BLOG POST # 28 THE BENGAZHI ATTACK TIMELINE (first 15 days)
Day 1 Tuesday, September 11th, 2012
While Americans observe a National Day of Remembrance, a U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, is breached. American Ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens, and three other Americans are killed by militants in an attack. He is the first U.S. Ambassador killed since 1979.
Chris Steven's bruised, lifeless body is dragged through the streets of Benghazi.
(1) Reaction is one of outrage as the picture is circulated on the internet and made public. Questions arise, and the President's silence is defeaning. How could this happen to a diplomat and why isn't he speaking out against it?
An apology is issued via the official website of the United States Embassy in Cairo, Egypt. The Embassy first said it issued the statement
before the attack, then later said via Twitter that it stood by it's condemnation but decried the breach of the compound.
Hours following the apology by the Embassy in Cairo, thousands of proteste
rs penetrate Embassy grounds by climbing its walls and entering the garden where they rip down and burn the American flag and replace it with one reading: "There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is the Prophet of Allah." They chant "Obama, Obama, there are still a billion Osamas". One sign covers the name of the Embassy at the gate. (2)
Criticism over the apologies prompts the White House to distance itself from the State Department's comments, saying,
"The statement by Embassy Cairo was not cleared by Washington and does not reflect the views of the United States government," this according to a senior administration official to Politico.
(3)
As a result of White House comments, the embassy account deletes its post-attack and earlier tweets quoting the original statement.
(3a)(3b) http://egypt.usembassy.gov/pr091112.html (page not found)
At 9:54 p.m Secretary of State Clinton reiterates the U.S. apology via Twitter: "StateDeptVerified@StateDept: The U.S. deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. http://state.gov
A press statement is also issued by Secretary Clinton on the Benghazi attack Tuesday evening:
Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
September 11, 2012
I condemn in the strongest terms the attack on our mission in Benghazi today. As we work to secure our personnel and facilities, we have confirmed that one of our State Department officers was killed. We are heartbroken by this terrible loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and those who have suffered in this attack.
This evening, I called Libyan President Magariaf to coordinate additional support to protect Americans in Libya. President Magariaf expressed his condemnation and condolences and pledged his government’s full cooperation.
Some have sought to justify this vicious behavior as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet. The United States deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. Our commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation. But let me be clear: There is never any justification for violent acts of this kind.
In light of the events of today, the United States government is working with p
artner countries around the world to protect our personnel, our missions, and American citizens worldwide
Meanwhile, President Obama does not schedule an appointment to see Prime Minister Netanyahu, but instead, finds the time to fly to Las Vegas for a fundraiser, and schedule for another fundraiser with Jay-Z and Beyonce the following week, where 100 guests will pay $40,000 per ticket. He accepts an invitation to appear on the David Letterman Show as well. (4)
Obama also tapes a strange video via the White House youtube channel where he greets the Emir of Qatar and praises the Arab Spring.
Sarah Palin writes on her facebook page (at around 11 p.m. Tuesday night.)
Apparently President Obama can’t see Egypt and Libya from his house. On the anniversary of the worst terrorist attacks ever perpetrated on America, our embassy in Cairo and our consulate in Benghazi were attacked by violent Islamic mobs. In Cairo, they scaled the walls of our embassy, destroyed our flag, and replaced it with a black Islamic banner. In Benghazi, the armed gunmen set fire to our consulate and killed an American staff member. The Islamic radicals claim that these attacks are in protest to some film criticizing Islam. In response to this, the U.S. Embassy in Cairo issued a statement that was so outrageous many of us thought it must be a satire. The Embassy actually apologized to the violent mob attacking us, and it even went so far as to chastise those who use free speech to “hurt the religious feelings of Muslims.” (Funny, the current administration has no problem hurting the “religious feelings” of Catholics.)
But where is the president’s statement about this? These countries represent his much touted “Arab Spring.” How’s that Arab Spring working out for us now? Have we received an apology yet from our “friends” in the Muslim Brotherhood for the assault on our embassy?
