defending the compound and a nearby CIA annex were severely outmanned. Nonetheless, the State Department never requested military backup that evening, two senior U.S. officials familiar with the details of military planning tell The Daily Beast.
In its seventh week, discussion about what happened in Benghazi has begun to focus on why military teams in the region did not respond to the assault on the U.S. mission and the nearby CIA annex. The only security backup that did arrive that evening were former special-operations soldiers under the command of the CIA—one from the nearby annex and another Quick Reaction Force from Tripoli. On Friday, Fox News reported that requests from CIA officers for air support on the evening of the attacks were rejected. (The Daily Beast was not able to confirm that those requests were made, though no U.S. official contacted for this story directly refuted the claim either.)
It’s unlikely any outside military team could have arrived in Benghazi quickly enough to save Ambassador Chris Stevens or his colleague Sean Smith, both of whom died from smoke inhalation after a band of more than 100 men overran the U.S. mission at around 9:30 p.m. that evening and set the buildings inside ablaze.

But military backup may have made a difference at around five the following morning, when a second wave of attackers assaulted the CIA annex where embassy personnel had taken refuge. It was during this second wave of attacks that two ex-SEALs working for the CIA’s security teams—Glenn Doherty and Tyrone Woods—were killed in a mortar strike.

reply to post by buckrogerstime


Please supply proof of this. And also proof that the WH had no clue as to what was going on there since they had video camera equipped drones flying overhead. Please don't tell me this is yet another new lie by the WH. Groan....

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OMG Everyone! You will not believe this! CNN has posted a negative article about Obama and Benghazi! This is it! See my next post! VICTORY!!!!

From the one and only, CNN!!!! Tee hee... And the articles all over the internet news are too numerous to post. We have a victory!

This article was posted one hour after the last CNN article I mentioned. That particular article stated that a senior U.S. intelligence official emphatically denied that the CIA refused repeated requests from its officers on the ground in Benghazi, Libya, to assist the Americans under attack at the U.S. mission there.

Now here is the article we have been waiting for:

What really happened in Benghazi?

The Obama administration fiddled while Benghazi burned and four Americans died.
Late last week, Jennifer Griffin of Fox News reported that CIA operators caught in the attack in Benghazi requested military backup but were denied by higher headquarters.

If true, this would exhibit fatal inaction and negligence on the part of the administration or the military's chain of command, or worse, some sort of cover-up.

Either there was serious malfeasance on the part of this administration or a knowing cover up with shifting stories and blame. Either way, the American people deserve to know the full story of the disaster in Benghazi.

Further proof that CNN is changing direction? I can almost cry tears of joy!

Mitt Romney: My vision for America

On June 2, 2011, I began my quest for the presidency on the farm of Doug and Stella Scamman in Stratham, New Hampshire. I said then that our country is a land of freedom and opportunity. I spoke of the hard work of the millions of Americans who built our remarkable experiment in self-government. They carved out of the wilderness a land of immense prosperity and unlimited potential. I said then that "I believe in America."

Originally posted by buckrogerstime

Originally posted by sad_eyed_lady


Another huge omission of resources:

The Administration also didn't call on the only interagency, on-call, short notice team poised to respond to terrorist incidents worldwide: the Foreign Emergency Support Team (FEST). FEST's seasoned experts leave within four hours of notification and can provide "the fastest assistance possible."

The White House was notified of the attack at 4:05 p.m. Embassy personnel e-mailed the White House at 4:54 p.m. and told them that the shooting had stopped. That is 49 minutes. Why would the White House deploy anyone when they were told that the attack had stopped and that a CIA security team was already at the site? And, even if they were going to send someone, why would they contact experts who "leave within four hours of notification"?

Good question. The FEST team could have gone in and secured the premises within hours. Their job would not be to rescue, but to secure the area.

"First a tactical response was needed," says a senior U.S. counterterrorism official, "and while that was being implemented, the holistic response could have been developed and deployed within hours" which could have allowed the FBI investigate safely on site well ahead of the "24 days it took."

reply to post by sad_eyed_lady

Good question. The FEST team could have gone in and secured the premises within hours. Their job would not be to rescue, but to secure the area.

The Obama Administration couldn't even handle the cleanup afterwards.

Why would we expect them to have answers to what happened? It has only been SEVEN WEEKS since it happened. That obviously isn't enough time to 'figure out' what happened.



ETA: 24 days to get investigators to the site. Quick response, eh?

reply to post by elouina

My agenda is to expose the truth to as many people as possible no matter what it may be. I have my integrity, so even if the truth is not what I am looking for, so be it.

Awesome!

