The old thread here on Benghazi dropped off the map, but I said back then we hadn't seen the last of it. Now there's a whole lot more damning information coming to light, and it's going to end ugly, mark my words. "The dam is about to break" on Benghazi. Reportedly, the whistleblowers will testify there were direct standdown orders given to response teams heading to the scene.

Here's a couple of summaries:



CBS covered it in depth for the first time recently, here and here, as well as the TV special.

When they say assets were available, and the information was coming in from the site, they're absolutely correct. And the fact that this guy hasn't come forward until now, and sounds scared out of his mind over repercussions, should be at least a bit worrisome to Americans.

A hearing is scheduled tomorrow and will be live at 11:30am ET/8:30am PT on C-SPAN3. Whistleblowers are starting to come out and directly refute the talking points the White House has been repeating for the last eight months. Two of the whistleblowers to testify tomorrow are Greg Hicks, deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Libya, and Mark Thompson, deputy coordinator for operations in the department's counter-terrorism division. These guys were front and center in everything when it was going down there, and their story is 100% different than what the White House and State Department have been telling us. Not only that, but the State Department has been trying to damage their reputations, and won't even say their own high-ranking officials are credible people. Not only that, they've been reportedly purposely stalling, obfuscating, and even threatening the witnesses.

Fox and CBS have begun to cover it, but there is a huge silence from the other networks so far on this, even while they have the time to report about J-Lo, and Gov. Christie's surgery, and other such very important news items. As this unfolds, it's only going to get more painfully obvious they don't even want to explore what might hurt the administration they threw their whole support behind. If this had happened a half dozen years ago, it would be running front page news in every single news outlet in America.

And it's not just a "Rethuglican political issue" either, as much as liberals are screaming it is. Democrats are also starting to break from the party line and begin looking for the truth:



Watergate, which this has been compared somewhat to, was a hotel break-in to wire-tap and garner information about the opposing candidate in order to win an election, and a subsequent cover-up about it.

Benghazi, if the allegations are true was: #1. a direct order from the President telling assets to stand down and not help the embassy personnel leading to American deaths, #2. a cover-up pinning blame for the attack on a video to preserve the President's reelection chances, #3. facts about the attack changed to purge talking points of any extremist or al Qaeda references, key personnel being cut out of the loop in gathering intelligence on the inquiry, #5. the Secretary of State lying under oath about it, and #6. the vast majority of mainstream media is not even curious.

So how about it, folks? Still buying what they're shoveling here? If so, I can probably get you 150:1 odds of the Seahawks winning the Super Bowl.

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I blog, I tweet. When I'm not writing or goofing around on Seahawks.NET.

Obama is a Chicago thug, so is his administration. Lies are how they operate.

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"Are we rockin' and rollin' or what?!''

-- Seattle coach Pete Carroll, celebrating with his coaches after the Seahawks pulled off a trade with the Jets, netting running back Leon Washington on Saturday, via Seahawks.com

Politicians all lie. Nuanced, semantical manipulation of words is the name of the game. If they aren't lying, they aren't trying.

Benghazi is an embarrassment. I would be surprised to learn if Obama called off all immediate help and let off a feral cackle as Americans were killed. If that comes out, I'll support an impeachment.

Is the feral cackle portion the part that upsets you the most?

And Bill Clinton was a murderer, and Ronald Reagan was involved with Iran Contra at all, right? I swear, you conservatives really think the Democrats are actually worse then Republicans. Choose a side you get fucked over by both.

This shouldn't be a partisan issue, but sadly is has become one, because people can't seem to drop the party line long enough to pay attention to what's really going on. The accusations here make this an issue that is possibly much larger than Watergate, something which took a U.S. President out of office by resignation in the face of impeachment, and yet compare the coverage to that of Newtown. Drastic difference. In fact, some in the media aren't "sure why this is such a big story right now." Accusations that could force an impeachment of the President of the United States, and it's baffling why this could be a big deal?



They wonder what the administration is covering up, but fail to notice that multiple times, and even as late as September 25 - a full two weeks after the attacks - President Obama himself was pushing the YouTube video as the source of this attack, while knowing the true nature of the attack while it was happening. “A crude and disgusting video sparked outrage throughout the Muslim world:”



Of course, the President was not alone in this. Secretary Clinton, Ambassador Rice, Jay Carney, and others in the administration were insistent, adamant, and emphatic that this was all a result of impromptu demonstrations caused by the YouTube video. On the anniversary of September 11. In an unstable Muslim country known for sending foreign mujaheddin to fight Americans. After several attacks, warnings of attacks, and repeated requests for more security. And they kept beating this drum until that narrative fell apart a couple of weeks later.

Now a number of whistleblowers are directly refuting what the administration has repeatedly said, and their testimony seems to fall into line with what we're finding out is the real story of what happened there. So how is this not a huge, gigantic, enormous story, capable of 24/7 coverage by all networks? Accusations that could lead to impeachment of the President of the United States are deemed less important than Governor Christie's stomach surgery, or whatever other "breaking news" the networks are dwelling on? The only way this is remotely possible is if the media is totally in the bag for the president and does not want to let the truth come out. Even if completely false, such accusations would be greatly newsworthy, no? Temper your expectations and opinions of those reporting this accordingly.

It's a pretty bad shame this country has come to this. No, it's not some great thing that this is happening. It's despicable. But stick around, folks, I have a gut feeling we're going to be witness to some very dramatic history.

Oh, and lost in all this, the only person arrested in connection with this was The film-maker, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, who was arrested for violating parole for the prior crimes of intent to manufacture meth and bank fraud. Instead of the usual low bail assigned to such cases, he was granted no bail and incarcerated. Does this make anyone at all confident about this administration's handling of any of this?

