Government

President Obama Did Not Make a Single Phone Call on Night of Benghazi Attack, White House Claims

President Obama Did Not Make a Single Call on Night of Benghazi Attack, White House Says

Credit: AP

President Barack Obama didn’t make a single call on the night of the Benghazi terrorist attack, the White House told Congress in a letter released on Thursday. Predictably, Republican lawmakers slammed the president for his apparent lack of action.

“During the entire attack, the president of the United States never picked up the phone to put the weight of his office in the mix,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said, adding that had Obama picked up a phone, at least two of the Americans killed in the attacks might still be alive because he might have been able to demand immediate U.S. aid.

More from the Washington Times:

The White House has said Mr. Obama was kept up to date on the attack by his staff, though after being alerted to the attack in a pre-scheduled afternoon meeting he never spoke again with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin E. Dempsey or then-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Mr. Panetta told Congress last week that he knew immediately the attacks were a terrorist assault, though the White House downplayed that notion in the first five days after the attack.

Republican senators said they will still push for more information on who changed the talking points given to U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, who went on the Sunday talk shows after the attacks and blamed protests against an anti-Islam video.

GOP senators on Thursday temporarily blocked a vote on the nomination of Chuck Hagel as defense secretary. The Senate came up two votes short of the 60 needed to move Hagel’s nomination forward as lawmakers prepare to leave town for a week’s break. Democrats hold a 55-45 edge in the Senate.

Republicans had been blocking the confirmation of their former colleague and Vietnam veteran until they received information from the White House on President Barack Obama’s actions during the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.

“We still don’t know what the president of the United States was doing the night of the attack and who he was talking to. We know who he wasn’t talking to,” Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said.

 

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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Comments (148)

  • Stab_friendly
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 10:33pm

    The Iraq debacle meant the loss of thousands. The bombing in Beirut meant the loss of over 200 Marines. The shooting in Newtown involved the death of over 20 children. And Benghazi is an issue? Republicans – because reality isn’t our destination.

    Hypocrites…

    Report this comment

    Stab_friendly  
  • Saff SGT
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 10:29pm

    All the Benghazi Lies are coming back to haunt the White House Liars. Obama, Hillary, paneta, Holder, and all the Liberal media’s. This is just great too bad we couldn’t give the DEATH penalty to all of them it would save America in one shot

    Report this comment

    Saff SGT  
  • fooltx
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 10:22pm

    so our pharaoh in chief was on the POT playing angry birds not to be disturb,

    Report this comment

    fooltx  
  • Janet056
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 10:18pm

    The Coward in Chief

    Report this comment

    Janet056  
  • zoro51
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 9:56pm

    NO he was in VEGAS doing a FUND raiser in VEGAS INSTEAD of staying home n DEALING WIHT THE PROBLEM AT HAND IM FED UOP WIHT THE GOVT ******** LIES SPOUTED BY THIS GOD DAMN SOCIALIST.. IMPEACH OBAMA N THRO#W HIM OUT

    Report this comment

    zoro51  
  • FlagWavingPatriot
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 9:48pm

    Hey, now. We can’t be distracted by sodomized and murdered Americans when RUBIO DRANK WATER!

    Geez, people, get your priorities straight!

    Report this comment

    FlagWavingPatriot  
  • veritas11
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 9:22pm

    This adds to my suspicion that this was all planned and he knew it was going to happen. I understand its more conspiracy theory than anything, but it just seems to make sense that this ambassador knew to much and that’s why we allowed the attack to not only happen but go unpunished.

    Report this comment

    veritas11  
    • sarcasticmama
      Posted on February 14, 2013 at 10:46pm

      You are not the only one that believes that theory. When it does come out that they were running guns, Hillary and Obama will both say they didn’t know anything about it. They had no contact with anyone that night. This is all planned to cover themselves.

      Report this comment

      sarcasticmama  
  • HI_Don
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 9:04pm

    Not his fault, he was trying to use one of those fraudulent OBAMAPHONES.

    Report this comment

    HI_Don  
  • buckeyetater
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 9:03pm

    I know my last comment wont make it threw the censors but I meant every word. He is useless!

    Report this comment

    buckeyetater  
  • Bohump
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 9:03pm

    He couldn’t call, … There was no Phone Under the Bed !

    Report this comment

    Bohump  
  • Free2speakRN
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 9:03pm

    What a leader. Of what, I don’t know. Rather, I’m afraid I do. And it’s not America or the freedom of its people.

    HOW CAN YOU NOT CALL? !!!

    Report this comment

    Free2speakRN  
  • buckeyetater
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 9:01pm

    This president (lower case p) is a steaming pile of dog ****.

