Shocked and saddened by the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens

[FirefightnRick]

American Killed in Libya Was on Intel Mission to Track Weapons""

http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=17229037

..."One of the Americans killed alongside Ambassador Christopher Stevens in an attack on a U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya Tuesday told ABC News before his death that he was working with the State Department on an intelligence mission to round up dangerous weapons in the war-torn nation.

In an interview with ABC News last month, Glen Doherty, a 42-year-old former Navy SEAL who worked as a contractor with the State Department, said he personally went into the field to track down so-called MANPADS, shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles, and destroy them. After the fall of dictator Moammar Gadhafi, the State Department launched a mission to round up thousands of MANPADS that may have been looted from military installations across the country. U.S. officials previously told ABC News they were concerned the MANPADS could fall into the hands of terrorists, creating a threat to commercial airliners.

Doherty said that he traveled throughout Libya chasing reports of the weapons and once they were found, his team would destroy them on the spot by bashing them with hammers or repeatedly running them over with their vehicles. When ABC News spoke to Doherty in late August, he was enjoying a short time off in California before heading back to Libya just days ago.

The State Department declined to comment on Doherty's involvement in the MANPADS program, but pointed to a previous statement from State Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs Andrew Shapiro in which he said the department was looking at "every possible tool to mitigate the threat."

According to military records provided to ABC News, Doherty joined the Navy in 1996 and was a combat medic and a decorated member of the elite SEAL teams by the time he left active duty in 2004. He's described in glowing terms as a top-tier SEAL and better friend in the book "The Red Circle," written by Doherty's longtime friend and SEAL sniper school partner, Brandon Webb.

"Glen was a superb and respected operator, a true quiet professional," Webb told ABC News today. "Don't feel sorry for him, he wouldn't have it. He died serving with men he respected, protecting the freedoms we enjoy as Americans and doing something he loved. He was my best friend and one of the finest human beings I've ever known."

Doherty's mother, Barbara, told ABC News' Boston affiliate WCVB she had been notified of her son's death late Wednesday.

"He was the most wonderful person," she said. "We are all in pain and suffering."

Ambassador Stevens and State Department information management officer Sean Smith were killed in the first wave of attacks in Benghazi when the building they were in was set on fire around 10 p.m. local time Tuesday, a senior administration official told reporters. Doherty was apparently one of two other Americans who were killed in a firefight nearly two hours later, while the facility was still under attack. The fourth victim has not been identified....."

What I would like to know is why wasnt security beefed up at all embassy's the closer we got to 9-11?

Rick

[CMJ]

Every possibility that the arrests are the people in that twitter picture you posted.

Lets just see what happens.

I guess my point in finding these articles and pictures is to try and show that there seems to be a sizeable part of the population that is on our side. It's not all negative in Libya.

[emmitt01]

But, the biggest deal for Obama and company seems to be how to lash back at Romney for actually having the guts to say something......go figure...

It's funny KRAM, but Republicans are lining right along with that Boogeyman Man Obama in condemning the timing of Romney's words. Care to explain how our President is also responsible for THEIR condemnations...or is that not politically convenient?

[FirefightnRick]

An interesting claim comming out of a British news source.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/revealed-inside-story-of-us-envoys-assassination-8135797.html

..."According to senior diplomatic sources, the US State Department had credible information 48 hours before mobs charged the consulate in Benghazi, and the embassy in Cairo, that American missions may be targeted, but no warnings were given for diplomats to go on high alert and "lockdown", under which movement is severely restricted..."

....to which the U.S. denies...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/81198.html

..."The Obama administration is flatly denying a blaring British newspaper report that the U.S. diplomats in Libya were killed as a result of a “continuing security breach,” and that “credible information” about possible attacks had been ignored....."

