Advantaging A Campaign
"We had FAST platoons in the region. We had ships that we had deployed off of Libya. And we were prepared to respond to any contingency and certainly had forces in place to do that. But the basic principle here - basic principle - is that you don't deploy forces into harm's way without knowing what's going on, without having some real-time information about what's taking place."
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta
You've just got to wonder why it is that people do these things to themselves. Offer up explanations that on the surface sound reliably plausible, but as soon as evidence to the contrary becomes available, it becomes abundantly clear that they have indulged in bald-faced obfuscations known in less refined circles as outright lies.
What Leon Panetta expressed excused the U.S. administration of responsibility in the seemingly inadequate response to a dread emergency that resulted in the deaths of four Americans. Deaths that were avoidable. Firstly, if the repeated appeals from their own security personnel and that of the Ambassador to Libya had been taken seriously, for the need of additional security. On the basis of intelligence received, warning of an impending attack.
Secondly, had the administration reacted immediately it became aware of the true nature of what was transpiring, an organized, well-armed terrorist attack on their consulate in Benghazi. Which the security personnel, locally engaged militias which were refused weapons, and whose personnel melted into the background at the first volleys of gunfire from the attackers, proved the inadequacy of security.
From President Obama, to his Secretary of Defense, to his UN Ambassador, to his Secretary of State, all claiming to have understood that the assault started out as a peaceful demonstration protesting the Mohammad-insulting video Innocence of Muslims, to the truth of the matter, that they were able to view in real time the assault as it was taking place through the auspices of a surveillance drone, the truth is otherwise than what was claimed.
That audio feed was being monitored in "real time" by a State Department diplomatic security official. The reality of what was occurring, when it was happening, was what they were privy to, yet no actionable immediate response to rescue their diplomatic mission and staff was undertaken. A reality that they have all been very busy denying. And the Republicans are holding their feet to the fire over that:
"Unfortunately, you and your senior administration officials have not been forthcoming in providing answers to the many questions that have emerged." Senator John McCain
"This tragedy turned into a debacle and massive cover-up or massive incompetence in Libya is having an impact on the voters because of their view of the commander-in-chief. It is now the worst cover-up or incompetence I have ever observed in my life. Somebody the other day said to me, 'Well, this is as bad as Watergate.' Nobody died in Watergate."
On the other hand, the voting public does have a notoriously short memory. The Benghazi debacle occurred weeks ago. What has more recently occurred is a president resolutely standing beside the afflicted voters in New York and New Jersey whom Hurricane Sandy has dealt a relentlessly miserable blow to. At least 90 people have been killed, hundreds of homes and businesses destroyed, the most dynamic city in the country paralyzed.
And there is the president, looking reliably presidential, striding through the debris, hugging haggard residents, promising FEMA will do what it must to help them put their lives back together. And though there are many residents complaining that they haven't been able to rely on anyone but themselves to get themselves back together, all that laudable television coverage does wonders for an election campaign.
So ... to the most visibly enterprising and capable ... go the spoils.
Labels: Chaos, Human Relations, Libya, Natural Disasters, Political Realities, Security, Traditions, United States
posted by Pieface @ Saturday, November 03, 2012
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