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Panetta Says Military Did Not Intervene in Libya Attack Because They Didn’t Have Any ‘Real-Time Information’

Oct. 26, 2012 11:30am Madeleine Morgenstern

FILE In this Oct. 10, 2012 file photo, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta speaks at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Credit: AP

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Thursday the U.S. military did not intervene when the U.S. Consulate in Libya was under assault last month because military leaders did not have enough information about what was happening on the ground.

Panetta told reporters at the Pentagon there was no “real-time information” on which to act, even though the military was prepared to do so, CNN reported. U.S. forces had been on heightened alert because of the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, but Panetta said the Benghazi assault was over before military leaders had a good handle on what was going on, according to the Associated Press.

“The basic principle is that you don’t deploy forces into harm’s way without knowing what’s going on, without having some real-time information about what’s taking place,” Panetta said. “And as a result of not having that kind of information…[we] felt very strongly that we could not put forces at risk in that situation.”

U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed in the six-hour assault, which has since been labeled a terrorist attack.

Panetta said there has been “a lot of Monday-morning quarterbacking going on here” questioning decisions in the weeks since the attack.

“This happened within a few hours, and it was really over before we had the opportunity to really know what was happening,” Panetta said.

CBS reported last week that there was an unmanned drone dispatched over the U.S. Consulate that apparently viewed the final hours of the attack.

A Defense Department official told CNN there was a drone in the air but was not directly over the area when the attack started. The official said the drone was redirected and was able to record some of what was happening, and described it as “looking down, seeing a bunch of buildings and fires, a lot of chaos on the ground.”

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Comments (208)

harleynaja
Posted on October 30, 2012 at 9:48am
This incompetant lieing fool should be removed from office immediately. I can’t imagine what our former navy seals were thinking about our refusal to send aid. They always stood up for us and went where they were sent, we should stand up for them now that they can longer speak. I am so sorry that their parents and families are being subjected to this administrations treason

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Derus
Posted on October 29, 2012 at 9:58pm
OBAMA: TREASON OR IMPEACHMENT?

1. Why was USA Ambassador in Benghazi without adequate protection?

2. What was he discussing with Turkey Consulate counterpart shortly before his death?

3. Why could the Turkish representative leave safely, and Chris Stevens was gunned down?

4. 400 tons of military weapons/?humanitarian aid including USA stinger missiles sent by Muslim Brotherhood/Al Qaeda ship from Benghazi to the Al Qaeda “Syrian freedom fighters” within the same time period.

5. Why no ground or air support for our Libyan Ambassador before or during the events of 9/11/2012?

6. Did Obama have Chris Stevens/Navy Seals die rather than get Chris Stevens out alive and reveal the truth of his GUN RUNNING activities for the Muslim Brotherhood and Al Qaeda in Libya and Syria?

7. Dead persons can no longer speak? Was that an Obama consideration when he let the 4 die.

8. IMPEACHABLE or TREASONOUS COLLUSION with Al Qaeda?

9. Darrell Issa 166 pages and the lies of Obama, Hilliary, Panetta, Biden should be all you need to skewer these guys?

10. The Republic is in mortal danger. And Fox “trembles”?

11. Gentlemen, if you fear speaking the truth: known facts from Darrell Issa’s 166 pages yourselves, find someone who does have the “balls to speak the truth”.

Obama: Treason or Impeachment? Biden? Clinton? Panetta? Petraeus? More?

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vanman4446
Posted on October 28, 2012 at 3:56pm
Panetta is a GD traitor

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welder4
Posted on October 28, 2012 at 12:50pm
speak is all they had to do and just maybe two would still be alive today , it is time for a change

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welder4
Posted on October 28, 2012 at 12:49pm
I know its true cause I saw it on TV , they had a wide screen in front of them and did not have a clear picture of what was going on>? now that has got to be the biggest lie of the century . there are nothing but criminals in the white house . The CIA refutes that statement by Pannetta .

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billwhit1357
Posted on October 28, 2012 at 5:44am
Why does the word “COVERUP” keep coming to my Common Sense mind?

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I Luv America
Posted on October 28, 2012 at 2:16am
Frankly, I’m not surprised that lies are still coming from the Obama Administration. I’m only surprised that they haven’t gone back to that video excuse. I wonder if there is a lying czar on the payroll?

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daytona91
Posted on October 28, 2012 at 1:41am
The entire administrations story rings hollow. Italy, with F16s and AH64s was an hour away…reportedly C130 Spectres were overhead along with drones. Destroyers and AC carriers in the Med. And Panetta and the Joint Chiefs can’t get their big boy panties on for 7 hours? I do not buy it. No doubt, 100% polictical! At some point, some small peon in this sewage filled swamp of humanity called the White House or the CIA is gonna have an attack of morality and patriotic remorse and we will find out what really happened and who is responsible, unfortunately it will be after the election and virtually too late to do anything about it. The question is, will Congress have the stones to do anything about it. Oblowmo has stalled, decieved and deflected from day one on Libya and will continue to do so until after Nov. 6. The shameful mainstream media is well tamed and friendly and will exert no pressure to find and report the truth. Oblowmo has a free pass until at least the election. Although, if defeated, he may find himself portrayed as a pariah by his media peers or better still, as a martayr.

