Lies, Scandal and Politics: Benghazi

Oct. 24, 2012 2:21pm

- American Enterprise Institute

Danielle Pletka is the vice president for foreign and defense policy studies at AEI. Before joining AEI, she served for ten years as a senior professional staff member for the Near East and South Asia on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. She writes frequently on national security matters with a focus on domestic politics in the Middle East and South Asia regions, U.S. national security, terrorism and weapons proliferation.

Pletka: Lies, Scandal and Politics: Benghazi

A picture shows a burnt building at the US consulate compound in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on September 13, 2012 following an attack late on September 11 in which the US ambassador to Libya and three other US nationals were killed. (Credit: AFP/Getty Images) 

There are a few basics about being president which not incidentally coincide with the responsibilities of being an adult. One is that you cannot lie. Two is that if caught in a lie, you should ‘fess up.’ And three is that if you lie to cover up your original lie, that’s called malice aforethought (often leading, in Washington, to criminal investigation and obstruction of justice charges, at least if the perp is a Republican). Now, Benghazi. It is perfectly fair for the White House to assert that in the fog of an attack on U.S. facilities, facts were mistaken. It’s important to emphasize that almost any time one sees a senior official muddling his facts, odds are he’s got bad data, he’s incompetent, or whoever was briefing him was wrong.
But… that is clearly not the case in the Benghazi scandal.
Pletka: Lies, Scandal and Politics: Benghazi
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 14: A portrait of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens is placed along with a condolence book outside the room of Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the U.S. Capitol September 14, 2012 in Washington, DC. (Credit: Getty Images)

Rather, the story of Benghazi is that while the White House’s initial response may have been confusion (because other attacks were taking place at the same time), very soon thereafter, the outright lying began. And now that we have seen the emails that went to the White House within two hours of the attack naming the perpetrators — a known terrorist group operating in eastern Libya — the fact that officials from the president on down were intentionally and falsely insisting the 9/11/12 attack was not an act of terrorism is screamingly obvious.

Let’s review the timeline (h/t to the Washington Post) once again:

Here’s what the president said on September 12:

“Since our founding, the United States has been a nation that respects all faiths. We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. But there is absolutely no justification to this type of senseless violence. None. The world must stand together to unequivocally reject these brutal acts… No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for.”

Note the reference to the YouTube video in the “reject all efforts to denigrate” line, and the generic references to “acts of terror” which the president falsely insisted (with assistance from CNN’s Candy Crowley) was an assertion that Benghazi was in fact an act of terror.

Here’s Jay Carney, White House Press Secretary, the following day:

“I think it’s important to note with regards to that protest that there are protests taking place in different countries across the world that are responding to the movie that has circulated on the Internet.”

Again, the movie.

Here’s Hillary Clinton on September 14:

“We’ve seen the heavy assault on our post in Benghazi that took the lives of those brave men. We’ve seen rage and violence directed at American embassies over an awful Internet video that we had nothing to do with. It is hard for the American people to make sense of that because it is senseless, and it is totally unacceptable.”

And Carney the same day:

“We were not aware of any actionable intelligence indicating that an attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi was planned or imminent. That report is false.” 

And then Obama’s U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice hit every Sunday show with this message on September 16:

“Based on the best information we have to date … it began spontaneously in Benghazi as a reaction to what had transpired some hours earlier in Cairo, where, of course, as you know, there was a violent protest outside of our embassy sparked by this hateful video.”

Only on September 19 did Matthew Olson, director the National Counterterrorism Center admit, upon direct questioning, that what happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack.

And the next day, Carney was shocked, shocked that anyone thought Benghazi wasn’t a terrorist attack: (“It is, I think, self-evident that what happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack.”) Meanwhile, CBS News gets the story that the entire narrative thus far, including the demonstrations the White House and others referred to, never happened. And that not only did they never happen, but senior Obama administration officials were watching live footage of the attack, and that should have been clear to them.

