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)

  • Geronimo
    Posted on February 16, 2013 at 12:36pm

    And when fools who have no skin in the game nor brains in their skulls are allowed to vote, this is just another sad comment on where we have come as a nation. The answer to the question of “who’s minding the store?” is, NO ONE! Our hipster “leader” and his cadre have proven themselves to be way over their collective heads in the positions they hold and we have nobody to blame but the voters who have allowed this to happen along with the fawning, progressive media and educational system.

    Report this comment

    Geronimo  
  • oldincarolina
    Posted on February 16, 2013 at 9:04am

    He didn’t know what to say . He didn’t know what to do . He is not a leader. He gets his orders from someone else. He wouldn’t make a call until he gets a call. A call that would tell him what to do .

    Report this comment

    oldincarolina  
  • Questionman
    Posted on February 15, 2013 at 11:40pm

    You have proven the hardcore fact that I have been saying for the last five years as fact!

    YOU ARE A HATEFUL, RACIST! You and the entire rightye movement are the modern version of the KKK. Racists to the core. Anyone who hates Barack Obam, IS a racist! of this there can be NO doubt!
    Anyone who calls Obama a fraud and a POS is without doubt a disgusting racist, bigoted piece of and That’s a fact.

    Anyone who calls for Obama’s impeachment is also without doubt a disgusting racist, bigoted piece of shot, and That’s a fact

    Calling the President a traitor and domestic enemy is somewhere between insubordinate and treasonous. Unacceptable for anyone to say such things about the commander-in-chief. To publicly call the President a domestic enemy and a traitor is seditious at best and mutinous at worst.
    Obama is anything but a Socialist. He stands to the Right of Eisenhower and is trying very hard to save American Capitalism from its own stupidity. the racist right call Obama a Marxist, a socialist, a Communist, a Muslim because they can’t call him a N-word! That’s what they mean! They can’t stand having a black in office. that this the cold hard truth!

    Report this comment

    Questionman  
    • Geronimo
      Posted on February 16, 2013 at 12:48pm

      Obama is an arrogant, narcissist who was elected by persons such as yourself who have been duped by his honey dripping b.s. that got him elected. Even an article in Pravda that appeared shortly after the past election stated in essence that the uneducated American voters elected this fool. He’s the front man for the progressive masters who are driving their agenda.

      Report this comment

      Geronimo  
  • Questionman
    Posted on February 15, 2013 at 11:32pm

    This is a message to you! You have proven the hardcore fact that I have been saying for the last five years as fact!

    You and the entire righty movement are the modern version of the KKK. Racists to the core. Anyone who hates Barack Obama, IS a racist! of this there can be NO doubt!

    What is even more disgusting is that you racist constantly demean and desecrate the name of God and Using God’s name To Promote Right Wing political Anti-Christ, Racist, Bigoted, Obama-hating rants like this!

    You think Obama is a “pathological liar?” I haven’t noticed him stretching the truth any more than any other politician on Capitol Hill.

    Is Barack Obama a pathological Liar?
    I don’t think so.
    if Obama was the dictator you try to pretend he is, you would all be forced to wear yellow swastikas on your clothing.

    NO! and he’s not destroying America. He Got Bin Laden. (NOT KILLED) Got pirates. Killed more radical Muslims than civilian killing Bush. Taking Iran to the mats. Withdrew from agreement when N Korea doubled back. Got us out of Iraq, honorable. Saved the country from financial ruin. Saved GM and Chrysler and a million American jobs. Got health coverage for 40 million Americans.

    Obama is anything but a Socialist. He stands to the Right of Eisenhower and is trying very hard to save American Capitalism from its own stupidity. the racist right call Obama a Marxist, a socialist, a Communist, a Muslim because they can’t call him a N-word! That’s what they mean

    Report this comment

    Questionman  
  • John_K
    Posted on February 15, 2013 at 7:38pm

    This is just a game anytime Obama dodges behind “incompetent” or “lazy”. You know he was sitting in the Situation Room watching drone feeds live while he cheered on the Muslims.