    Report this comment

    buckeyetater  
  • strawberry411a
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 8:57pm

    Plausible deniability. He wanted nothing to do with this. COWARD.

    Report this comment

    strawberry411a  
  • captaincameron
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 8:57pm

    This is not news–it’s been established that President Obama did nothing the night of the Benghazi attack. That has not been a question since early into this debacle. The questions have been why, leading up to this, the requests for additional security were ignored, and why on the night of the event, the stand down orders were given, and by whom. While I would love to blame President Obama for everything, I cannot put this one solely on him. But he is the Commander In Chief, and should have been also asking for answers. But the leader of the most transparent admnistration has no interest in transparency or truth.

    Report this comment

    captaincameron  
  • TooManyStupidFolksInTheUSA
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 8:43pm

    I say we drop obama in one of those arab countries and just see what happens. Would love to just watch and hey, if something happens, I say we just do nothing.

    Report this comment

    TooManyStupidFolksInTheUSA  
  • ABRAXUS
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 8:37pm

    Why is that nightmare not in prison.?

    Report this comment

    ABRAXUS  
  • go2gym
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 8:37pm

    Why would the White House tell that to Congress? I smell a setup. I smell a bigger happening in Libya that we are being told. I smell Obama being covered for in a bigger way than we currently know. If he was AWOL, then what else will he not be blamed for because the AWOL label is already sticking? Gun running, via Turkey, perhaps?

    Report this comment

    go2gym  
  • RinkyDink34
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 8:29pm

    “Impeach Obama for blatant disregard for the United
    States of America’s Constitution and Amendments”
    https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/
    Go to Search, then enter “Impeach” to find said petition,

    Report this comment

    RinkyDink34  
  • paprtowl
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 8:11pm

    when did hillary get the word to call libya, or how did she get the word to speak on the presidents behalf ?

    Report this comment

    paprtowl  
  • eramthgin
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 7:54pm

    He is a child and doesn’t have the maturity for the job he holds. He was probably planning his next vacation or off with some whore. Why is it that no one can tell us where he was?

    Report this comment

    eramthgin  
  • Saff SGT
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 7:49pm

    hey Obama we are getting fired at, send some help, hello, hello, are you there Dumbo, huh hello Dumbo

    Report this comment

    Saff SGT  
  • Saff SGT
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 7:46pm

    liar Liar as I told you all 5 yrs ago. I saw it others didn’t care cause they voted the Dumbo in again. I am smart and areal America but 60 million voters are jerks and we all pay for stupidity

    Report this comment

    Saff SGT  
  • CHESTER MOUSE
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 7:39pm

    Now that Ad that ran in 2008 makes more sense, you know the one where its 3 in the morning and the phone keeps ringing and no one picks it up.

    Sept. 11, 2012 was Tuesday evening- we know Obama was campaigning the next day. Does anyone know if he held his Wednesday night concert or party or whatever that evening or did he postpone that until Friday. Better yet what EXACTLY did the President do the entire 7 days after the attack?

    Go back to that campaign speech he gave on Sept 12th- Listen and Look into the eyes of someone who knew we were attacked, knew we lost our Ambassador but went on because his message was more important then any 4 American lives. Re-elect me because I’m a cool guy. If this was my kid and he even had a remote chance of survival and my Government did NOTHING to save him. I wouldn’t be so forgiving as these families. Eye for an Eye.

    My kid is just as important as this loser-in-life’s kids, I wonder if it had been his kids would he have been making phone calls up his azz too save them. Of course he would, he took an oath to SERVE and PROTECT all Americans

    They would be all over Bush if he did this– lets not drop the ball on this investigation – we owe it to the 4 Americans who lost their lives so others can live.

    Report this comment

    CHESTER MOUSE  
  • Eastinfection
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 7:31pm

    Hey Obama..
    this is crazy..
    we’re getting shot at..
    so call us maybe..

    Al Quida’s terrorists..
    want to rape me..
    so send some backup..
    or call us maybe.

    Report this comment

    Eastinfection  
  • Stelex
    Posted on February 14, 2013 at 7:31pm

    For Dear Leader Obama to give a thought to anyone but himself is traitorous and would obviously place someone whom expected as much on a kill list. In this…..the most transparent gov ever how could anyone doubt Dear Leader’s intentions. Peasants shall know there place, (thats us by the way), the Media shall know its place, most already do. Fox will be drawn in, Rush will be taken care off…….no worries. The assault of America is in full Bloom. Yet most and I mean Most don’t even realize whats going on. I just want to see that crossing point……the moment when the media, the public and the Obama zombies realize whats up. Priceless moment no doubt.

    Report this comment

    Stelex  

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