Still, Obama doubled down on the lie that it was all about the video in his address to the United Nations General Assembly. On September 25, he said:

“That is what we saw play out in the last two weeks, as a crude and disgusting video sparked outrage throughout the Muslim world.”

Luckily, Reuters now tells us what really happened before the president hit the Rose Garden on 9/12: Within minutes of the attack the day before, the White House received three emails. Here are the three subject lines for those emails, which spanned a couple of hours from the beginning of the terrorists’ move:

  • Email one:  ”U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi Under Attack” and the notation “SBU,” meaning “Sensitive But Unclassified.”
  • Email two: “Update 1: U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi”
  • Email three: ”Update 2: Ansar al-Sharia Claims Responsibility for Benghazi Attack.”

Bottom line? Barack Obama was willfully and knowingly lying to the American people. Why? To protect the meme that he had al Qaeda and affiliates/sympathizers like Libya’s Ansar al Sharia on the run. A couple of weeks ago, I reminded AEI-Ideaso readers of the Spanish government’s efforts to mislead the Spanish people about an al Qaeda attack which resulted in the then-president being thrown from office.

What should happen? Look at Spain. But if that’s too much for our voters to demand, the very least a responsible democracy will do is investigate impartially and bring to justice those who willfully and repeatedly lied to the American people.

Comments (9)

  • RayOne
    Oct. 26, 2012 at 4:17pm

    It is beginning to look as if the administration was set up to look stupid and incompetent.

    Report this comment

    RayOne  
  • DRM10
    Oct. 25, 2012 at 10:45pm

    OK America I have just one Question ? Bill Clinton was Impeached for just having sex and lying about it??, If I recall, I did not really pay attention to politics in those day’s.
    That Said, This (OSAMA) obama I keep making that slip up, What the (BLANK) is his full name anyways ? If I recall It sounds just like one of the most “HATED” Men in the world,He’s dead now ,thanks to ( SEAL TEAM 6 ) ” Keep up the good work guys”
    Not Our Fearless Leader barack husang obama ?? Do not quote me on his name or spelling, I could really care less, ” BUT JUST HIS NAME ALONE ” should put the fear of “” GOD “” In your heart or your gut or something.? Why would you VOTE for a guy, that has a name, that sounds like the leader of a country we are at war with or a guy that is responsible for bringing down the towers and killing 3000 people ??
    Any way my point is , Why is no one talking about ( THE BIG WORD ) not ( BIG BIRD ) BUT
    ( IMPEACHMENT ) People are dead here, we are not talking about some fling with a secretary
    What the hell is going on ? Why is obama getting away with so much? It has to be because of Hollywood and the Media. We have to IMPEACH this OSAMA GUY OOP’S What makes him so special and above the law ? OH HOLD ON could it be because he is (BLACK) ? I wonder ?
    I am pretty sure that is the case. The media both RED & BLUE are to spineless to say it. Even you GLENN Sorry I think you do tell the truth but your hands tied (KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK GLENN)

    Report this comment

    DRM10  
  • DRM10
    Oct. 25, 2012 at 2:01am

    “”AMERICA LISTEN UP “”,”"SPEAK UP”",”"WAKE UP”", We Simply can not Let This Go On.
    We have The President Of the United States looking us in the eye, “”AND FLAT OUT LYING”".
    We simply must put a stop to it, I am not sure how.
    Maybe call your Congressman, E-Mail Him, Call and E-Mail ABC, NBC, CBS NEWS. The local news every night at 5 is in on It.
    Then we Have Hillary Clinton, She is in on it to,It is obvious, You can tell just by the way she acted on her last news interview. On her first one she looked at the camera,this last time she did not.
    I know I am reaching here But the “LYING EYES” say something. I guess the apple really does not fall to far from the tree, Look at Bill, ” I Did Not Have SEX “.
    One more thing, If (OSAMA) I mean obama wins this election, It will be in my opinion because of the LATINO VOTE.. DO NOT GET ME STARTED. This is a sticky situation, Both need the VOTE.
    I wonder just how many of them are here illegally that have some how managed to vote,Not to mention the ones that are legal. OSAMA ,OOP’S I slipped again, has locked them in with the Dream Act. I know I am going to sound like a Racist Here,I am not, But the Mexican problem is one reason our economy is so bad, They work so cheap $, I live by the border and know for FACT they work here in AMERICA by day and go back to Mexico at night with US $ in there pockets that go 10 times as far.
    The sticky part is they work for the very rich who pad the Candidates p