    Report this comment

    John_K  
    • John_K
      Posted on February 15, 2013 at 7:38pm

      Why isn’t anyone asking about the “stand down” orders?

      Report this comment

      John_K  
  • kitcarker
    Posted on February 15, 2013 at 5:46pm

    It would be almost impossible to get our own home grown , red blooded American military to ever turn on us, but what concerns me is just exactly how many illegal aliens and gang members are in the military? I think here is where the problem lies . Pushing to give citizenship to illegals to join the military therefore is not a very good idea

    Report this comment

    kitcarker  
    • Ghandi was a Republican
      Posted on February 16, 2013 at 12:45am

      Beware: It only takes 1 bullet to make an example. To complete a coup. When a coup takes place the top brass is replaced. Orders given. Court Marshals. Disinformation and examples to those that do not follow. First thing in a crisis -> The families of the top Government people are rounded up “for protection” It’s blackmail at it’s finest.
      What these idiotic progressives “get” is that without taking our guns our volunteer military that had retired will go straight back into the Service of our great Nation. Retired Sergeants, Captains and even generals. Millions of front line grunts waiting to take orders.
      So yes- you are right. Our military will rise up against obama and his evil doers. THAT, they don’t ‘get”

      Report this comment

      Ghandi was a Republican  
  • Ghandi was a Republican
    Posted on February 15, 2013 at 4:46pm

    The sooner obama declares openly that he is the dictator, the sooner we can be rid of him. He is a weasel hiding behind bushes. What exactly does he think is going to happen too him when there are no more bushes (no pun) to hide behind? This is a guy who needs food tasters already. Obama is a guy who cannot afford to be left alone in a room, any room without high security, or at least the long confirmation and confidence that they are a confirmed and trusted alinsky radical.
    Even among those he is in grave danger. Those that have “made” him so not have much further use for him. He is quickly approaching the time that he is in fact, a hindrance.
    Truly- History tells us he has nowhere safe to turn. It is always this way. There is nothing natural about the rise of obama. There won’t be much natural about his demise. He will be eaten (like dog) and discarded, thrown under the bus. Likely to martyrdom to milk the last use of purpose to his miserable existence. History people. Look to history. Obama is far from intelligent. He is like a muppet who repeats what is handed to him. Over and over and over. That should not be mistaken for intelligence or ‘capability”.
    What does he do, day after day after day? He goes where he is told to say what he is told to say. Never an original thought. Rinse repeat. never varies. This is not someone in control of his own destiny.

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    Ghandi was a Republican  
  • JacquesChirac
    Posted on February 15, 2013 at 4:42pm

    I’m sorry. I really don’t follow this headline. The WH is happy to prove that the POTUS did not make a single phone call the night a US embassy was attacked and four Americans died??

    Am I just missing something here??

    Report this comment

    JacquesChirac  
  • edie1945
    Posted on February 15, 2013 at 2:17pm

    This President should be Impeached. He is not the leader of America, he sees himself as the King. The people who voted for him should have the pain of Bengahzi. This man has no love for America. That…. is quite evident. Hmmmm ne’re a phone call to anyone after the 5pm scheduled meeting. He is a shameful man. I hope the American people will pull their collective asses out of their collective pie holes.

    Report this comment

    edie1945  
  • Arshloch
    Posted on February 15, 2013 at 2:10pm

    Wonder who was co-ordinating the raiders?

    Report this comment

    Arshloch  
  • drrgb
    Posted on February 15, 2013 at 1:54pm

    Republicans should run a national tv ad with a phone ringing in the Whit House and no one answering it. Text over the phone ringing and ringing: “Who answered the White House emergency phone? …… Not Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton!” Text fades to: “Remember Benghazi 911!” as the phone continues to ring.

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    drrgb  
  • nana1212
    Posted on February 15, 2013 at 1:08pm

    The SOB prez was more than likely crouched inside a closet sucking his thumb! (WAH WAH) He probably does this better than the useless way he runs this country of ours!

    Report this comment

    nana1212  

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