It’s about time our president stood up for America and condemned these Islamic extremists. I realize there must be a lot on his mind these days – what with our economy’s abysmal jobless numbers and Moody’s new warning about yet another downgrade to our nation’s credit rating due to the current administration’s failure to come up with a credible deficit reduction plan. And, of course, he has a busy schedule – with all those rounds of golf, softball interviews with the “Pimp with the Limp,” and fundraising dinners with his corporate cronies. But our nation’s security should be of utmost importance to our Commander-in-chief. America can’t afford any more “leading from behind” in such a dangerous world. We already know that President Obama likes to “speak softly” to our enemies. If he doesn’t have a “big stick” to carry, maybe it’s time for him to grow one.
It receives 148,000 likes. (Maybe because it is the type of response one would expect from a leader.)
GOP Presidential Candidate Romney makes a statement about the White House's inappropriate response:
"I’m outraged by the attacks on American diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt and by the death of an American consulate worker in Benghazi. It’s disgraceful that the Obama administration’s first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks."
11:53 p.m. (released by Talking Points Memo) Before issuing any condemnation of the attacks themselves, Obama criticizes Romney's remarks via his campaign press secretary
Ben LaBolt who states:
(4a)
“We are shocked that, at a time when the United States of America is confronting the tragic death of one of our diplomatic officers in Libya, Governor Romney would choose to launch a political attack.” (4b)
Day 2 Wednesday, September 12th, 2012
In the most dispassionate and low key voice possible, the President makes a statement at the Rose Garden, after having attacked Romney's remarks 8 hours earlier. He condemns the attacks in the strongest terms. "We reject all efforts to denigrate the beliefs of others." "We will not break ties with Libya." "Chris Stevens died in Benghazi, a city he helped save." (5 video no longer there.)
Mitt Romney is holding a press conference where he criticizes the Obama administration's response to the attacks and take issue with the apology put out by the U.S. embassy in Cairo. The media is caught on tape coordinating an attack on ROMNEY prior to his remarks. (6)
Romney's statement: "America will not tolerate attacks against our citizens and against our embassies. We'll defend also our constitutional rights of speech, assembly, and religion. We have confidence in our cause in America. We respect our constitution. We stand for the principles our Constitution protects. We encourage other nations to understand and respect the principles of our Constitution because we recognize that these principles are the ultimate source of freedom for inviduals around the world. Possibly the administration was wrong to stand by a statement sympathizing with those who had breached our Embassy in Egypt, instead of condemning their actions. It's never too early for the United States Government to condemn attacks on America and to defend our values. The White House distanced itself last night from the statement saying it wasn't cleared by Washington. That reflects the mixed signals they're sending to the world. The attacks on Libya underscore that the world remains a dangerous place and that American leadership is still sorely needed . In the face of this violence America cannot shrink from the responsibility to lead. American leadership is necessary to ensure that events in the region don't spin out of control. We cannot hesitate to use our influence in the region, to support those who share our values and our interest. Over the last few years we stood witness to an Arab spring that presents an opportunity for a more peaceful and prosperous region.. We must strive to ensure that the Arab Spring does not become an Arab Winter." (7)
Romney takes questions from reporters @ 2:46 mark. Here is the exchange:
First question from reporter (inaudible).
Romney: "The Embassy in Cairo put out a satement after their grounds had been breached. Protesters were inside the grounds. They reiterated that statement after the breach. I think its a terrible course for America to stand in apology for our values; that instead when our grounds are being attacked and being breached, that the first response of the United States must be outrage at the breach of the sovereignty of our nation. And apology for America's values is never the right course."
Reporter: Governor Romney, do you think that coming so soon after the events really unfolded overnight and as the crisis is unfolding, that you jumped the gun?
