Developing: Pakistani Plane Escorted by UK Fighter Jets — 2 Men Arrested
Doc Thompson’s 24-hour radio marathon, ‘#24forok,’ continues until 9 am ET — Listen Live!
Emails: White House Told Two Hours After Benghazi Attack Began That Radical Islamic Group Claimed Responsibility
A vehicle (R) and the surround buildings burn after they were set on fire inside the US consulate compound in Benghazi late on September 11, 2012. (Credit: AFP/Getty Images)
UPDATE: The White House responded to the emails Wednesday, with press secretary Jay Carney saying “there was a variety of information coming in.”
White House and State Department officials were informed just two hours after the terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya on Sept. 11 began that a radical Islamic militant group had claimed responsibility, according to official emails obtained by Reuters.
The emails, reportedly put out by the State Department, specifically mention that the Libyan militant group Ansar al-Sharia had taken credit for the attack almost immediately and called for additional terrorist acts.
The correspondence provides a glimpse into how U.S. diplomats described the fiery assault, as it was happening, to officials in Washington, D.C.
The terrorist attack claimed the lives of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans, including two former Navy SEALs and a State Department official. It took the Obama administration nearly two weeks to completely rule out an anti-Muslim video as the cause of the attack.
Numerous Obama administration officials, including White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and even Obama himself, went on TV at different times and told millions of American citizens that the attacks were due to a spontaneous protest sparked by the video. Now it has been uncovered that the administration knew within hours that a terrorist group had proudly admitted they attacked the U.S. compound.
Reuters has the details on the emails sent to the various Obama administration officials:
The first email, timed at 4:05 p.m. Washington time – or 10:05 p.m. Benghazi time, 20-30 minutes after the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission allegedly began – carried the subject line “U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi Under Attack” and the notation “SBU”, meaning “Sensitive But Unclassified.”
The text said the State Department’s regional security office had reported that the diplomatic mission in Benghazi was “under attack. Embassy in Tripoli reports approximately 20 armed people fired shots; explosions have been heard as well.”
A second email, headed “Update 1: U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi” and timed 4:54 p.m. Washington time, said that the Embassy in Tripoli had reported that “the firing at the U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi had stopped and the compound had been cleared.” It said a “response team” was at the site attempting to locate missing personnel.
A third email, also marked SBU and sent at 6:07 p.m. Washington time, carried the subject line: “Update 2: Ansar al-Sharia Claims Responsibility for Benghazi Attack.”
The message reported: “Embassy Tripoli reports the group claimed responsibility on Facebook and Twitter and has called for an attack on Embassy Tripoli.”
Here are images of the emails courtesy of CBS News:
Watch CBS News’ report:
Fox News reports that the emails were sent to a “variety of national security platforms, whose addresses have been redacted, including the White House Situation Room, the Pentagon, the FBI and the Director of National Intelligence.”
Additionally, sources told Fox News that around 300 to 400 national security officials received the emails “in real time.” The officials on the email recipient list work under the nation’s top national security, military and diplomatic officials, according to sources.
The revelation, if confirmed to be legitimate, also calls into question why President Obama decided to take off on campaign trip to Las Vegas if his State Department the day before informed his national security team that a group of radical Islamic terrorists was claiming responsibility for killing four Americans.
The other question that demands answering is whether the U.S. military could have intervened if the White House knew two hours after the seven hour attack began that a terrorist group was overwhelming the U.S. Consulate, putting the lives of Americans in danger.
CBS News’ Sharyl Attkisson reports:
CBS News has been told that, hours after the attack began, an unmanned Predator drone was sent over the U.S. mission in Benghazi, and that the drone and other reconnaissance aircraft apparently observed the final hours of the protracted battle.
The State Department, White House and Pentagon declined to say what military options were available. A White House official told CBS News that, at the start of the attack, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Martin Dempsey and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta “looked at available options, and the ones we exercised had our military forces arrive in less than 24 hours, well ahead of timelines laid out in established policies.”
But it was too late to help the Americans in Benghazi. The ambassador and three others were dead.
No word from the Obama administration on the emails. See the White House’s response here.
This story has been updated with additional information.
Benghazi, IRS, AP...What's next? Only TheBlaze TV offers the truth from Glenn Beck, Andrew Wilkow, and Real News from TheBlaze. Get instant access and a free trial here.