I see you get it! You can make yourself the media. Through word of month you can share the truth with friends. Facebook, email, youtube can make truth viral. In a world where lies are the norm, truth stands out enormously and offers something of value to set the world on fire.

You can influence the MSM as well. Wednesday I sent blistering messages to ABC, CBS, and NBC telling them their not reporting this story put blood on their hands. What if every disgruntled citizen did that?

Hound your politicians and let their crimes be known. It is our responsibility to hold them accountable. Our system is doomed to failure if we do not do this. I disagree with those who say we are screwed. Use your heads to figure out how to get un-screwed.

We all have an opportunity and a responsibility to tell everyone we know what is wrong with the world. Go for it!

"Be the change you want to see in the world. Mahatma Gandhi."

reply to post by elouina

What bothered me the most and contributed to my involvement was how CNN was handling this Benghazi business. They are a major news source and it just seems like they have something to gain by not being honest with the public. I can feel it, can you?

truthfully, no, i don't support CNN with viewership or trust them to provide any fact-based analysis.

hmmmm, are you still putting faith in the msm to glean some truth in the matter ??
please tell me it ain't so. that ^^^, i do find surprising of any critical thinking ATSer.

so, as much i am glad to hear you're sharing your efforts and bringing this to the attention of anyone you can, don't you think CNN speculating is comparable with ours ?

why are we the lunatics and they are not ?
why are we accused of "nitpicking" when they are clueless ?
when are they going to get with the program and actually perform some investigative reporting ? these are the questions i have for CNN and the likes of them.

here's a link that will provide multiple views/sources that you may have missed.
www.freerepublic.com...

here's a link to the theory of kidnapping specifically ... (dated 10/16)
www.sodahead.com...
and if you google the "theory", plenty more will be revealed.

here's a link to the Issa Document Dump ... www.theblaze.com...

i think i mentioned googling the "Penetta Doctrine" before ... even the comments are quite relevant in this piece.

and one more link that many will probably poopoo but hey, at this point, they are ALL opinions as we search for more facts ... www.therightscoop.com...
do i find some of the opinions outrageous ?
sure, but that isn't enough to discount them entirely.

now is the time to ask questions and apply pressure, not when the msm says so.
beware, information overload ... sift through slowly and you'll begin to form some of your own questions.

here's a question of mine (and others as i've come to discover) that has yet to yield a reasonable response ...
it is reported that one of the x-seals had a target lased in preparation of an airstrike.
[it was this agents reported commentary that really sparked my interest in searching deeper.]
while lasing a target is a coordinated effort, someone had to provide an "abort/cancel/stand down" order for the anticipated strike to fail (not arrive).

so imho, for any official to claim there was no such order given, signifies an EXTREME cover-up.

Originally posted by elouina
reply to post by buckrogerstime

 

Please supply proof of this. And also proof that the WH had no clue as to what was going on there since they had video camera equipped drones flying overhead. Please don't tell me this is yet another new lie by the WH. Groan....

Sure, here you go:
security.blogs.cnn.com...
www.cbsnews.com...
www.nytimes.com...

Originally posted by sad_eyed_lady

Good question. The FEST team could have gone in and secured the premises within hours. Their job would not be to rescue, but to secure the area.

"First a tactical response was needed," says a senior U.S. counterterrorism official, "and while that was being implemented, the holistic response could have been developed and deployed within hours" which could have allowed the FBI investigate safely on site well ahead of the "24 days it took."

Actually, the second e-mail sent by the embassy to the White House specifically said that the compound had been cleared and that a response team was already on site.

That being said, the delay of the FBI investigation was due (in part) to bureaucratic obstruction by the Libyan government, which is disgraceful in its own right but is different from a lack of man-power or tactical resources.

reply to post by buckrogerstime

an email from Tripoli ??? as that's the only embassy in the country.

so, with direct communications on the ground, at the consulate/annex, the WH is relying on info provided from 1/2 a country away ??
is this what you're trying to imply ?

That being said, the delay of the FBI investigation was due (in part) to bureaucratic obstruction by the Libyan government, which is disgraceful in its own right but is different from a lack of man-power or tactical resources.

so, got any links for this statement ?
how and why would a lack of man-power or tactical resources in the Libyan government delay an FBI investigation?

I haven't seen this posted on ATS before. Just came across it and think this is really important, especially give the discussion about CNN going on in this thread. Please take a couple of minutes to watch it right away. This truly exposes the fact that we were deliberately lied to! Watch it right away...

An impassioned Brian Lilley tells us what we already know: that the mainstream media is lying when they report that the mohammadan riots are a response to the film "The Innocence of muslims."