Rick

Edited September 14, 2012 by FirefightnRick

[GreenBat]

Gov. Perry is at it again.

http://www.wfaa.com/news/texas-news/Perry-lashes-out-at-Obama-after--169527056.html

[Side Show Joe]

Obama and his administration are a disgrace. His weak foreign policy and support for the Arab Spring have led to these tragedies, regardless of what his press secretary says, and every honest, level-headed American knows it.

All the sarcasm and wit from liberals on this board won't change that.

[KRAM1]

Result of a weak president and a weak foreign policy...not to mention pandering to the radical muslim crowd in the middle east. All you have to do is read/listen to the comments coming out of Egypt and Libya and then the US response to know just how weak they see the US these days and how they know the US will keep pouring money and personnel into the Arab causes...all the while doing all it can to distance itself from the only true ally the US has in the region....go figure. But....let's just sit down and talk...it will be OK...that's been the problem all along, these folks are just misguided and we just need to talk to them and all will be worked out! Yep...how's that working out for you O?

These "peaceful" folks are just having a street party, right?

Hard to have a democracy when the populace is ignorant and the country's leadership is nothing more than some shills for a bunch of radical clerics. Until this area develops a much more highly educated population...heck most of these folks probably cannot even read what's in the Koran....it will rely on Clerics...trained and untrained...to "TELL" them what to do...they really have no clue. But...you know, we can just sit down and have a good chat and all will be peachy keen!

This is a sad situation. The folks loved this great nation of ours and were serving it well in a "deadly" region of the world...and we have an uneducated and un-policed bunch of religious nut cases running around freely killing people...all in the name of their religion. Nice! You'll show them O, you'll just not invite them to the next afternoon tea party!

Plenty of sarcasm in this post in case you missed it.

[Rudy]

Obama and his administration are a disgrace. His weak foreign policy and support for the Arab Spring have led to these tragedies, regardless of what his press secretary says, and every honest, level-headed American knows it.

All the sarcasm and wit from liberals on this board won't change that.

As evil as some of those overthrown leaders were, there was a delicate balance between their insanity and their understanding of the balance of relations with the U.S. Many tried to warn what would happen if they were ousted, but noone listened.

[Legend500]

The situation reminds me to a large extent of what happened in the Gaza Strip. The Bush Administration (rightly) supported the democratization of the area, but then condemned the democratic process because people we didn't like got elected.

Same thing has happened here. Obama rightly supported the overthrow of dictatorial regimes, and now some people are criticizing his support of democracy in Libya, Egypt Tunisia and Yemen because it turns out that they might not support everything that we do.

There's no excuse for the violation of sovereignty which the death of Ambassador Stevens represents. The proper response, however, is not war unless one supports the notion that the United States should operate as an imperial power (and is willing to pay the taxes associated with the same). Our last attempt to play at empire ended laughably in Iraq - mainly because the initial proponents of that action failed to actually support it when the going got tough (mainly by refusing to pay for it).

So what should happen? It should be left up to the local authorities to conduct their investigations and turn over the perpetrators of these acts to the United States for trial and punishment (and not indefinite detention as is the case in Guantanamo). Unlike the vast majority of these Mohammedan savages, we are an adult nation of laws, and should comport ourselves as such.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

I don't have time to read all of the posts because I have to spend some time at work working on work-related work. But, I'll take a few seconds to make a few points here about the near and mid east, so that you'll have to proper perspective.

First of all, even though we're not Muslims, I don't understand why idiots over here feel the need to poke and prod at Muslims with these stupid films about Muhammed/Mohammed/Muhamed, etc. There really is not point to them. We already know there are Muslim extremists; this isn't news. There is no point in continually pointing out the weirdness of "The Prophet" and his modern day followers. Just leave it alone already. Quit kicking the ant pile.

So to speak. Soda speak? So to speak. It's like when i'm driving in the car and my kids start fighting in the backseat over nothing. Just shut up already or I'll have to pull over and spank both of you.