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I blog, I tweet. When I'm not writing or goofing around on Seahawks.NET.

This is all a bunch of malarkey. And it is a partisan issue. This is America so it's always a partisan issue. The government lies and covers things up and Americans die every single day.

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Tanzania¹²

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Talent can get you to the playoffs.
It takes character to win when you get there.

Ah yes, Sutz, thank you for bringing that up. I was wondering when that would get trotted out. That graphic shows a consistent trend of attacks against U.S. assets in Muslim countries, that has actually continued well into the present. This is a known thing. We have proof right there in that graphic that such an attack should have been, if not expected, at least anticipated. And still we were unprepared.

One point of concern that also brings up: how many of those attacks were blamed on a completely unrelated (and previously obscure) thing like that YouTube video for weeks afterward? How many of those incidents were covered up by an administration passing it off as something completely different, midst allegations of threats and coercion and stall tactics? How many times did the Secretary of State lie under office to protect the Bush administration's coverup? The ol' "Bush lied; people died" mantra is still in full effect, but yet, according to the official White House spokesman, Benghazi "happened a long time ago" and we should all move on. Which is it? Of course, this begs the question, even if Bush got away with horrible atrocities, does that make this cover-up any more justified? Should we throw ol' Obama a bone because fairness and equality and all? Or maybe we see justification because he was simply unprepared and inept (fine traits in a leader, those).

Also, Zeb: are you saying Benghazi is no big deal because the government has a history of lying to us, and therefore we're totally justified writing this off as an "oops," or are you suggesting Nixon shouldn't have been prosecuted for Watergate? Since when is complacency a justification for not expecting honesty, integrity, and truth from elected officials in the highest elected office in the land?

I was curious to see who would jump all over this and start throwing blame and justification all over the place, and who would honestly want answers to unanswered questions, even if they turn out in favor of the administration. Guess we're finding out.

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I blog, I tweet. When I'm not writing or goofing around on Seahawks.NET.

You "conservatives" need to come up with a new scandal, ya'll shot yer wad on this one long ago! Though I'm not surprised since you are "recycling" the same old shit, you guys haven't recycled the "birther" BS again, and that disappoints!

I'm sure Obama has some illegitimate children running around that your heroes Fox News, Alex Jones, Breitbart, Drudge, WorldNetDaily, NewsMax <insert other favorite extremist conservative website here> etc etc will dig up soon! Can't wait for the next one!

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Hugh Millen = CBJ minus the cool beard

Total partison bullshit.. Even the idiots know this is total BS.. Anyone bring up this shit up and not the lies of the BUSH wars is a traitor PERIOD..

Were you this upset when your pal Bush lied this country into 2 wars, killing thousands of US service men and women and killed 100,000 innocent Iraqi citizens in the process, put the bill on the American Taxpayers credit card, which sent the American economy into the shitter or was the A-Ok with you because he played for your favorite political party?????? You so called "conservatives" need to start holding your own team, the (R)'s to the same standards you hold your political enemies to. Then, and only then, will shit like you posted be "Non-partisan"!

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Hugh Millen = CBJ minus the cool beard

YES clean your damn house before you start thrown stones.. SICK MFer's...

Yes. It would prove a presence of malice. There is none, yet Republicans are grasping at straws trying to prove there is.

I can't speak on Watergate because I wasn't there and I don't really know shit about it. What I'm saying is we accept them lying and killing people and covering shit up all the time, what makes this one such a big deal? Why are you so up in arms about this one and not all the others? Couldn't have anything to do with it being the same one all the Republicans are making a big deal out of now, could it?

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Tanzania¹²

"In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members. It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons." Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002

I fail to see how a war started with complete bi-partisan effort, with full approval from the UN, has anything to do with this, no matter what the results. The Republicans are not "my team," no matter how often you say they are. But of course, keep on talking about 2003 like it was yesterday, because as long as we can shift the focus to BOOOOOOOOSH! everything will be cool.



This thread has been so far pretty damn predictable.

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I blog, I tweet. When I'm not writing or goofing around on Seahawks.NET.

Well to be fair it started out pretty predictable.

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Tanzania¹²

How so? I laid out the accusations being raised by whistleblowers directly refuting what this administration has said, and the media coverage that has just now started to emerge on the subject. The testimony is tomorrow, and less than half the media is covering it, even though it is testimony which if true will provide ample evidence to impeach a sitting president. I said the shit is about to hit the fan on this, no matter which way it ends up.

So far most of the responses have been something along the lines of "politicians lie all the time so what and booooooosh!" The apologist rhetoric is starting to sound an awful lot like Stealers fans after SBXL*.

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I blog, I tweet. When I'm not writing or goofing around on Seahawks.NET.

I really doubt that, but it won't stop hypocritical Republicans from trying. If Bush didn't deserve to be impeached after repeated warning of a imminent terrorist attack before 9/11 that he and his whole administration ignored then Obama doesn't deserve it either. He even has a great dismissive quote after one of those debriefings which was "Okay, you've covered your ass now." So if Bush can get away with that shit, and still have Republicans claim he kept us safe from terrorism, then Obama doesn't deserve it here either. The hypocrisy from the right on his issue is so blatant it is almost comical.

Do I think there needs to be an investigation and changes made? Most definitely, but the rhetoric in regards to Obama from the right should be seen for what it is, a national embarrassment.

Not allowed to say Bush. Way in the past. All sins are forgiven. Well, not Clinton's but... you get it.

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Tanzania¹²