    Report this comment

    DRM10  
    • DRM10
      Oct. 26, 2012 at 1:24am

      I Ran out of characters 1500 is not enough, The ( P ) at the end stands for Pockets lined with $$$ You knew that, Just wanted to clarify. I hope and PRAY OSAMA obama will not get away with this Travesty
      Coverup, In my last comment I said you were spineless Glenn, Sorry I take that back, I know your hands are tied and you can only say so much & go so far. I have a feeling that if you could say what you really wanted you would cut your own throat. Free speech only go’s so far.But I can say pretty much any thing I want.And I want to say Thanks.
      Thanks for Doing, What You Do.
      CUT OSAMAS THROAT with your WORDS AND TRUTH, Thanks Again

      Report this comment

      DRM10  
  • phillycornerboy
    Oct. 24, 2012 at 11:31pm

    immediate trials, immediate impeachment, immediate imprisonment is the only option. everyone who knew, everyone who still remains silent. now, before the election.

    Report this comment

    phillycornerboy  
  • DRM10
    Oct. 24, 2012 at 10:00pm

    OK America This Is Just Getting Out Of Hand, This (OSAMA) or Obama guy who ever he is has got to go. First we have ” Fast And Furious ” He is trying to hide something,that’s why he used Executive Privilege to put a stop to the investigation.
    Now we have Libya need I say more ??? It is obvious he is trying to hide something here, Hoping to get through the election, I think the election should be put off until we get to the bottom of all this.
    I am not sure that this can even be done but we need to do something.
    “AMERICA SPEAK UP” We can not let him get away with this ” He Must Go “

    Report this comment

    DRM10  
  • ArmedAndReallyPissed
    Oct. 24, 2012 at 4:58pm

    Aahh. The good old days of the 1970’s. To be a Kid just sitting on a Dock Fishing and singing about Oscar Mayer Bologna. I wonder what a Kid sitting on that Dock Fishing today would sing about. Maybe a little something like this : My President has a first name it’s L-I-A-and-R, my President has a second name it’s T-R-8-O-R, OH I hate to see him every day and if you ask me why I’ll ssaaayyyy, Cuz this LIAR and TR8OR haz a way with L-I-B-YY-AA.

    Report this comment

    ArmedAndReallyPissed  
  • RayOne
    Oct. 24, 2012 at 3:23pm

    The BenghaziDeception is running out the calendar, MSM is complicit.

    Report this comment

    RayOne  
    • Texasexpat
      Oct. 27, 2012 at 5:54am

      I also believe this is a deception. The deception is that this whole thing was a coverup for a botched kidnapping…Stevens was to be kidnapped and held by the egyptians and instead of ransom, to be
      EXCHANGED for the blind sheik. It all went wrong and so when obama says no, it wasn’t terrorism,that part was probably true. He couldn’t say it was a KIDNAPPING gone wrong If you remember, the day after, the head of egypt said very calmly, yes, it was a terrorist attack in response to obama saying it was a video , all to coverup the real thing of kidnapping.

      at first, when I read this(kidnapping), all started to make sense,,,no wonder, if this is true, obama didn’t want this to be known because THIS really would get him impeached. I’m hoping that someone(reporter type) will look into this aspect as it truly will explain a lot.

      Report this comment

      Texasexpat  

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