Romney: "The White House has also issued a statement it tried to to distance itself from those comments saying it did not reflect their views. I had the exact same reaction. Those views were inappropriate and the wrong course to take when our embassy was breached by protesters. The first response should not be to say yes we stand by our comments that suggest that there's something wrong with the right of free speech."
Reporter: Governor Romney why do you think there is something wrong with their comments?
Romney: "It's their administration. Their administration spoke. The president takes responsibility not just for the words that come his mouth but also from the words of his Ambassador's, from his administration, from his embassies, from his State Department. They clearly sent mixed messages to the world, and the statement that came from the administration, and the embassy is the administration."
The president and I have differences of opinion and our policies with regards to Iran, Syria, Israel, Afghanistan. We join together in the condemnation of the attacks on American embassies and the loss of American lives. It's important to say that the statements were inappropriate and disgraceful part of the administration to make a statement to apologize for American values."
Reporter: Do you regret having that statement come out early, have you jumped the gun?
Reporter: If you had known the Ambassador had died..?
Romney: "President Obama has demonstrated a lack of clarity on foreign policy. Mine has three fundamental branches. First confidence in our cause. A recognition that the principles America was based upon are not something we shrink from or apologize for. That we stand for those principles. Second, clarity of purpose, which is that we have a foreign policy that we explain it to the American people and to Congress. Third, resolve in our might . That in those rare circumstances where we decide it's essential to apply military might, that we do so with overwhelming force and clarity of a mission. I haven't seen them in the President. He's a hit or miss. NOthing is based upon sound foreign policy." (7a)
Remarkably, after the 8:11 mark on the clip the reporter accuses Romney of attacking the President with the wrong chronology, saying the apology was out before the protests!!
..... end of press conference....
The Media spends the rest of the day reporting that Romney's remarks are an attack on Obama.
Obama tells Jose Diaz Balart on Telemundo that Romney should not politicize the issue. He says re: Egypt: "I don't think that we would consider them an ally, but we don't consider them an enemy" (8)
Libyan officials admit they gave up consulate personnel to the Islamists who murdered them. (9)
Hillary Clinton blames the attack on a small savage group" and says the Libyan government and people are not responsible , but a State Department official says this:
"Frankly, we are not in a position to speak any further to the perpetrators of this attack. It was clearly a complex attack. We’re going to have to do a full investigation … We are committed to working with the Libyans both on the investigation and to ensure that we bring the perpetrators to justice. The FBI is already committed to assisting in that, but I just – we’re – it’s just too early to speak to who they were and if they might have been otherwise affiliated beyond Libya." (10)
Pam Geller articulates that evening how weak the leader of the free world is, speaks out against savage jihad's assault on civilized freedoms, and calls the attacks an act of war. She also warns of Obama's anti-freedom policies. (11)
Day 3 Thursday, September 13th, 2012
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton makes a second statement at a press conference on September 13, 2012, U.S. She condemns the violence in Egypt, Libya and Yemen and describes the anti-Islam film posted on YouTube as "disgusting and reprehensible." (12)
Obama attends a campaign event in Colorado.
SECRETARY CLINTON:
Good morning. Well, let me welcome our friends and colleagues from Morocco here to the Benjamin Franklin Room on the eighth floor of the State Department for this very important first session of the U.S.-Morocco Strategic Dialogue. Before I begin to address the significance of this Strategic Dialogue and the next step in our long relations with Morocco, I want to say a few words about the events unfolding in the world today.
We are closely watching what is happening in Yemen and elsewhere, and we certainly hope and expect that there will be steps taken to avoid violence and prevent the escalation of protests into violence.
I also want to take a moment to address the video circulating on the internet that has led to these protests in a number of countries. Let me state very clearly -- and I hope it is obvious -- that the United States Government had absolutely nothing to do with this video. We absolutely reject its content and message. America's commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation. And as you know, we are home to people of all religions, many of whom came to this country seeking the right to exercise their own religion, including, of course, millions of Muslims. And we have the greatest respect for people of faith.
