‘The fact remains — as we have repeatedly indicated —
that United States forces could not have arrived in time to mount a
rescue of those Americans killed or injured that night.’
- George Little, Pentagon spokesman
Soooo weird.
We could send both a Learjet and a C-130 transport from Tripoli to Benghazi to pick up some of the State and CIA personnel DURING THE ATTACK
(before the second attack and the first on the annex), but we couldn’t send
members of the Special Forces that were in Tripoli (and told to stand
down…twice) to Benghazi because they were too far away?
On the one hand, Greg Hicks, Ambassador Stevens' deputy, flew from Tripoli to Benghazi between the first and last waves of the attack. On the other hand, SOCAFRICA commander Lieutenant Colonel Gibson and his Special Forces team were on their way to board the same C-130, which carried Mr Hicks from Tripoli, for Benghazi prior to an attack on a second U.S. compound 'when [Colonel Gibson] got a phone call from SOCAFRICA which said, 'you can't go now, you don't have the authority to go now.' And so they missed the flight ... They were told not to board the flight, so they missed it.'
On the one hand, Greg Hicks, Ambassador Stevens' deputy, flew from Tripoli to Benghazi between the first and last waves of the attack. On the other hand, SOCAFRICA commander Lieutenant Colonel Gibson and his Special Forces team were on their way to board the same C-130, which carried Mr Hicks from Tripoli, for Benghazi prior to an attack on a second U.S. compound 'when [Colonel Gibson] got a phone call from SOCAFRICA which said, 'you can't go now, you don't have the authority to go now.' And so they missed the flight ... They were told not to board the flight, so they missed it.'
Was Benghazi a safer destination to which to travel for diplomats than it is for an American Special Forces team?
Sounds pretty BS-y to me.
The other obvious problem with the Pentagon’s position is that it is based on facts that were unknown when the decision was made. At the times of the decision and multiple stand down orders, NO ONE KNEW HOW LONG THE ATTACK WOULD LAST. No one knew if it would be over in minutes, hours, days, weeks, or even months or years, for that matter. 20/20 hindsight is nice, but it is not determinative.
The American Way is to leave no one behind. Evidently, the Obama/Clinton Way is to leave more than 30 Americans behind to die. Even if it takes all night!
It was the heroism of Glen Dogherty and Ty Woods that prevented a terrorist attack that, sadly, killed 4 Americans from turning into a massacre of dozens. They disobeyed stand down orders not once, not twice, but three times. The Commander-in- Chief was A.W.O.L.
Related reading:
10 Reasons Why The 'Blame Benghazi On Budget Cuts' Meme Doesn't Pass The Smell Test
Benghazi: The Pentagon Sets Off The Bullshit Detector
The Talking Points' Evolution
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