Popular Stories
John McCain Lectures Tea Party Senator on How ‘Business’ Gets Done in Congress: ‘That’s What We’ve Been Doing for a Couple Hundred Years’ 554 Comments
Boy Scouts of America Vote to Allow Gay Members 504 Comments
Pope Francis’ Sermon Sparks Debate: ‘Even the Atheists’ Have Been Redeemed ‘With the Blood of Christ’ 477 Comments
Piers Morgan Bans Dana Loesch From His Show Following Twitter Spat: ‘Show Some Bloody Respect’ 333 Comments
Obama Doesn’t Return Marine’s Salute, Shakes Hand Instead — Is This a Protocol Misstep? 327 Comments
Faith
-
Game-Changing Bombshell? There’s a Major Twist in the Story About a High School Student’s Lesbian Relationship With a Minor
214 Comments
- Is the Boy Scouts’ Gay Amendment the ‘Beginning of the End’ for the Group? (Plus: Tell Us Where You Stand) 228 Comments
-
MSNBC Hosts Martin Bashir and Chris Hayes Claim London Machete Killers Aren’t Terrorists: ‘These Are Just Murderers’
141 Comments
-
Did You Catch the Possibly Policy-Changing Ft. Hood Reference in Obama’s Terror Speech?
Read More
-
Dem. Rep. Apologizes for Attending ‘Racist, Anti-Semitic and Homophobic’ Speech
Read More
Business
-
Have You Had Scotch at a NJ TGI Friday’s Lately? You Might Have Been Drinking Rubbing Alcohol
Read More
-
Venezuelan President Blames Toilet Paper Shortage on the Rich
Read More
-
This Terrible Chart Shows the Change in Food Stamp Participation Over the Last 10 Years
Read More
- Disney Makes Absolutely Mortifying Photoshop Mistake Read More
-
Trey Gowdy at It Again — This Time with a Jack Bauer Reference!
117 Comments
Technology
-
Lion Named ‘Bonedigger’ and Small Dog Make Most Unlikely Companions
Read More
-
Rocket Bike Sets Land Speed Record — and Uses a Fuel You Wouldn’t Expect
Read More
-
How 3D Printing Technology Created a Special Part for Baby’s Windpipe and Saved His Life
Read More
-
6 Fascinating Spy Gadgets You’ll Probably Want (and Can Have) After Seeing
Read More
-
How Would a 3D-Printed Shotgun Slug Hold Up? Here’s the Test
Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (370)
Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:36amYes but– Just because it happened on 9/11 and there was no protest and that ‘video’ had been out there for Months and nobody ever heard of it anyway, and those cameras on site showed nothing of a crowd of any sort and the rocket launch was done from a pre-staged site and the libyan cops knew to get the hey out of there ahead of time and there had been 20 attacks over the year and security was known to to be extremely sub standard, and the place had been hit before with explosives – it could have been a protest, Even though the terrorists responsible already had there communique transmitting that they did it and wanted to make sure they got the credit. — you can’t ever be sure about these things. Could ha’ been a rogue nutcase Teapartier even….
Report this comment
drrgb
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:31amMakes the trip to Vegas even more damning.
Report this comment
Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:45amSure does.. Aiding and abetting the enemy with a lil coverup and Jedi mind trick. “Nothing to see here, move along”
Report this comment
drrgb
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:26amThe inept inaction by the president is the motive for the massive cover up and the cover up is grounds for impeaching Obama, Biden, Rice, and Clinton. They knew it was a terrorist attack from the beginning, they watched it live, and did nothing because it would hurt Obama’s re-election, then planned the cover up hoping the press would cover for them. Obama put his self interest above the ambassador and the American people. No only should the American people vote him out in November, but impeachment hearings should begin immediately to get to the whole truth.
Report this comment
woodyee
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:31amThis was Obammy’s 3AM call…and the sleeze-bag went to sleep.
Report this comment
Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:43amLiterally– The cover up and incompetence is mack dab “Aiding and abetting the enemy”.. But you know– Politics is politics and that’s not really treason when there’s gonna be an election… It’s just jeeping things in perspective – Besides- ‘aiding and abetting’ is something the other guy does. Like G Bush. He was guilty of all kinda stuff but the leftwing loons didn’t want to make a real case out of it all in front of the courts and all.. That might involve crazy stuff like “evidence’ and logic, silly things like a verifiable action or intent.. Things the little people don’t really care about anyway.. Just try him in the media.
Report this comment
woodyee
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:25amUS – Brits were allied with Al-Qaeda in Libya. Time to find the dirtbags in and around the WH and round them up for trial –
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-us-al-qaeda-alliance-bosnia-kosovo-and-now-libya-washington-s-on-going-collusion-with-terrorists/25829
Report this comment
CEO BKI
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:25amEmails are one thing. The fact there were live video feeds they were, or should have been, watching is a whole lot more damning about what went on within this administration. These people are just disgusting.