In spite of the First Amendment, can't we find a legal way to spank this idiot "film maker"? This is the problem with decades and decades of the First Amendment being used to protect "artists" who produce nothing but putrid, inflamatory crap. Whether it's porn or gore or this kind of abject political garbage, we'll have the problems pop up from time to time because we're too stupid and stubborn to stop it.

[GreenMachine]

I don't have time to read all of the posts because I have to spend some time at work working on work-related work. But, I'll take a few seconds to make a few points here about the near and mid east, so that you'll have to proper perspective.

First of all, even though we're not Muslims, I don't understand why idiots over here feel the need to poke and prod at Muslims with these stupid films about Muhammed/Mohammed/Muhamed, etc. There really is not point to them. We already know there are Muslim extremists; this isn't news. There is no point in continually pointing out the weirdness of "The Prophet" and his modern day followers. Just leave it alone already. Quit kicking the ant pile.

So to speak. Soda speak? So to speak. It's like when i'm driving in the car and my kids start fighting in the backseat over nothing. Just shut up already or I'll have to pull over and spank both of you.

In spite of the First Amendment, can't we find a legal way to spank this idiot "film maker"? This is the problem with decades and decades of the First Amendment being used to protect "artists" who produce nothing but putrid, inflamatory crap. Whether it's porn or gore or this kind of abject political garbage, we'll have the problems pop up from time to time because we're too stupid and stubborn to stop it.

Come on man, if it isn't a stupid film poking fun at their Muhammad, it would be something else that sets them off. The extremists are a bunch of animals, they need to be treated like animals.

[The Fake Lonnie Finch]

Come on man, if it isn't a stupid film poking fun at their Muhammad, it would be something else that sets them off. The extremists are a bunch of animals, they need to be treated like animals.

Yes. I agree that something else will "set them off." So, why pile on? They invent enough crap in their twisted minds about us anyway. So, why just hand them ammunition?

This "film maker" is nothing but a hate-monger. Really, no better than those he purports to expose.

Edited September 17, 2012 by The Fake Lonnie Finch

[Cr1028]

I heard that Stevens' body was treated like Gadhafi's. Is the true or just inflammatory rumor?

[UNT90]

Sickening to see an administration talking head on the Sunday morning news shows throwing out the company line that the Lybian embassy terrorist attack was a spontaneous crowd reaction to a movie trailer.

I guess re-election is more important than the truth.

[FirefightnRick]

Sickening to see an administration talking head on the Sunday morning news shows throwing out the company line that the Lybian embassy terrorist attack was a spontaneous crowd reaction to a movie trailer.

I guess re-election is more important than the truth.

"Libya: We gave US three-day warning of Benghazi attack"

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/libya-we-gave-us-threeday-warning-of-benghazi-attack-8145242.html

"But President Megarif told the American station National Public Radio: "We firmly believe that this was a pre-calculated, pre-planned attack that was carried out specifically to attack the US Consulate. A few of those who joined in were foreigners who had entered Libya from different directions, some of them definitely from Mali and Algeria..."

Rick

[FirefightnRick]

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/26/14105135-libyan-president-to-nbc-anti-islam-film-had-nothing-to-do-with-us-consulate-attack?lite

..."In an exclusive interview with NBC News' Ann Curry, President Mohamed Magarief discounted claims that the attack was in response to a movie produced in California and available on YouTube. He noted that the assault happened on Sept. 11 and that the video had been available for months before that..."

But didn't we just spend $70k or so to send out an apology/appeasement film in response to the first one?

Rick

[All About UNT]

-Adolph Dubs, in Afghanistan, 1979 by a Maoist group no longer in existence. Some would argue that the Soviet Advisers in Afghanistan were to blame since they decided to try and make an attempt to rescue him and following the trend of Soviet and Russian rescue missions things went wrong.

-Francis E. Meloy Jr., in Lebanon, 1976 by a leftist Palestinian Liberation group... they are Marxist-Leninist

-Rodger P. Davies, in Cyprus, 1974 killed by a Greek-Cypriot supporter. The island is split between fanatical pro-Greek or pro-Turkish inhabitants..... Rodger was caught in the conflict.

