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Exclusive: Dozens of CIA operatives on the ground during Benghazi attack
CNN has uncovered exclusive new information about what is allegedly happening at the CIA, in the wake of the deadly Benghazi terror attack.
Four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, were killed in the assault by armed militants last September 11 in eastern Libya.
Programming note: Was there a political cover up surrounding the Benghazi attack that killed four Americans? Watch a CNN special investigation — The Truth About Benghazi, Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET.
Sources now tell CNN dozens of people working for the CIA were on the ground that night, and that the agency is going to great lengths to make sure whatever it was doing, remains a secret.
CNN has learned the CIA is involved in what one source calls an unprecedented attempt to keep the spy agency's Benghazi secrets from ever leaking out.
Read: Analysis: CIA role in Benghazi underreported
Since January, some CIA operatives involved in the agency's missions in Libya, have been subjected to frequent, even monthly polygraph examinations, according to a source with deep inside knowledge of the agency's workings.
The goal of the questioning, according to sources, is to find out if anyone is talking to the media or Congress.
It is being described as pure intimidation, with the threat that any unauthorized CIA employee who leaks information could face the end of his or her career.
In exclusive communications obtained by CNN, one insider writes, "You don't jeopardize yourself, you jeopardize your family as well."
Another says, "You have no idea the amount of pressure being brought to bear on anyone with knowledge of this operation."
"Agency employees typically are polygraphed every three to four years. Never more than that," said former CIA operative and CNN analyst Robert Baer.
In other words, the rate of the kind of polygraphs alleged by sources is rare.
"If somebody is being polygraphed every month, or every two months it's called an issue polygraph, and that means that the polygraph division suspects something, or they're looking for something, or they're on a fishing expedition. But it's absolutely not routine at all to be polygraphed monthly, or bi-monthly," said Baer.
CIA spokesman Dean Boyd asserted in a statement that the agency has been open with Congress.
"The CIA has worked closely with its oversight committees to provide them with an extraordinary amount of information related to the attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi," the statement said.
"CIA employees are always free to speak to Congress if they want," the statement continued. "The CIA enabled all officers involved in Benghazi the opportunity to meet with Congress. We are not aware of any CIA employee who has experienced retaliation, including any non-routine security procedures, or who has been prevented from sharing a concern with Congress about the Benghazi incident."
Among the many secrets still yet to be told about the Benghazi mission, is just how many Americans were there the night of the attack.
A source now tells CNN that number was 35, with as many as seven wounded, some seriously.
While it is still not known how many of them were CIA, a source tells CNN that 21 Americans were working in the building known as the annex, believed to be run by the agency.
The lack of information and pressure to silence CIA operatives is disturbing to U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf, whose district includes CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.
"I think it is a form of a cover-up, and I think it's an attempt to push it under the rug, and I think the American people are feeling the same way," said the Republican.
"We should have the people who were on the scene come in, testify under oath, do it publicly, and lay it out. And there really isn't any national security issue involved with regards to that," he said.
Wolf has repeatedly gone to the House floor, asking for a select committee to be set-up, a Watergate-style probe involving several intelligence committee investigators assigned to get to the bottom of the failures that took place in Benghazi, and find out just what the State Department and CIA were doing there.
More than 150 fellow Republican members of Congress have signed his request, and just this week eight Republicans sent a letter to the new head of the FBI, James Comey, asking that he brief Congress within 30 days.
Read: White House releases 100 pages of Benghazi e-mails
In the aftermath of the attack, Wolf said he was contacted by people closely tied with CIA operatives and contractors who wanted to talk.
Then suddenly, there was silence.
"Initially they were not afraid to come forward. They wanted the opportunity, and they wanted to be subpoenaed, because if you're subpoenaed, it sort of protects you, you're forced to come before Congress. Now that's all changed," said Wolf.
Lawmakers also want to know about the weapons in Libya, and what happened to them.
Speculation on Capitol Hill has included the possibility the U.S. agencies operating in Benghazi were secretly helping to move surface-to-air missiles out of Libya, through Turkey, and into the hands of Syrian rebels.