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revelation2012
Posted on October 27, 2012 at 11:58pm
TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — It began around nightfall on Sept. 11 with around 150 bearded gunmen, some wearing the Afghan-style tunics favored by Islamic militants, sealing off the streets leading to the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi. They set up roadblocks with pick-up trucks mounted with heavy machine guns, according to witnesses.

http://bigstorytest.ap.org/article/libyan-witnesses-recount-organized-benghazi-attack

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revelation2012
Posted on October 27, 2012 at 11:42pm
cnn news phone number.
404-827-1500

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revelation2012
Posted on October 27, 2012 at 11:40pm
Want to help?
***call to action***

melt their phones down!! Tell them to cover benghazi!!
***nbc – 212-664-3720
***abc – 212-456-7777
***cbs – 212-975-3247

share and re-post!!

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revelation2012
Posted on October 27, 2012 at 11:38pm
What can ANYONE DO ??? He’s the PRESIDENT of the United States
He can NOT be TRUSTED,,,,,,,,,,

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revelation2012
Posted on October 27, 2012 at 11:36pm
CHECK THIS OUT!
Obama Administration Replaces Top Generals Following Benghazi Disaster
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/10/was-africom-general-replaced-for-his-efforts-to-save-benghazi-security-officials/

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aurora53
Posted on October 27, 2012 at 10:54pm
One excuse after another. Most of the American public is not buying the governments’ sale pitch!

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Baja
Posted on October 27, 2012 at 9:46pm
Leon, borrow the carbide miners lamp Biden uses to find his way out of Obama’s alimentary canal, to find your way out of your alimentary canal.
The whole damn regime, bottom up, top down are a bunch of lying corrupt bastard.

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Colliegirl
Posted on October 27, 2012 at 8:51pm
What …more “empty chairs”??? It’s very apparent that we need to clear out the White House and get other better qualified people that will pay attention to their jobs!

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GCT
Posted on October 27, 2012 at 7:14pm
Leon Panetta got a lot of respect for his efforts to push getting Bin Laden, but he blew all that in his response to Benghazi.

He should resign!

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Arizona Don
Posted on October 27, 2012 at 5:28pm
What Barack Obama did here was, once again, embolden the enemy. We failed to go after them, for some unknown reason, and they got away clean. They will do it again, this I can promise. When I was in the Army (I realize it has been a long time ago) we rescued GI’s in trouble regardless. I can only speak from my experience but this crap would have not happened. Seems to me he is the Commander in Chief in name only. I suspect he doesn’t even know what it means. It would be an understatement to say I loathe him.

How the liberal progressives support him is impossible for me to comprehend. There are no words in English for me to describe how I feel about this incident and feel about the whole Obama staff. Everything he does should add to the facts that he is a muslim in everyone’s eyes. There is now, positively, no doubt in my mind. Obama turned his back on these folks when they needed someone to take charge and send help. Obama’s actions have now undermined our fighting force once again. The GI’s involved in combat situations now will have no confidence in their leaders and some may be reluctant to fight fearlessly as we have always done. Everything this jerk touches turns to crap!

All the excuses in the world will not make our fighting men trust him! How many of you can put yourselves in the place of those killed? I can!

The whole of the Obama staff and cabinet are liars and are not trustworthy!

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Collateral Damage
Posted on October 27, 2012 at 4:57pm
Leon Panetta, just another LYIN’ JACKASS!?! Just like the Vice-JACKASS, the Jackass Epic-Failure Secratary of State, and Obama bin LYIN’, the JACKASS-In-Chief!?! This entire administration has been lyin’ their asses off for 4 years now!?! Now just how STUPID are 47% of the American people!?!

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copakeman
Posted on October 27, 2012 at 4:40pm
doesnt the inaction of the heads of various depts, while knowing exactly what is happening in benghazi, make them complicit in murder of our 4 American citizens ?

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Arshloch
Posted on October 27, 2012 at 4:12pm
In a word, BULLCRAP.

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camdenme2
Posted on October 27, 2012 at 4:04pm
I say BULL to Panetta !!!!! He can’t run from a lie !!!!

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h20sue
Posted on October 27, 2012 at 3:04pm
You know they are covering their tracks. They have drones that can kill Taliban ASAP. They have drones that watch 99.9% of everything going on in the Middle East. Give me a break. We viewed the photos taken of the Libyan’s hauling Christopher Stevens throught the streets. Who do they think they are fooling.
They are trying to do “nothing” because they don’t want Obama looking dumber then he already is before his big election day.
Tyrone’s Dad said Obama shook hands with him like a “wet fish”, and didn’t look in his eyes. Well, I’ve always been told….”if a man/woman can’t look you in the eyes, while speaking to you, they are never trustworthy.” Running a business and meeting with executive’s of different companies, I’ve learned that this statement rings very true. Imagine buying a pair of shoes and not trying them on first. Well, speaking with someone who doesn’t have the respect to look you in the eyes, especially after losing a son/daughter, is disgusting. It’s a total lack of respect, and Obama did it to Tyrones father. Shame on him for this and other lies he has continued to shove up American hind ends. Shameful, just plain long shameful, and those who vote for the rascal are no bettter. I’ve lost respect for many American’s, including Colon Powell. He’s really proven that color is important then common sense. Rascals, crooks, and thieves, stick together.

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