How U.S. Amb. Chris Stevens May Have Been Linked to Jihadist Rebels in Syria (And It Involves Weapons)
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 14: Intern Chris Jobson (R) and press assistant Isaiah Calvin (L) of Senate Democratic Media Center sign condolence book for Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens at the U.S. Capitol September 14, 2012 in Washington, DC. Credit: Getty Images
This article by Michael Kelley originally appeared on Business Insider. It will be the focus of Glenn Beck’s Monday show on TheBlaze TV at 5pm ET.
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The details of the September 11 attack that killed four Americans at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi are still murky and there’s certainly more to be known.
Former CIA officer Clare Lopez argues that the key issue is “the relationship of the U.S. government, Ambassador Christopher Stevens and the U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya with Al Qaeda.”
That relationship, Lopez argues, could be connected to the rise of Islamic brigades in Syria, who recently created a “Front to Liberate Syria” to wage jihad against the Syrian regime and turn the country into an Islamic state.
That potential connection starts with who Ambassador Stevens worked with during the Libyan revolution and ends with who he hosted on the night of his death.
In March 2011 Stevens became the official U.S. liaison to the al-Qaeda-linked Libyan opposition and began coordinating U.S. assistance to the rebels.
The top military commander of the rebels, Abdelhakim Belhadj, was the leader of the pro-al-Qaeda Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG).
After Gaddafi fell the LIFG disbanded and some of the fighters joined the amorphous group Ansar al-Shariah (Soldiers of Shariah), which reportedly participated in the attack that took Stevens’ life.
In November 2011 The Telegraph reported that Belhadj, acting as head of the Tripoli Military Council, “met with Free Syrian Army [FSA] leaders in Istanbul and on the border with Turkey” in an effort by the new Libyan government to provide money and weapons to the growing insurgency in Syria.
Last month The Times of London reported the a Libyan ship “carrying the largest consignment of weapons for Syria … has docked in Turkey.” The shipment reportedly weighed 400 tons and included SA-7 surface-to-air anti-craft missiles and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs).
Those heavy weapons are most likely from Muammar Gaddafi’s stock of about 20,000 portable heat-seeking missiles—the bulk of them SA-7s—that the Libyan leader obtained from the former Eastern bloc.
Reuters reports that Syrian rebels have been using those heavy weapons to shoot down Syrian helicopters and fighter jets.
The ship’s captain was ”a Libyan from Benghazi and the head of an organization called the Libyan National Council for Relief and Support,” which was presumably established by the new government.
That means that Ambassador Stevens had only one person—Belhadj—between himself and the Benghazi man who brought heavy weapons to Syria. (The official U.S. stance is that it is opposed to providing Syrian rebels with heavy weapons.)
Furthermore, we know that jihadists are the best fighters in the Syrian opposition, but where did they come from?
Last week The Telegraph reported that a FSA commander called them “Libyans” when he explained that the FSA doesn’t “want these extremist people here.”
So this much is fairly certain: Libya has been sending seasoned Islamic fighters, heavy weapons and presumably money to Syria in support of the opposition.
The uncertain part is where Stevens, and the U.S. government, fits into all of this.
If the new Libyan government was sending jihadists and 400 tons of lethal cargo to Syria through a port in southern Turkey—a deal brokered by Stevens’ primary Libyan contact during the Libyan revolution—then the governments of Turkey and the U.S. surely knew about it.
Reuters reported that satellite photos exposed a CIA post in Benghazi, located 1.2 miles from the U.S. consulate, was used as “a base for, among other things, collecting information on the proliferation of weaponry looted from Libyan government arsenals, including surface-to-air missiles” … and that its security features “were more advanced than those at rented villa where Stevens died.”
We also know that about a dozen CIA operatives and contractors left the Benghazi base after it was exposed. Could these two CIA groups be connected as start and end points to help funnel heavy weapons to the Syrian opposition?
We know that the CIA has been funneling weapons to the rebels in southern Turkey, but CNN reports that FSA members are “cutting their own deals to get weapons” from well-armed extremists so it raises questions about who the CIA is arming.
We know that U.S. weapons are ending up in the hands of hard-line Islamists in Syria. It turns out that many of these jihadists are the same ones that Stevens helped arm to topple Gaddafi.
On September 11 Stevens held an evening meeting with a Turkish diplomat before retiring to his room at 9 p.m. Gunfire and explosions began 40 minutes later. Is Steven’s guest for his last meeting just another eerie coincidence?
Either way it seems that the connection between Benghazi and the rise of jihadists in Syria is much stronger than has been officially acknowledged.
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Comments (210)
machiavelli
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 11:36amhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IUUN03IQj8
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kat747
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 11:29amHere we go again…………
just in time for the next debate
and
right before the election.