It is clear that two U.S. agencies were operating in Benghazi, one was the State Department, and the other was the CIA.
The State Department told CNN in an e-mail that it was only helping the new Libyan government destroy weapons deemed "damaged, aged or too unsafe retain," and that it was not involved in any transfer of weapons to other countries.
But the State Department also clearly told CNN, they "can't speak for any other agencies."
The CIA would not comment on whether it was involved in the transfer of any weapons.
Have a tip? Go to cnn.com/investigate.
Fox was reporting this exclusive story just after the Benghazi incident happened.
Too little, too late. You are a year late on this information. I like that since a Liberal president is now in his final term you decide to get some journalistic integrity.
I can't believe CNN actually allowed this story to be posted on their site. It is actual news reporting about the government. How untypical.
Obama has already told us that Benghazi is a Phony Scandal. Why is everyone so upset? If there had been any problem in Benghazi, CNN would long ago have alerted us about it. They tell us what is 'news', and what isn't 'news', they don't mention. Right? The IRS 'scandal' is a case in point. CNN's website mentioned this only by inferring that liberal groups were also targeted, a totally discredited ruse. Now, if there was actually a problem at the IRS, we would know all about it. Right? It's just another Phony Scandal. Listen to Obama. He makes the best Kool-Aid!
"Programming note: Was there a political cover up surrounding the Benghazi attack that killed four Americans? Watch a CNN special investigation — The Truth About Benghazi, Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET."
Almost a year late to the party, I'd say.
heard a story months ago that US was running a secret prison in the Benghazi consulate and that was the reason for the attack. then nothing more. maybe now the truth will finally come out. was the consulate being used for rendition? torture? the republicans who want to get to the "truth" about Benghazi better be careful what they wish for cuz the truth is gonna be yet another black eye for the US empire/police state/torture machine.
if there were "dozens" on the ground, why didn't any of them help? I guess since if Obama had sons, none of them would look like these CIA guys, he is not going to talk about it, or have Eric Holder investigate it. Instead, he will continue to pursue George Zimmerman ...and hurl insults at the GOP before asking them to work with him.
Excuse me while I go throw up. This is pathetic
"Phony"?
Hey, Damia Savon – 93% of blacks voted for Obama in 2012 (see CNN graphic at http://cdn-media.nationaljournal.com/?controllerName=image&action=get&id=23831). I would say that 93% represents a "monolithic block". You'll note that the large majority of minorities as well as the youngest, least educated, and poorest people voted for Obama in 2012.
So the 'Secret' of Benghazi is that CIA was there (20-30 people) and so many of the 'Witnesses' couldn't explain themselves. " the agency is going to great lengths to make sure whatever it was doing, remains a secret." This also means "seven wounded, some seriously" and some of the dead were CIA as well.
Maybe the right wants to expose CIA secrets, again (Cheney, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Jr., Robert Novak expose Plame, 2003), but most of us want the CIA to be able to succeed and keep the death toll low (Libya 4 vs Iraq 4,400; Cheney, again).
Not a CIA cover up. A presidential cover up. Obama and Hillary knew about everything and made up a story to protect his bid for re-election. And it worked! Republicans play checkers while the Democrats play chess. Of course the Russians are even better at chess!
So let me get this straight. If you are a Manning or a Snowden and you make state secrets public, you are a traitor who has committed a crime, but if you are a House Republican trying to force a public release of state secrets that might, maybe, possibly, hurt the President you are a hero.
Yeah, remember that impeachment hearing Eisenhower was subjected to when he denied even the existence of U2 spy planes flying over the Soviet Union. Funny, neither do I. Of course Gary Power's presence on Soviet terra Firma made it hard to continue the "lie".
Be careful what you ask for, because "You cant handle the truth" :P what if Stevens was CIA as well?
No duh the CIA was at Benghazi. Is CNN just now figuring this out?
Did it ever occur to anyone in the USA that our CIA operatives are highly overrated?
DAMIA SAVON,
I've noticed you mention how people don't vote in blocks? How do you explain your Dear Leader's unusual precinct counts in Philadelphia where THOUSANDS VOTED IN SEVERAL PRECINCTS AND NOT ONE VOTE FOR ROMNEY?????