They knew in time to do something, but chose not to. I, and I would hope most Americans want to know WHY, AND WHO made the call to just let them die?
Maybe no one told Obuma we have these new things called video cameras. We can actually place them in drones and other aircraft. Through the new found miracles called satellites we can then send those moving pictures to almost anywhere in the world including the situation room in the White House. Maybe someone should bring him up to date on all this new technology. We don’t have to rely on sailing ships and the pony express anymore, Mr. President. And, how could a commander-in-chief go to bed when we had people dying on the ground.
With all DUE respect, you are extremely lacking as a person and a leader. You knew from the beginning there was no demonstration. You lied and you had your surrogates lie for you to the American people, the press, and even the UN.. Don’t give me the crap about the rose garden speech, because I read the WHOLE thing in context. I don’t know what your true agenda is, but it is certainly not to rebuild American greatness.
Report this comment
Diane TX
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:55am@ CEO BKI
Good take on this. Only “Obama phone type people” believe that Obama called Benghazi a terrorist act in the Rose Garden.
Report this comment
OccamsSword
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 3:10amRomney Campaign needs to run TV and billboard ads with a similar line as your twist on Obamas smarmy debate lines applied to this abortion of foreign policy in Benghazi … great irony by the way!
Report this comment
edotddot
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:25amI was on Gretawire earlier and someone had a theory I had not thought of…look at the gun running scandal between us and Mexico. Now, think if US guns are found all over the middle east; could be an excuse for the UN to want to step in and control guns in the US.
Report this comment
CEO BKI
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:59amY’all really ought to watch Glenn. He’s been saying that from the beginning of this mess, and now there’s a whole lot more info available. They used the Ambassador as the point man to funnel arms using obuma’s best friends, the muslim brotherhood. To make a long story short; a ship left Benghazi with 400 tons of weapons for somewhere in Turkey near the Syrian border. God knows whose hands they’ll end up in. This administration doesn’t have a real good record on gun running.
Report this comment
ruthere
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:17amDivine Providence!
Report this comment
TreeTrimmerJim
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:15amThe fur is going to fly.
Keep away from the gang planks, the rats will racing to get off the sinking ship.
Report this comment
Diane TX
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:12amI looked at Huff-Po. Their “major” story is the Republican who said “when a woman is impregnated during a rape, “it’s something God intended.”
Town Hall, Daily Caller and the Blaze are all running this story, so it’s out there. I wonder how someone covers up a cover up?
Report this comment
teatime79
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:20amYahoo News has it up, still waiting on Drudge. I think we will have to wait until the morning for this story to get out to all outlets.
Report this comment
honor007
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:26amactually huffpo has it; they buried it in the “world” section. Comments were pretty interesting. Left wasn’t protecting O so much as they usually do over there. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/23/libya-attack-white-house-benghazi_n_2007497.html?icid=hp_search_art
Report this comment
raderby
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:06amOK – more questions
- 5 people talked about, 4 killed – who and where is person #5?
- or is that “fog of war” stuff genius Hillary spoke of?
- has anyone added up how many lies were spun under oath on this?
- election or not, will Congress do their job on this?
Report this comment
JoshZavala
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:06amI wonder.. how many mainstream outlets will cover this story? and how those that do will spin it to discredit the idea?
Report this comment
SITDOWNANDSHUTUP
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:13amNot many…….and they will still say this doesn’t “prove” anything. The MSM knows how to burry a story like this.
Report this comment
SITDOWNANDSHUTUP
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:04amThis was probably Trump’s big story and CBS stole his thunder by releasing it a few hours earlier.
Report this comment
SITDOWNANDSHUTUP
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:41amApparently, I am not alone in this theory. Wagers anyone?????
Report this comment
raderby
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:00amno big surprise that BHO and bunch are liars. However ,the “response team” arrived about 1.5 – 2 hours after the attack began? Something is wrong with the timeline.
AND, if this many people knew the truth (long email list), then why/how did the prez and his mouthpieces get away with the “disgusting video” lie for so long?
Also, some of the media HAD to know about these emails…. isn’t it time the media get busted for covering up for this prez?
Wow. beyond gross negligence…. me thinks BHO should retire now or face impeachment for lying on this, and how many lies were told under oath in Congress by BHO’s minions?.
Report this comment
SITDOWNANDSHUTUP
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:09amNo one will get busted for this. The left won’t care. The MSM won’t care. Matthews and MSNBC won’t care. They will all protect the phone giver and the wife of Bubba. They may have someone from the state department take the fall for not forwarding the email properly, but that is most likely the extent of the damage.