No matter what Stevens did or did not do,
he was an U.S. Ambassador.
It was Egypt’s responsibility to protect the Embassy & the Ambassador
It was Obama’s responsibility to protect the Embassy & the Ambassador
It was Hillary’s responsibility to protect the Embassy & the Ambassador…….
The blood of all their murders and torture is on all three of their hands.
No further EXCUSES are necessary.
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Meyvn1
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 2:22pmThey are simply terrorists with bow ties.
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ProudAuthoritarianFollower
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 11:28amTrue the Vote indeed.
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ProudAuthoritarianFollower
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 11:28amBut instead of debating this non issue, why not discuss GOP voter fraud (colin small) ?
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Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 12:50pmLet’s discuss it no matter where it comes from. I submit to you that erecting a straw man of “republican voter fraud’ will be necessary to actually GET REAL election reform and security to protect all our votes. It’s the alinsky thing to do and 2 can play the game. Sad- But you will be beaten to a pulp with your own club..
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Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 11:21amTreason: AIDING AND ABETTING THE ENEMY What else do you call providing cover for the enemy and then looking away? What else do you call providing the weapons he will then attack you with, within weeks, Months?
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Nanaswords
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 11:18amNow we can understand WHY the staff for Ambassador Stevens was so “Minimal” ! Too much “Activity” going on for the “brotherhood” !!! The real situation NOW Is How do Americans here cilrcle our wagons during the “Lame Duck Period” ??? It is very obvious that the area over in the Mid-East is extremely full of working Evil !!! The only “Target” is Israel and USA from here on out !!! The “Light” is being revealed so quickly each day for us to unravel the “Spider Web” being spun !!! It will not take too much for us to sweep it down !!! Continue in Prayer and Stand with No Fear !!!
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Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 11:24am100% true. Obam will throw an Alinsky/colward-piven tentrum. That has been the plan- win or lose. Are we deaf, dumb and blind?
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Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 11:17amTypically we make the Arab World scream bloody murder and plead to get involved in something. That’s what happened with both Iraqi ops. The WORLD screamed to get in there.
However- Obama did not do anything when the World screamed about Iran and the student uprising. Obama went rogue on his war in afganistan ( the one one he chastised GW fro not waging).
Obama went rogue in Egypt, Libya and installed the Muslim Brotherhood.
We will be blamed for the outcome forever…
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williamak
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 11:08amanyway to make it short………. you nailed it slave …………….>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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williamak
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 11:06amWhere is my comment , to noslave ???????????????
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williamak
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 11:10amYou nailed it …….. Slave ……….>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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4thGenerationWarrior
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 11:04am8) Obama has claimed that those people in the consulates are his people- they are his friends- but he cares for them sooo much that he has never offered condolences shown any sadness for “his people”. Mr. President, as you correctly stated, “the buck stops with me”. Yes sir their blood, seems to be, on your hands!
Happy Election Day Mr. Ex-President!
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Silver Lining
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 11:01amThis can be summed up in one 7-letter word… T-R-E-A-S-O-N … and we can start with Barry and Hillary.
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ShootLowBoysTheyAreMentalMidgets
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 11:19amPerhaps they didn’t want a ‘fast & furious’ just before the election in the form of Stevens leaks.
Perhaps the spark that triggered the riots and murder of four of our own started closer to home. Washington?
Perhaps there is a reason why security was reduced even when more was requested.
Perhaps the President stuck to the video explanation so dogmatically because he was merely following the pre-planned script until forced off of it.
Perhaps all of our ambassador’s and indeed every citizen both liberal and conservative alike should be afraid of dying of lead poisening should they be found inconvenient.
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Silver Lining
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:57amBECK…was…right. They must be scratching their heads over at the WH and State, asking, “How in BLAZES did he know?” I can just picture the cockroaches scuttling about…and it is really difficult for cockroaches to constantly look over their shoulders. They will now start turning on each other, wondering who the source is.
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4thGenerationWarrior
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:54amLet us connect the dots…1)Obama has lied from the beginning attempting to cover for an attack on 9/11. 2) Obama has successful experience watching a kinetic action by way of uplink and a drone has been reported in the area of the attack during the attack. 3) The CIA has learned from the past clandestine operations, such as 1979- 1989 Afghanistan- we built Al- Qa’ida, therefore they will NOT do likewise now with the enemy UNLESS they are commanded to do so by the President (the only one who can green light a clandestine operation). There is a direct connection between the US Abassador to Libya getting weapons to Al-Qa’ida network operatives to topple Khaddafi. Again, the CIA has a long history of failing in operations like these. 4) Obama is highly comfortable in killing an American citizen, a la Awlaki. Obama would retain power as President to the extent he would lie, cheat and steal- would he secretly kill? 5) Obama has almost exclusive command over the American media. 6) As he has demostrated in the past for years, he does not understand the true nature of real Americans- we will not stand idly by and allow anyone to secretly murder, even The One. 7) The US intelligence community’s warnings were ignored by the President.