To us, to me personally, this video is disgusting and reprehensible. It appears to have a deeply cynical purpose: to denigrate a great religion and to provoke rage. But as I said yesterday, there is no justification, none at all, for responding to this video with violence. We condemn the violence that has resulted in the strongest terms, and we greatly appreciate that many Muslims in the United States and around the world have spoken out on this issue.
Violence, we believe, has no place in religion and is no way to honor religion. Islam, like other religions, respects the fundamental dignity of human beings, and it is a violation of that fundamental dignity to wage attacks on innocents. As long as there are those who are willing to shed blood and take innocent life in the name of religion, the name of God, the world will never know a true and lasting peace. It is especially wrong for violence to be directed against diplomatic missions. These are places whose very purpose is peaceful: to promote better understanding across countries and cultures. All governments have a responsibility to protect those spaces and people, because to attack an embassy is to attack the idea that we can work together to build understanding and a better future.
Now, I know it is hard for some people to understand why the United States cannot or does not just prevent these kinds of reprehensible videos from ever seeing the light of day. Now, I would note that in today's world with today's technologies, that is impossible. But even if it were possible, our country does have a long tradition of free expression which is enshrined in our Constitution and our law, and we do not stop individual citizens from expressing their views no matter how distasteful they may be.
There are, of course, different views around the world about the outer limits of free speech and free expression, but there should be no debate about the simple proposition that violence in response to speech is not acceptable. We all -- whether we are leaders in government, leaders in civil society or religious leaders -- must draw the line at violence. And any responsible leader should be standing up now and drawing that line." (13)
The President of Yemen apologizes to the President for new attacks in Yemen. (14)
Conservatives react. "The Rise of Islamic Supremacism" (15) "Obama had 48 hours warning" (16)
Day 4 Friday, September 14th, 2012.
Confirmed: There we
re NO Marines guarding the U.S. Consulate in Libya when Ambassador Stevens was killed. Hillary Clinton signed off on the decision. (17)
Embassies are under attack world-wide. World is on fire.
(18)
Obama invites MORSI to the United States.
(19)
A "solemn" ceremony is held to honor the memory four servicemen who died in the massacre. The opportunity is turned into a photo-op for the President and the former First Lady. Obama is caught
tweeting the sale of his fall sweatshirts as the caskets of the four bodies are unloaded from the plane.
(20) Video of ceremony
(20a) Pictures
(20b)
President Obama attends a campaign event in Washington at a private residence.
Day 5 Saturday, September 15th, 2012.
Libyan
officials believe that the attacks were planned and that protests over a film mocking the Prophet Mohammed are a diversion. Why then is the administration using it as an excuse? (21)
Four days of continued terrorist attacks against America. Obama campaigns at three separate events.
Day 6 Sunday, September 16th, 2012.
Susan Rice, US Ambassador to the United Nations, repeats the reason for the attacks. She blames it on a small group of extremists who hijacked the Embassy, responding to an offensive video. She does the circuit on Sunday talk shows including Fox News Sunday and This week, and flat-out lies to the American people.
(22) Interesting to note, "for more on what happened and why" .. ABC
(23)
Day 7 Monday, September 17th, 2012.
Obama schedules his fifth campaign event. Media still focused on Romney being the issue.
Ambassador Rice on "
Meet the Press“: This is a response to a hateful and offensive video that was widely disseminated throughout the Arab and Muslim world.”
On Sunday, Representative
Allen West characterizes comments made by U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice as "asinine, naive" and "inept". His comments are in response to Rice's assertion that the attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya was a “spontaneous reaction” to an online anti-Islamic video.
(24)
West: "When I listened to the U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice today, several words came to mind: asinine, naive, inept, incompetent, and borderline ignorant," he said. "Because when you understand that the Egyptian government, their intelligence services, put out a letter talking about a potential threat of attacks and uprisings about a week before this. It was even printed in the Jerusalem Post on 9/11. And anyhow I can tell you…having been in a combat zone several times after 9/11, we were always on a higher state of security and alertness on 9/11. It should have been the exact same thing here."
