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At Large
Time, Distance, and Indecision
Secretary Panetta et al.’s dereliction of duty on September 11, 2012.
In a hearing last week, Republican members of the Senate Intelligence Committee were happy with their ability last week to suggest that President Obama’s lack of inquiry during the Benghazi attack last September 11 showed how removed he was from an urgent political /military issue. While focusing pro and con on the supposed inability of Mr. Obama to have serious concern over his beleaguered representatives in Libya, the senators, Democrat and Republican alike, missed completely a principal issue in the Secretary of Defense’s testimony.
Leon Panetta had tried to explain that time and distance precluded the possibility of doing anything to intervene militarily to aid the Benghazi mission either at the main facility where Ambassador Stevens and his information specialist, Sean Smith, were or at the CIA base annex two miles away. The entire attack lasted nearly eight hours and an unarmed surveillance drone was on-station within 90 minutes of the initial attack. During the firefight six officers from the Tripoli embassy flew in on a chartered civilian plane to Benghazi’s Benina International Airport and made their way to the compound, according to Panetta and previous briefings.
Secretary Panetta went on to say that U.S. Navy FAST teams (Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security) were in Spain, but these were too far away to arrive in time to assist the embattled Americans. Panetta even mentioned that the FAST teams would have had to fly first to Segonella, Italy, for onward flight to Benghazi. He never explained why this route was essential. The implication was that the distance was such that refueling or perhaps special equipment was necessary to be procured from Segonella Naval Base. This ignores the fact that Benina International has commercial flights daily stopping to and from Europe — including Madrid — on the route to East Africa. A Boeing 747 flight from the U.S. Naval Base at Rota, Spain, would have taken only about three hours at an average cruising speed of 570 mph.
What was never mentioned or even questioned was why the Marine Force Recon unit supposedly stationed at Segonella was never considered a potential relief force as it was far closer than Rota to Benghazi. Is that Marine Force Recon unit simply a paper designation for Pentagon budgeting for a shadow TO&E (Table of Organization & Equipment)? In any case, FAST units (of which at least one was at Rota) are each specifically forward-deployed guard platoons of 115 Marines and one officer capable of immediate operational response to any alert notice. There is no question that in this time frame, even considering organizational delays, an initial retrieval force could have landed at Benghazi airport well before the actual firefight had ended. And who knew that in just under eight hours the entire affair would be over?
There isn’t a special operations trooper who wouldn’t have gone into Benghazi “blind” if it was necessary to rescue a contingent of Americans. The idea that critical intelligence must be gathered, analyzed, and evaluated before a SO force proceeds on a critical retrieval mission may be academically correct, but not strictly followed in real life critical combat rescue. U.S. special forces of every kind go into harm’s way when and where they are needed with little regard for themselves. It’s the mission that counts, and the mission clearly was to rescue the guys in Benghazi. For some reason this fact escaped Washington’s high military command.
Why is it that after over eleven years of combat in Afghanistan and Iraq that the Senate Intelligence Committee will swallow the story that no forces were available in adequate time and distance to relieve Benghazi? To begin with, why wasn’t some high ranking White House or Pentagon official on the phone to commercial airlines serving Spain to see who could aid in the mission by redirecting existing transport so the Marine FAST team could be wheels-up in minimal time if no military air assets were available? The concept of chartering or even commandeering available U.S. civilian transport has been in existence since the days of General Washington. When faced with a military crisis, such actions have considerable precedent.
What this all points to is that a Rota-based FAST platoon of appropriately trained and equipped Marines could have flown to Benghazi by any Boeing 747, and other heavier units could have followed later. It wasn’t even tried. That DoD having real-time notice of the attack on two official American installations could not or would not respond in a timely manner is a disgrace that reaches the level of dereliction of duty. Any enlisted man or junior officer having avoided similar action would have been brought up on charges before a court martial.
It is clear that even if the Secretary of Defense has been able to find some political cover to avoid personal responsibility, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Chief of Naval Operations (under whose direction FAST units are deployed), and the head of the Special Operations Command should receive formal reprimands at the very least. As Leon Panetta is already leaving, perhaps they should just all resign. The argument that they all needed White House approval before anyone of them could have taken definitive action just is not doctrinally or historically true. All they could have lost would have been their jobs!
About the Author
George H. Wittman writes a weekly column on international affairs for The American Spectator online. He was the founding chairman of the National Institute for Public Policy.