-Cleo A. Noel Jr., in Sudan, 1973 By the Black September group of the PLO when they stormed the Saudi Embassy in Sudan

-John Gordon Mein, in Guatemala, 1968 - by a leftist separatist group that is no longer in existence

I just wrote out a nice little snippet on each of these deaths and why they occurred and by whom... then I accidentally hit the wrong key and it deleted everything.

The point is here that none of these groups represented much if any of their country of representation's inhabitants. They were committed by small and yet fanatical groups of people WHO F THINGS UP FOR EVERYONE.

[UNTLifer]

Either way, why has the White House lied and tried to cover up the real reason for the attack. Better yet, why are we sending money to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt?

[GreenBat]

WTF are you talking about?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-aid-to-egypt-stalled/2012/09/17/36ef0402-00e0-11e2-9367-4e1bafb958db_story.html

[UNTLifer]

The demonstrations "sparked by an anti- muslim video." Really?

[FirefightnRick]

"CIA Operatives Were Denied Requests For Help During Benghazi Attack"

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/10/26/cia-operators-were-denied-request-for-help-during-benghazi-attack-sources-say/#

..."Fox News has learned from sources who were on the ground in Benghazi that an urgent request from the CIA annex for military back-up during the attack on the U.S. consulate and subsequent attack several hours later on the annex itself was denied by the CIA chain of command -- who also told the CIA operators twice to "stand down" rather than help the ambassador's team when shots were heard at approximately 9:40 p.m. in Benghazi on Sept. 11...."

Rick

Edited October 29, 2012 by FirefightnRick

[UNT90]

This is.a really, really sad and maddening event, if recent details are true. CIA ask for help on 3 separate occasions over an event that lasted 7 hours and were denied by Washington in each request. Pinetta was receiving realtime feeds yet refused to do anything.

A CIA operative on top of the CIA annex had the terrorists mortar launcher marked with a laser, begging for an inbound airstrike against the mortar site. Again, this request was denied.

We can send air support for Libyan nationals, but not for American citizens.

Maddening.

Edited October 29, 2012 by UNT90

[FirefightnRick]

ABC News: "Benghazi: Obama Begs Off Answering Whether Americans Were Denied Help"

http://abcnews.go.com/m/blogEntry?id=17575850

..."In an interview with a Denver TV reporter Friday, President Obama twice refused to answer questions as to whether the Americans under siege in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012, were denied requests for help, saying he's waiting for the results of investigations before making any conclusions about what went wrong.

After being asked about possible denials of requests for aid, and whether it's fair to tell Americans that what happened is under investigation and won't be released until after the election, the president said, "the election has nothing to do with four brave Americans getting killed and us wanting to find out exactly what happened. These are folks who served under me who I had sent to some very dangerous places. Nobody wants to find out more what happened than I do...."

Rick

[UNT90]

http://video.foxnews.com/v/1926509622001/cia-requests-for-help-in-benghazi-attack-denied

IF TRUE, this is pretty explosive stuff. Just amazing that we will send an airstrike in to help rebels overthrow Kadafi, but not to help Americans under fire.

And then the administrations tries to tell us this is a spontaneous riot about a video tape? Really? With freaking mortar rounds?

The cover-up, as always, is the problems in situations like this. The fact that Pres. Obama refused to answer a direct question about whether Washington denied military aid when requested tells me that these allegations are probably true (Costas-Sandusky came to mind in that exchange).

[FirefightnRick]

"Classified cable warned consulate couldn't withstand 'coordinated attack''

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/10/31/exclusive-us-memo-warned-libya-consulate-couldnt-withstand-coordinated-attack/

.."The U.S. Mission in Benghazi convened an “emergency meeting” less than a month before the assault that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans, because Al Qaeda had training camps in Benghazi and the consulate could not defend against a “coordinated attack,” according to a classified cable reviewed by Fox News.."

Rick