"And for Susan Rice to say that this was not a well coordinated attack – first of all, I’d have to ask her what is her line of expertise in understanding what a well-coordinated attack is, because this was not happenstance. It was not coincidence. This was well-planned, well-coordinated, and the president there in Libya confirms that,” he added. West also said that the administration is "outright distorting the truth" with the help of a complicit media, and that the United States, under Obama, has shown a consistent policy of “appeasement.”
“We have emboldened our enemies and really confused our allies,” he added.
“I think this really does come down to an issue for [the Obama administration]. They see the failures of their domestic economic policies, the last thing they can [afford] to have is also to be seen as weak on foreign policy.”
West also said that the President needs to clarify his Middle East policy, and spoke of cutting off aid to countries like Egypt and Libya who do not protect U.S. embassies.
VIDEO of ambassador being dragged surfaces
(25)
Libyan President Mohammad Magarief tells CBS’ “
Face the Nation” that the assault was “definitely planned by foreigners, by people who entered the country a few months ago and they were planning criminal acts since their arrival.”
Day 8 Tuesday, September 18th, 2012
The Day Obama became Toxic. A Benghazi Timeline and interesting scenario laid out. Obama may be a narcissistic sociopath. (25a)
French Magazine publishes cartoon that is insulting to Muslim extremists:n
(25b)
Obama goes on David Letterman. Not time to meet with any of his security advisors or Prime Minister of Israel. Too busy rubbing elbows and charming it up with adoring, rich celebrities.
FAST & FURIOUS cover up is reported:
(25c)
Day 9 Wednesday, September 19th, 2012.
Alan Horowitz speaks out: "
Obama posts his new flag poster
(28)
Monica Lewinsky announces she is going to publish a tell-all book about Bill Clinton and their White House days together.
(29)
Day 10 September 20th, 2012.
Jorge RAMOS interviews Obama.
Q: "We have reports that the White House said today that the attacks in Libya were
a terrorist attack. Do you have information indicating that it was Iran, or al
Qaeda was behind organizing the protests?
The President: "Well, we're
still doing an investigation, and there are going to be different circumstances
in different countries. And so I don’t want to speak to something until we have
all the information. What we do know is that the natural protests that arose
because of the outrage over the video were used as an excuse by extremists to
see if they can also directly harm U.S. interests -- " Transcript: (30) Video (30a)
Embassies around the world are attacked. A second wave of apologies is made (31).
Day 11 September 21st, 2012.
CLINTON to host MORSI in NYC (32)
Anderson Cooper admits CNN had possession of the diary of Ambassador Stevens, and used to report against the family's wishes.
(33)
Day 12 September 22nd, 2012.
Hillary Clinton blames CNN for the mishandling of the Diary (34)
FOX NEWS makes an extensive report about a Cover-UP. (35)
Obama says he plans to release one third of Gitmo Inmates (36)
Christian Filmmaker to be attacked at UN speech. (37)
Robert Gibbs twists himself into a pretzel because he has to lie about the attacks. (38)
MORSI says Egypt is not going to comply with US terms for relations. (39)
Day 13 September 23th, 2012
Joe Miller writes about Anderson Cooper's admission. (39a)
Day 14 September 24th, 2012
Filmmaker exposed but NO major MEDIA outlet reports this.
(39b)
Obama's September 12th interview on CBS's "60 minutes" is aired. In the segment, he makes several gaffes, including the "
BUMP IN THE ROAD" remark, and Netanyahu's demands of Iran as unwanted noise.
(40)
Hillary Clinton aid tells reporter to fuck off
(41)
Day 15 September 25th, 2012.
UN speech.
(42) Obama apologizes for the film. Again.
President Obama says the Future does not belong to practicing Christians.
(43)