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OP4| 2.14.13 @ 7:49AM
Everything Panetta and Obama say about Benghazi are lies.
Mr. Wittman mentions the Marine units in Spain and Sicily. Of course they would have gone with a moment's notice and no details. That is exactly what they train for.
AFRICOM Commander General Ham supposedly activated his Special Operations Group and was planning to mount his own rescue of the embassy staff - when Panetta or Obama (his only 2 superiors) ordered him relieved of duty and arrested.
The Administration didn't want the embassy rescued for some reason. And they made damn sure no rescue happened.
Dai Alanye | 2.14.13 @ 9:16AM
Whatever the truth of Ham's being fired (as opposed to the official story that it was a planned retirement) the fact is that the chain of command goes from the President to the head of the Combatant Commands. If Ham didn't at least prepare to take action he should have. This incident reminds me of the Cole attack, where idiotic rules of engagement were in force, yet the commanding officer went along with them to the detriment of ship and crew.
If Ham had sent a rescue unit without presidential approval he might have been fired, but he would have become so popular with the American people as to assure his political future. I imagine his conscience might now be easier, as well.
The military has shown a lamentable lack of initiative of late. Seems to me we need to develop more Nelsons, who will hold the telescope to their blind eye when the signal to withdraw is flown.
OP4| 2.14.13 @ 12:36PM
The Administration is purposely purging senior officers with initiative or allegiance to the Constitution.
KennesawJack| 2.14.13 @ 1:31PM
You're probably right, but it isn't going to matter.
Robert| 2.14.13 @ 9:47PM
Of course the regime didn't want a rescue to take place. The staff in this sham operation had NOTHING to do with consular functions. It was directed to be a gun-running operation exactly like Fast and Furious. In Bengazi, they were arming Muslim Brotherhood mercenaries in Syria with arms culled from the fallen Gaddafi regime -- not poor, innocent Mexican drug cartel militias. Why do you think there were no defenses in place in the Bengazi compound? That would have called attention to this gun running op.
So, there HAD to be a complete extinction of evidence...a scorched earth outcome. Sending troops in...well, Hillary, Obama and Panetta would expose the entire operation to discovery! That's also the reason the FBI was prevented from examining the scene for weeks.
Iran or Syria, when the world discovers some nefarious operation, they simply bulldoze the crime scene. The Obama regime couldn't arrange that in a Libyan city so they simply denied the FBI access until the site could be thoroughly gone over to ensure not a scrap of evidence of the gun running operation remained to be discovered.
Years from now...when all these crooks now stonewalling this egregious foreign policy disaster are sitting pretty with their government pensions and the statute of limitations has run out their prosecution...only then will the truth finally come out.
Sad that 4 Americans gave their lives to protect this insipid bunch of cowardly 'leaders.'
Stephie| 2.14.13 @ 7:59AM
Is this not an impeachable situation? Doesn't the "buck stop" with obama? Oh, that's right. We don't know where the hell he was that night. MIA
c. j. acworth| 2.14.13 @ 8:45AM
No, Stephie, the buck stops with Bush. For at least the next 4 years.
Anthony| 2.14.13 @ 12:59PM
No Stephie, Obozo is fault free, there were no WMD in Iraq. End of story.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 2.14.13 @ 8:29AM
" Is that Marine Force Recon unit simply a paper designation for Pentagon budgeting for a shadow TO&E (Table of Organization & Equipment)? "
I have a minor nit to pick with Mr. Wittman. Recognizing that things may have changed with the passage of time, when I was on active duty for the first time in the Marine Corps 1982-1985, the TO&E was an Army term. The Marine Corps had separate Tables of Organization and Tables of Equipment, and not the Army version.
Perhaps that changed in subsequent years, but it always annoyed me in "Heartbreak Ridge" (set in 1983) when the Major (supposedly a Marine USNA grad) refers to the "TO&E" . It is like suggesting that natives speak Spanish as a first language in Rio de Janeiro.
TLP| 2.14.13 @ 1:25PM
In an effort keep what happened that day, in the Proper Focus: President Let'em Die didn't suffer from "A lack of Inquiry". It wasn't that he was "Removed from an Urgent political/military situation". And, it wasn't "His inability to have a Serious Concern over his beleaguered representatives in Libya".
He just Didn't Care.
His Red Phone rang, that day, and he told Panetta to "Take a Message. I gotta pick out my Clothes for Las Vegas, and Jay Z's Party".