You are the one who needs to wake up, stop watching the America wreckers on the main stream media and learn whats going on!!!
Could this be one of those PHONEY stories alluded to by the Whitehouse?
This isnt hard to figure out. Some big donars to the dnc have asked this be hushed and since dems are in power it was hushed. hilly in 2016 will finish off the republicans and this country. And thats worth a few lives to them.
@Damia: "People, surprisingly, do not vote in monlithic blocks nor is everyone a member of the same party regardless of skin color..." 95% of African Americans voting Dem would disagree.
When I say "is this for real", I mean is CNN just figuring out this story, are they for real? CNN's story has been in the open for months. The Consulate in Benghazi was just a front for CIA operations in the region, to counter the build up of Al Qaeda after Qaddafi's ouster Nobody goes to Benghazi, there was no realistic need for the Consulate except to provide cover for the CIA's operation in the region. There were more CIA Operatives in Benghazi than were State Department workers. This was the main reason for the lack of security on Sept.11 2012. It was the CIA's responsibility for security, at least the lion's share of it since it was their covert operation. But the State Department had to take the blame.
An now Obama will cover thiis up? Liars cheaters. Hoe the hell does Nobama stay in office?
I listen to the "Dark Secret Place" on KFI radio regularly. Either right before the Bengazi attack or right after, the host Brian Suites discussed the fact that his sources told him the CIA was running a weapons operation for Syria from Bengazi and were training Syrian rebels how to use them. Why was this not followed up on?
Good to see that CNN is awakening from their deep slumber about at least one "phony scandal".
The truth about this Middle East version of Fast and Furious has been "out there" and available almost since the event in Benghazi occurred last year but the mainstream media coverage chose to stonewall it instead and blather about a video and cover for Obama and Hillary.
Too little too late CNN...your irrelevence to reporting the "news" shows.
Of course, if I was working for the CIA doing undercover activities in groups with violently anti-American agendas, my life would depend on the CIA's ability to keep a secret. There are a bunch of American servicemen and women right now who are hoping they will not be outed by the multinational/multi-interests media.
Definitely a cover up by the ovomit admin and his cronies. Hillary is a liar and murderer. BO should be impeached.
All this is not entirely new.In 2011 itself there were reports that CIA was behind the anti-Gaddafi uprising in Benghazi and that Hillary Clinton used this to call for military action against Qaddafi to " avert the imminent humanitarian disaster in Benghazi ".And the whole thing was not covered up entirely by the Obama administration but by the mainstream media.
Of course, they cover stuff up because otherwise spies - that is "our guys" who are peeking in on extremists hate agenda group– get outed and then they get killed. People's lives depend on secrecy. If I worked for the CIA doing undercover activities in other countries, I would really be depending on the CIA's ability to keep a secret.
Holy cow! What's up with CNN reporting on A Phoney Scandal? Didn't you get the MSM memo??
POTUS just got done saying this was a phony scandal, along with all the other crap he's trying to hide. By the way Ben Kruidbos filed suit against that Special Ed Prosecutor in the GZ trial and CNN has not bothered to report it.
The problem we have is that our congress is powerless, they do not have the cajoles to do anything about any of the many scandals, particularly this one. No cajoles!!!!!!
Damia Savon
95% of blacks voting for Obama is not monolithic?
Ha! I've been saying it for months. Benghazi was a CIA operation. The annex was CIA. The State Dept., Hillary Clinton and Obama had NOTHING to do with what happened. This was purely a CIA operation that fell apart. The agents blew their cover and were attacked by muslim terrorists. But Issa and his ilk are too dumb to understand facts. This is not the first story about the CIA being on the ground in force in Benghazi. Told You So. End of story. Now go fish somewhere else.
Here' my problem with this story & the reactions to it, Should this newest "Great revelation" not turn out to be nothing as the rest have, the sources never say cover up. republicans do. The story is deceptively written to make you think it's source has said it's about mistakes made that night, but that not what it said ,the sources quote is saying the CIA is trying to keep what it doing a secret Uh Duh, that's their job, it tries to keep everything thing it does a secret!
