Quote:
Originally Posted by Stormieweather
You know, I have lived overseas, in the middle east, and was employed by the US army, on a base. I worked for a year as a communications coordinator. I know how information from situations and other countries on the other side of the world comes in...bits and pieces and dribs and drabs.
There is confusion, conflicting information, missing information and some guesswork involved. As more and more information is received, the picture begins to develop and crystalize. But it isn't complete (or accurate) in an hour, or day, or even a month.
Unlike in the US, you can't just send personnel from point A to B and expect them to get there like an ambulance would do here!. There are unbelievable traffic situations, foreign military checkpoints to get through, tons of bureaucracy and red tape to navigate. ...
And then you have people all along the way who may have made mistakes and are covering ass. So they may fudge and/or leave things out trying to protect themselves and their fellows.
I think it is absolutely absurd to expect the commanders, including the commander-in-chief, to have everything 100% accurate, immediately.
Additionally, Ambassador Stevens was not dragged through the streets by Al Qaeda. He was found in the safe room, nearly dead from smoke inhalation (which he did eventually die from) and rescued. The cheers in that video going around is because he was alive! I'd really refrain from going around calling people dimwits until you get your own facts straight, Adak. 
New York Times |
That's because the video you watched, was taken by the locals who were trying to defend the Ambassador. They weren't the terrorists who were attacking the consulate!
Those defenders were too little, and too late, to save the Ambassador. They were driven off after Stevens was found alive, by the terrorists. Then he was dragged briefly, before they re-grouped and drove the terrorists away, for the last time, and recovered Stevens. THEN they took him straightaway, to the hospital.
The intel was perfectly clear. Consulate had an "attack" alarm to let the Embassy in Tripoli know they were under attack. That was pressed as soon as the attack started.
Subsequent phone calls and emails were sent both by the Ambassador and by the ex-Seal type CIA agents who were 1/3rd of a mile away, on Consulate grounds, but in another building (the Annex). They could distinctly hear the gunfire, and called it in to their superiors, as well.
The CIA guys were told to evacuate with the Americans that they could get from the Consulate - away to the nearby airport and fly out on a plane that was standing by for them.
This is the article on the revised account given by the CIA on this:
Quote:
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When the team finally managed to secure transportation and an armed escort into Benghazi, they learned that Stevens “was almost certainly dead and that the security situation at the hospital was uncertain.” At that point they headed to the annex to help evacuate the Americans located there .
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http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics...uick-response/
Did you notice the "he was almost certainly dead" part?
That's because they heard that Stevens body had been dragged before it was recovered and taken to the hospital.
They're not going to say "Oh yeah, Stevens body was bouncing right along the street there, for 1/2 a mile before it could be recovered".
That would not be PC, and would not CTAsses.
This timeline does appear to support a better response, from the Embassy in Tripoli, however. Dohan (killed on the annex roof with Woods), was from Tripoli's response team.
Re: name calling
You get what you give. You want name calling, you'll get it right back.
Re: facts
All the facts are not in. The above statements I made are believed accurate, but the CIA and State Department, and the White House, are all trying to CTAsses on this one - so the real truth is not clear yet.
Senate hearing on this begin next week.