That's not Incompetence. That's Indifference. That's Neglect. That's a Blatant Disregard of his Oath of Office.
Just like the Black ex-Cop, in California. If Trayvon Martin looked like the Son he never had? Did this Black Killer look like the Son he never had, as well? Cause, unlike his actions in the case in Florida? President Big Mouth had Nothing to say about one of Eric Holder's People, running around Killing everyone he came in contact with. Even a White Cop's White Daughter. As far as I know, all of them were White. But, there's No Racism here. Nothing to see. Move along.
Apparently, the Colour of one's Skin, is the Template for him getting involved. Can, you imagine if all of these guys in Benghazi, were BLACK? Cause, I can.
As far as Panetta is concerned?
Having received his Orders from President Let'em Die. Leon Panetta did just that.
He let'em all Die.
Let's hope he hears their Screams, every night, in his dreams, for the rest of his Pathetic Life.
Occam's Tool| 2.14.13 @ 6:00PM
Traitors WANT to see their ambassadors Cornholed.
Obama is a traitor.
Therefore...
Al Adab| 2.14.13 @ 8:33AM
Every foreign policy action, or inaction, of this administration has been misplayed. The ideology of the Left does not allow for realpolitik and actual enemies in this world of ours. Because they are obligated to force events into their paradigm they err when making decisions concerning real world events and sadly, life and death. They see the military as a social service agency and social engineering forum. They see the U S as a problem in the world rather than as a engine for security. While Conservatives can fault "nation building" efforts, we must recognize there do exist organized forces in the world determined to harm the U S. If reality confronts this administration again, and it will, the hand will again be misplayed to our detriment.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 2.14.13 @ 8:54AM
"The ideology of the Left does not allow for realpolitik and actual enemies ..."
If I might register a slight disagreement, might I suggest that you insert the word foreign before "enemies". To the Left, those of us who disagree with them are the actual enemy.
Al Adab| 2.14.13 @ 11:00AM
Good point there Sir. I recall the "terrorist" list that Homeland Security put out a couple years back and it included most of us.
Maxwell| 2.14.13 @ 8:44AM
I am sure that our 'friends' in China, Russia, & various Arab nations noticed all to well our lack of response to what happened in Benghazi. Someone is licking their chops. I wonder how dearly we will pay for this? I guess the next time Barry is out shooting at the range or riding his girls bike, some of our countries best will find their arse on the line with out any backup.
Stormy| 2.14.13 @ 9:01AM
Barry better hope that the next such crisis does not involve his girls. He has provided our enemies every reason to make a move.
Hardcard| 2.14.13 @ 8:50AM
panetta, petraeus, clapper,hillary, the joint chiefs, holder, brennan, all front men for dear leader. petraeus balked and was neutralized, and clapper is totally out of sight as is s.rice. hillary is getting deep body rubs from umma, at this point what does it matter. I think brennan was running the show for obamao during the whole Bengahzi debacle he had everybody standing down, I'm not sure what was the ultimate goal, obamao knows. TREASON
loulou| 2.14.13 @ 12:29PM
Brennan is said to be a Muslim convert.
Muslims are allowed to lie whenever it's convenient for them.
Clapper seems senile to me. Or stupid.
Anthony| 2.14.13 @ 8:58AM
Obozo, Hillary and Panetta are cold blooded SOB's who allowed four Americans to die while they did nothing. They are criminally negligent.
Warned months in advance by Ambassador Stevens, they did nothing. No talk of connecting the dots with this rotten bunch. Not an ounce of remorse among the rotten lot of them. True sociopaths.
Obozo will never be held accountable because the corrupt ruling class in Washington do not have the moral convictions to do what is right.
Hillary prepares for 2016 with the tailwinds of the whores in the MSM, who will propel this woman to the presidency, unless and until America wakes up.
You bet our enemies are watching, and waiting... Obozo is an opportunity just ripe for the taking, and they will.
Von Mises Jr| 2.14.13 @ 11:33AM
Unfortunately, my friend, many American people may be held responsible for their apathy and greed. Socialist gain power by playing Santa Claus giving bribes to the stupid and greedy like Perp and Chit grin. But these morons do not care if their Ambassador becomes a Boston Cream donut for Islamist as long as they can buy the same with their EBT Card. They don't care if Brian Terry was killed with F&F AK-47's as long as they get their Section 8 housing.