I am an intelligence analyst by trade and the dots connect together to strongly suggest the Obama personally green lighted a covert operation in Libya to provide Al-Qa’ida weapons and money to topple the Libyan regime and then had the Ambassador kill
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GaltLine
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 1:06pmOr Al Quaeda could have killed Stevens on their own after Obama spiked the “I killed Osama” video ball. Then Obama would have had it right. It was a video, only this other one.
Is this not just another Fast and Furious gun running scheme that killed some more of our own?
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Landfill
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:50amThe reason we cannot stay out of other people’s business is our businessmen lobby the U.S. government to involve our government and military in foreign countries in which our businessmen make a buck (a LOT of bucks). America is so buried in foreign business, we have no choice but to be the world’s policeman to keep American businessmen from being robbed and murdered in their foreign entanglements. This is a logical consequence of Americans doing business everywhere on Earth. This is a trap in which we are stuck because “global economy” equals “global warfare to protect the global economy.”
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Sandy
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:49amI posted on Business Insider blog: “derek, you are just now noticing this. we have been on the wrong side since Jan 2009…… Fast and Furious, Lybia, etc, etc, etc……. yes Obummer is supporting our enemies!!!! vote, vote, vote like our lives depend on it, because it does!!!!!! ”
I just got an e-mail notice that my comment was deleted…….. why?
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GaltLine
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:47amObama and our State Department including Hillary thought our embassy staff including Stevens were safe with local security protecting them because they were aiding Al Queada. The enemy is in the White House and our State Department.
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GaltLine
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:52amWhich explains why Obama can’t admit even now the embassy attack was by terrorists. He has joined them.
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Solanus
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:44amSadly – I have thought this was an inside job – from the beginning. We do not see one of our Ambassadors go down to often; yet the administration did not seem too excited about it.
We have inside information regarding everything else! we prevent all kinds of attacks! why not this one??? I believe they let it happen – BUT the questions is – WHY? What did Stevens know – what might he have told, if put to the test??? Was he finding things out? Did he need to be removed? And I do not mean by foreigners . . . it is quite spooky. And the bomb still evades all questions – by stating “”"we are still trying to determine what happened – we are still putting information together”"”" why does someone not ask him “WHY IS IT TAKING SO LONG?”
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Rock_Paper_Bullets
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:42amLoose threads usually get clipped…
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Landfill
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:42amIt’s beginning to sound like Stevens was doing arms deals with cutthroats who betrayed and killed him. This brings to mind a great line of dialogue spoken by Gus in “Lonesome Dove.” “You ride with outlaws. You die with outlaws.” These radical murdering terrorists have no code of honor and will betray and murder anyone based upon a momentary whim. What a surprise ! You provide weapons to murderers and they murder people !
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chips1
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 1:25pmI’m wondering how many insiders in the Obama regeme are keeping hidden notes about what they have been asked to do? It’s an insurance policy. Secret notes will suddenly be located and revealed by legitimate news sources and not to the let wing nuts. Got my fingers crossed.
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RitafromPA
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:42amPraying to God to see this on ALL news programs.
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Nevermind
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:41amI have posted about this on the blaze for the past 2 weeks saying Amb. Stevens was aworking wiht CIa and that is why the cover up looked so bad, to cover for the CIA. But the right wants to make this a political issue and jumped out ahead of the President which was poor. In the hearings last week it was disclosed this was CIA mission not th edeath of an ambassador.
The proof is that he wasnt at an embassy in tripoli but in benghazi. Alos that he didnt have marines for protection but former navy seals. Former seals work in defense contracting and are hired for black ops which this was. I have said it on here over and over yet everyone thinks i am trying ot cover for Obama. I am trying to cover for America
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Meyvn1
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:36amIf the gist of this is true my sympathy wanes.
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caleejr
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:36amFinally – some actual Journalism is being done in the world. I like how you pieced it all together – good article.
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mom4
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:32amSomething about this whole mess is way off! I still can’t understand how obama can’t bring himselve to say what we face as a nation and how he will do anything to aviod the facts that are in front of him? When 4 Americans are killed in Liyba obama should have known what to do with out any advice form anyone. Votes matter and have long term effects!!!
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chucksue351
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:27amwe should stay out of other peoples business, we have enough trouble taking care of our own
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rickc34
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:49amYour right Chuck we should take care of our own including the thousands of Americans living in Israel. It seems like they are blaming the whole thing on a dead man now..how sad.
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texsun
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:52amAnd what about what allies we have left in this area, such as Israel??? The problem is the steps they are taking are the wrong steps. That is why we need strong leadership and a strong military so that we do not have to go to war. Peace through Strength.