Report this comment
edotddot
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:43amThese emails went to the Pentagon, Nat’l Intelligence Director, and The White House Situation Room. It’s inconceivable that they didn’t get to anyone high enough to make a call to get assets in there in a timely manner. They even had the nerve to say (in the CBS account) that help would come in about 24 hours and that was inside the protocol timeframe. The backup that did show up (former navy seals) was from the safe house a couple of miles away that we’re in Libya on unrelated business. They decided on their own to go and help out but they were not current military with heavy arms that could have broken up the attack. I saw the Brett Baier special also, when you see the animated timeline, its remarkable that more people weren’t killed. Even our retired special forces are the very best in the world!
Report this comment
charleyrocks
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 1:58amSomeone please get this story straight, was it real time streaming and they saw it while it happened or two hours later? which one?
Report this comment
Carrie3570
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:24amReal time, streaming. The administration were receiving these messages as the attack was happening. I believe the attack was ongoing for 7 hours. Of course I wasn’t there or watching via drone, but Obama/Biden were. I bet they could answer this better than I could, if they knew how to tell the truth.
Report this comment
Jenasus
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 1:51amIt was a movie. Obama never lies. Barack Obama, Susan Rice, Hillary Clinton and James Carney all said they saw the movie together with the Muslim Brotherhood on a podcast before the terrorist attack on the consulate in Libya that killed Ambassador Stevens and the three marines.
Report this comment
Jenasus
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 1:59amcorrection two Marines and a State Department official and Ambassador Stevens that were tortured and than murdered.
Report this comment
treas54
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:11amw/popcorn and 32 oz soda – BTW Vegas Baby – Pathetic
Report this comment
Jenasus
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:13ami almost forgot that Joker Joe Biden watched the podcast with them too so they could all get their stories straight.
Report this comment
FloraBelleza
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 1:49amAdd your comments
Report this comment
SITDOWNANDSHUTUP
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 1:47amWow…….CBS made Obama look pretty good in that report. Nothing about the video that stuck in my head.
Report this comment
FloraBelleza
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 1:46amThe President of Libya come here and told the attack had nothing to do with the you tub movie. Where is the MSM on this? Why nobody confront President Obama, and asked him why in the next morning, after the death of 4 Americans, he run to Nevada for a fund raise? Obama try to paint Romney as a cold and mean guy, but he forget to mention that Romney stop everything, and everyone in his company to looked for a little girl, a daughter of the one of Romney employes, after she been reporting kidnapping, or for instance he forget to mention the compassion and kindness that Romney had for a very sick Young boy that Romney used to visit in the hospital. Do you know Obama have a uncle and a aunt over here in the USA, and that he never help them? Who is cold and calculist, Romney or Obama? You decide!!
Report this comment
1Archer4U
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:16amExcellent point!
Report this comment
treas54
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:18amCall 911 ues need a AMbulans! Done got nuf swimp in yu coktail.
Report this comment
treas54
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:21amReally
Report this comment
soundguy
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 1:44amWe all know the economy is wrecked and is going to tip over no matter what. Watch, Romney will win, it will fall apart because of Obama, and the democrats will ride back in in 2016, to save us from the Republican menace – maybe even Obama tries again! If Obama stays in for the collapse, it’s HIS and the dems fault. Did he throw the election by lying to us? Why else would you not send support, look stupid for 2 weeks talking about this video and still not have done anything about it by now? CNN beats the FBI to the scene, the New York Times easily finds someone involved in it in a nice hotel, they watched it happen live and Biden has a different story than Obama in their debates, not to mention how bad Obama was in the first one AND how big that was for Romney. Whatever it is, it is NOT stupidity. They are following some kind of plan for America and it isn’t good.
Report this comment
Jenasus
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:03amBaracky wants a race war in America after Obama loses the election so Obama can impose Martial Law and become the dictator that he aspires to be.
Report this comment
DOra Glasberg
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 1:43amThese terrorist groups ALWAYS take credit
What’s the big whoop?
Report this comment
scuba13
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 10:31amMaybe you should ask the parents of the dead Ambassador what’s the big whoop.
Report this comment
jaylew
Posted on October 25, 2012 at 9:45pmDora……someday you will regret that cavalier attitude…..if you think this Islamic nonsense is so far away from you that your subscription to Cosmo magazine will never expire…..then by all means…keep up the frontin’ gig you got going on. There comes a time when what was wrong becomes right…there comes a time when friendly dogs begin to bite.