So while the communist in charge will burn in Hell if there is a God, the people that allow this to happen for a cheap bottle of wine and a bologna sandwich are not much better. We can only hope that when (not if) the Chit hits the fan; we will be less liberals rather than hard-working and God fearing conservatives. That would be "Social Justice."
Anthony| 2.14.13 @ 12:00PM
Well said Von. Read our friend Grzmlyk's comments today over at Emmett's blog.
He truly makes me weep for America.
Kwan| 2.14.13 @ 9:02AM
Once again reality reared its ugly head and exposed another leftist fantasy as brain-dead ignorance on steroids. The Obama agenda was what was important not the lives of the 4 dead Americans. That's why the Seals were told to stand down. Hadn't al-Qaeda been defeated with the assassination of bin-Laden. Hadn't the "Arab Spring" brought forth a western-style democracy. Wasn't Libya now as safe for our foreign service personnel as Luxembourg. Why provide adequate protection for the Ambassador and maybe hurt the Arab's feelings. When you hire a clown-circus of imbeciles to run your country results like this will not be the exception but the norm.
Dave Williams| 2.14.13 @ 9:34AM
An absolutely horrible and shameful episode that is going to encourage more, and more serious attacks. And the f*ckers who let it happen will GET AWAY WITH IT, because RINOs are jellyfish who won't insist on the truth coming to light, and the despicable whores in the lamestream media, who will cooperate cheerfully in keeping the truth hidden.
I weep for my country.
Occam's Tool| 2.14.13 @ 6:03PM
Kwan, Dave: Magnificent as usual. You guys, of course, not the idiots in the Executive Branch.
Pecos Pete| 2.14.13 @ 9:44AM
Mr. Witttman wrote above: "And who knew that in just under eight hours the entire affair would be over?"
I would stress that this quote from the article provides the absolute proof that everything we have been told and that was testified to under oath in Congressional hearings is false. The only possible conclusion is that help could have been sent, should have been sent, and wasn't sent because of political motives.
The chain of command from King O down committed murder. All of them should be tried for this crime.
Albert Constantine Jr.| 2.14.13 @ 10:02AM
Actually, this affair is just one which proves that this administration is as feckless, incompetent and/ or dangerous as most of us here knew they would be.
Marc Jeric| 2.14.13 @ 9:47AM
Obama's Arab Spring program was designed to establish jihadist governments in Northern Africa and the Middle East. It has been successful so far in Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt; to go are Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Yemen, Iraq; together with the existing jihadist governments in Turkey, Sudan, and Iran Obama wants the annihilation of Israel; that will bring him his second Nobel. Also, this policy is consistent with his being a marxist Muslim. Beghazi was just a hiccup caused by some unruly part of the Libyan government.
vtwin| 2.14.13 @ 10:02AM
Conservative propagandists still pushing Benghazi-conspiracy on brain-dead-rank-and-file conservatives…pathetic.
Anthony| 2.14.13 @ 12:07PM
Unfortunately vtwin, Ambassador Stevens was an Obozo troll who drank the kool aide and paid the ultimate price for his folly.
Left to die a horrible death, as his president was AWOL for 6 hours, one can only imagine what final thoughts might have been going through Stevens' mind, as he faced the ultimate recognition of his failed leftist utopia.
Too bad more leftists don't suffer the same fate.
loulou| 2.14.13 @ 12:31PM
Stevens was a State Department Arabist and an Obama lackey but he didn't deserve to be sodomized, murdered and dragged through the streets.
Anthony| 2.14.13 @ 1:10PM
True loulou. Not even a leftist lackey like Ambassador Stevens deserved this. Stevens was sodomized, beaten, murdered and dragged through the streets of Benghazi while Obozo was AWOL and Hillary had a migrane.
I wonder if his lasts thoughts were how Obozo and Hillary had abandoned him?
And trolls like vtwin come to TAS without the least bit of regret or human decency, as they cover for their cold blooded hero, Obozo.
Vtwin reveals the inner truth of the warped mind of the left.
Occam's Tool| 2.14.13 @ 6:07PM
My Dear Vtwin:
It was your Ambassador who was cornholed and murdered, from YOUR administration.
Two possibilities here: a coverup of some sort where our Ambassador was let out to die; or second, complete incompetence.
Now, I have an arrogant Ivy-League educated nitwit high school classmate of mine who is a State Department flunky. I don't care for the Lefty fool, but I certainly wouldn't want to see him cornholed and killed.
Aren't you Lefties running out of your colleagues to throw under the Bus?