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NCalGrammi
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:54amWell, HELLO, 4 Americans died because of it. It IS our business!
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listeninginVT
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 11:05amno kidding
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Solanus
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 11:07amwho is “we” ? us Americans – or the one who claims to be our President?
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U.N.hater
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 11:13amStevens was arming the same people who attacked us on 911 2001. He got what he deserved. He was working for obama arming our enemys. He was killed to be silenced. He and obama are guilty of treason. Stevens was gay also that’s why he was raped before and after his death. In islam that’s how you make them a women in this life and in the next life. They are sick evil people OBAMAS people. When does obama pay for his crimes? Bet he don’t…..
joyces
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 11:33amWe should certainly stay out of MiddleEast mainly because we do not understand the workings of those minds. There are only two countries that understand how things are played out – israel and India.
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AvengerK
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 12:10pmLook…let’s put the facts together and the conjecture aside for a moment.
Fact..we were the last diplomatic mission in Libya before the attack and had been attacked in April and June earlier this year and this went unreported by the media and by the Obama administration. The British mission had left Benghazi. The Red Cross had left Benghazi. Clearly..the jihadis were getting more bold in their targeting of non-muslim presences in the area.
Fact…Stevens’ correspondences tell us that he was asking for more security and was given less instead.
Fact..Obama had been telling us ever since Bin Laden’s death that al Qaeda and its’ surrogates were “on their heels”.
Fact…Ghaddafi’s weapons caches have the potential to fall into the hands of jihadis in the area if left unmonitored.
Fact..The Libyan people held protests in the area after the attack to denounce the actions of the jihadis.
Certainly we’re monitoring weapons movements in both Libya and Syria right now as these weapons can potentially fall into the hands of jihadis, who remain the most organized anti-government/regime groups in both countries.
The question becomes..was Stevens (under the direction of the Obama adminstration) pandering to “moderate” or “approachable” jihadi groups in the area in order to begin a process of appeasement and to better determine the extent of how well armed they are and what activities they were planning? Either way…it’s a huge miscalculation.
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mrs.janet.murgatroid
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 12:36pmThe Muslim mind is built on revenge, that is the core of the Muslim. They will try and develop weapons of mass destruction and use them on us if they are left alone. Even if Israel didn’t exist they would find some reason to enact revenge on us. Look at the cycle of revenge between the Sunnis and Shi ites. Century after century they slaughter each other.
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wordsofwisdom
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 1:37pmI think we are looking at an arms deal gone bad & some kind of cover up by this administration. But no mater how we see it one thing stands out as a simple truth.
The president lied to the American people & even now, he will not clear it up.
Even after over a month of trying to blame a stupid video, (that no one even looked at over their) he will not fess-up?
I do not think he is doing his best for the people of the U.S. I think he is doing his best to cover his own lying but!
As this song says I can’t wait to vote this failure out of office “Ode to Obama” http://www.reverbnation.com/open_graph/song/13541875
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jsmpsn
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 2:29pmThey aren’t blaming the event on a dead man. They are reporting that our own government instructed one of our own to work with Al Queda, our enemy. People should be outraged at this.
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rene demonteverde
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 3:07pmIt might be a good idea if we are not so open in issuing visas right and left or be a more stricter in accepting people who enters the country. Our border is porous and securing visa is one of the easiest in the world. The world is much a dangerous place now. Anybody with a sob story can come here and take advantage of our generosity. Case in point would be the Bangladeshi student who would have bombed the Fed building.
As I remember one security official said that the terrorist would have to be lucky only once but we have to be lucky all the time.
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mbean
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 5:12pmAgreed the whole “Arab Spring” farce should prove that to even the left.
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Wayner
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 6:42pmNot only is the rest of the Lame Stream Media, but Bill O’Reilly and Fox are going to look pretty stupid when this stuff comes to light… Just like today they don’t realize Glenn Beck was right 2 years ago on how the whole middle eastern thing was going to fall in line.
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Pauln
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 8:02pmOur government is arming our enemies and selling us out all over the world. This all seem very similar as “Fast and furious” same pattern, our government gives arms to our enemies .. Does that seem very “American” to you? Your Government is lying to you in matters that will involve your life and liberty, and you still think that Obama will “save” our Economy, all he is doing is destroying it so we have to depend on socialists and the Muslim brotherhood. that is also why the Euro hasn’t fall yet, is because we have been sending them millions of dollars to keep them “alive”
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SavvyCowboy
Posted on October 20, 2012 at 11:22amStevens died OBAMA Lied!!! obama’s knee-deep in this and hopefully this all comes out over the weekend and on Monday so Romney can tear this marxist/fascist apart on Monday night’s foreign policy debate! hehehehe!!!
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