Jerry Harrison–Worlds In Collision 1981
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eke75lbjsQ0
Report this comment
OccamsSword
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 1:38amAll the chapters to ths book still have not been written. There is still more to come. There is still missing pieces to this story.
Report this comment
Big Media Bias
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 1:36amThe House of Representatives must go on record to denounce President Obama in the harshest terms. There will not be enough time for impeachment proceedings. Obama will destroy this country during his lame duck session using Executive Orders and endless pardons. This man needs to pay an eternal price for his crimes.
Report this comment
1Archer4U
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:19amI couldn’t agree more.
Report this comment
Dismayed Veteran
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 9:05amI think the House should initiate the impeachment process even though it will move forward in time for the election. The liberals will cry politics. Politices be damned. Honor is honor. Duty is duty. Country is country.
Report this comment
truth-seeker2020
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 1:29amHumpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.
Mr. Obama please start packing you are going back to CHICAGO if they will have you.
NOTE:Bring some free phones
Report this comment
honor007
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 1:23amI will tell you what is more shocking. The kids over at the Huffington Post are going nutz over this. They are mostly all turning on Obama and those responsible. I am finding it fascinating to read the comments over there. Astounding!!!! go over there just to check out the comments.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/23/libya-attack-white-house-benghazi_n_2007497.html
Report this comment
SITDOWNANDSHUTUP
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:01amHmmmmm…….I’d say it’s about 60-40, with 60% defending BS/BO (this doesn’t prove that they knew) and they are still blaming Bush. (Bush got away with more than this………….)
Report this comment
honor007
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:13ami got a screen shot of someone’s post…says “Moderator, where are you” ???
I thought I was gonna pee my pants. No lifeline this time, but I see some are spinning it over there now. But usually HP is 99-1.
Report this comment
Carrie3570
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:35amI spent far too much time over there. I feel like I need a shower.
Report this comment
honor007
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:43amwere you as shocked as me from some of the responses??
I feel you, add a cup of bleach in your bathwater….lol!
Report this comment
Carrie3570
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 1:23amFunny thing, here I am, an average American citizen, not being able to sleep because of this news. And our “President” was able to put on his pajamas and slide into bed knowing four Americans were fighting for their lives in a foreign country.
Report this comment
honor007
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 1:47amI’m right with you. Looks like a sleepless night for me too.
Report this comment
JoshZavala
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:07amHeard that. It’s an absolute shame.
To see how this plays out to the media will prove just how bad our countries media bias has become.
Report this comment
pwatkins
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:12amMe too, haven’t slept much since Obama took office, never trusted him. I am ready for some R&R x4.
Rest and relaxation and Romney and Ryan leading our country. My husband says with Obama he fears for the future of the economy and I said I feared for the future of the future with Obama.
Obama needs to be handcuffed by morning and held until he can be tried. Biden does too, so we shouldn’t have to worry about him leading either. If we get honest leadership out of this administration I think we would have to go to the only BO that hasn’t lied, the dog….if Obama hasn’t eaten him already.
Report this comment
honor007
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:15am@pwatkins, I feel, myself, that he should be led out in handcuffs. There is no excuse especially after his display in the second debate saying it was offensive to think he or anyone in his administration would mislead the American people. ESPECIALLY in the tone that he said it.
Report this comment
Carrie3570
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 2:33amI agree. Handcuffs. And if it is found that what happened was treasonous, Obama should be punished to the full extent of the law. The president should not get a free pass.
Report this comment
1Archer4U
Posted on October 24, 2012 at 3:01amOMG, I’m right there with you! I haven’t been able to sleep for nearly 4 years, I’ve lost 50% of my ****, and I recently noticed a nice little streak of grey shooting out of my now thin ****. Everything that person has done to this country, and it’s citizens is evil. I’ll never understand the ignorance of the left. How they can not see what that person is all about is beyond me. It’s basic common sense; not rocket science. How do they not understand, when their president willfully allows U.S. citizens to be tortured, and brutally murdered; that he wouldn’t afford their worthless butts the same “care” and “respect.” Dear God in Heaven, I can’t take those people aymore! All they care about is their food-stamps, free-house, free-healthcare, free-energy, and of course… the all-important, “Obama Phone!” And I’m sick of PAYING for it! GRRR! I vote we give Obama a Trillion $ parting gift so he can buy some far off island; ship all of his supprters over there with him, to be ruled by him. What-say-you? Sounds great to me. Get-em ALL out! Oh crap, just lost another 5% of my ****! AAAAAHHH!
Report this comment