Occam's Tool| 2.14.13 @ 6:09PM
By the way, I DON'T think there is an Obama administration conspiracy of dark motives around this murder of an Ambassador.
I believe that the Obama administration is managed by Clusterf*&%$ks who are good at getting elected and ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ELSE. And that starts with the ultimate Poster Git for Affirmative Action himself.
Robert| 2.14.13 @ 9:57PM
Please connect the dots! Such a well-orchestrated conspiracy of silence is NO accident. After reading scraps of random news items which have managed to penetrate the regime's smokescreen thus far, I have assembled a very plausible scenario by connecting the dots. It appears in the response to OP4 at the top of the comments section.
RandyH| 2.14.13 @ 10:22AM
It amazes me that the Repulicrats have soft balled the investigation after the initial outrage. Tough talk from McCain and then he praises hillary, wtf?Where are the Statesmen, where are the Patriots?
loulou| 2.14.13 @ 12:32PM
They got no ballz.
McCain is an idiot RINO.
Al Adab| 2.14.13 @ 1:01PM
There are some with spine. King refused to attend the SotU and Cruz only sat, never clapped or stood. Good for them. Write them and let them know we support their decision.
Hardcard| 2.14.13 @ 10:34AM
vitwit paid troll... what goes around comes around, punk!!
cicero| 2.14.13 @ 12:05PM
Mr. Whitman - Thanks you very much. I certainly hope that this will be the first of many articles about this sad and shameful afair. The Congress needs to subpoena Gen. Hamm to testify. My information is that he has a unit ready to go, and was told to stand down. When he stated he was going to go anyway, he was relieved of duty. This has to be pursued.
I also believe that there was a Marine force in Lybia that could have gone in and pulled those guys out - or tried. This story cannot be left to wither and die. It is all about what it means to be an American.
Indy| 2.14.13 @ 12:38PM
Did anyone catch Lew's hearing yesterday? He was asked who briefed POTUS on 9/11, another dodge
http://www.weeklystandard.com/.....01199.html
pigdog| 2.14.13 @ 1:20PM
"President Obama’s lack of inquiry during the Benghazi attack last September 11 showed how removed he was from an urgent political /military issue."
These racist attacks on President Obama must end! Barak Obama ordered Mr. Panetta to save the day, and it was Panetta who failed to act. Barrack Obama may have f'd up (by trusting Panetta) on the military issue, but I can assure you the President was fully engaged on the upcoming political issue in Las Vegas.
Indy| 2.14.13 @ 2:05PM
"Later in the same hearing, however, when Burr asked Brennan about the documents Burr said the CIA was refusing to give to the committee, Brennan qualified his answer—leaving open the possibility that as CIA director there may be occasions when he would decline to provide documents to the committee."
http://cnsnews.com/news/articl.....-documents
So much that we don't know and may never know...
Hardcard| 2.14.13 @ 2:30PM
It isn't just the massacre in Bengahzi and the death of Amb. Stevens and his aide, and the 2 (former) seals who were based at a CIA facility and working for the CIA, a clandestin, very covert operation to do what? at who's direction? what were the goals of the operation? are we this stupid? why are these questions not being asked, the senate hearings were a charade and part of the cover scenario. the idiots are more concerned with reality TV and their electric gismos. We are being enslaved,our rights are being trampled upon and the rulers are still slopping in the taxpayers wealth bucket, dems and reps alike they are all corrupt and immoral.
spike59| 2.14.13 @ 4:55PM
the latest info on Benghazi indicates that ObaMao was kept informed as to the situation and made not one single phone call to anyone...in other words, he punted on doing a single thing in support of HIS Ambassador who was under attack by terrorists
John II| 2.14.13 @ 6:37PM
The very bottom of the bottom line, so to speak, is that the Prince of Darkness and his unmerry band of scurrying junior devils have successfully stonewalled the clueless losers in Congress who (and here's the only element of mystery in the whole sorry affair) did NOTHING but toss softballs in their general direction.
We're screwed.
DRed| 2.15.13 @ 4:04AM
This really is a remarkably stupid article
HC69| 2.16.13 @ 4:26PM
I served with GEN Ham when he was a BG in Mosul - Commander of Multinational Force Northwest. He's a fine officer and a wonderful man. I would LOVE to know his side of the story. Yes - chain of command is President, SecDef, Combatant Commander (in this case Ham). Why wasn't he asked to testify under oath?