"Sources now tell CNN dozens of people working for the CIA were on the ground that night, and that the agency is going to great lengths to make sure whatever it was doing, remains a secret"
Does this quote mean they are trying to cover up events surrounding the attacks or just to keep secret whatever covert actions they were already doing before the attack?
Come on CNN you can do better than that unless of course the whole point it is to feed some red meat to GOP conspiracy theories, if there's meat on the bone I want to know but wolf has been cried to many time for me to get excited until there' better reporting than this!
Could this be the big story Michael Hastings was working on when he was assassinated? Hmmmm.......
Just another indication that the most transparent administration (self adorned) is a fraudulent and historically inept one.
the only cover up is the pillows over the ears of the republicans and their drones of mindless followers. STOP WATCHING FOX NOEWS ITS MAKING YOU RETARDED. nothing fair or balanced about their opinions, and non-fact bais I cant even call it news, it falls in the category of crap like , inside edition, national enquirer and jerry springer, and WWF, absolute low iq moron crap. wake up idiots
this was nothing but a CIA gun running ops in Benghazi. now you see why the govt/obama wouldn't send in bombers.
This was nothing but a gun running ops , the obama/clinton admin was running weapons/surface to air missiles, from Benghazi into turkey, then on in to Syria. now you see why the admin is all cozy with the radical Turk president.
phony scandal Mr. Goebbels/ Carney? Phony scandal Mr Obama? Now Mrs. Clinton,. what difference does it make? The country will soon see , your real colors. you are a coward and that seems to be a character trait the obama govt likes. you had a chance to come clean, and you all of a sudden got sick..wink ...used the so called recovery time to get all of the admins lies in a row.
now it is all coming together.. stevens was a cia op and this entire compound was nothing but a CIA gun running op working with terrorists.
this was the middle east version of Fast and Furious.
Now we see why the govt wont come clean. now we see why Boehner , the obama minions , including holder, refuse to assign a special investigator. we are far past that point and the CIA ops are talking and that scares the ..it out of the entire federal govt, both establishment dems and establishment gop.in fact it is time for 2 special councils to investigate this and the irs scandal.
btw, this is nothing like the iran contra deal. do some home work . this was a huge deal and illegal at best.
the weapon of choice that the obama admin was running, the SAM. surface to air missiles. arming the same group of animals who beheaded 3 priests in Syria. the same animals who rip out human organs and eat them.
Goebbels would be so proud of the obama admin
I Have left the Democratic party, but i didnot jump ship to the Republican either. The only "Team" i play for now is the Team of "WE THE PEOPLE". I No longer associate myself to any political party as all sides are evil, and only out for their own self-interest while stepping - no stomping, and smearing the constitution into the mud while they're at it.
I for one know that there are very few Americans who truly have the mental capacity to appreciate the sacrifices made daily by those in intelligence and special forces, to save our very lives and the lives of those we love; they fight and sometimes die for our country, they ask for so little and yet they sacrifice so much.
What does it matter if the US Embassy's "annex" was a cover for a CIA operation to supply arms to the "freedom fighters" or better yet, blunt the influence of Al Qaeda in Africa? Isn't that what the media wanted, to stop the "genocide" in Libya?
Do you think efforts like this can be turned on and off like a water spigot?
Or is it that I live amongst sheep who wear khaki pants, pink polo shirts, who only dream of a world full of winged unicorns that prance over rainbows made of Skittles?
Bob
Listening to the Main Stream Medias Benghazi attack story is a lesson in futility; they talk endlessly around the issue, yet fail to the report what actually happened.
Allow me to nutshell it.
Benghazi attacks were carried out by CIA controlled operatives to place missiles and other weapons into the hands of Al-Qaeda in order to fight a proxy war in Syria.
It’s no secret that Al-Qaeda was created by the CIA, and is controlled, funded and armed, by the United States to fight proxy wars for the United States, and Israel.
Amazing that the head of the CIA was General Petraeus–someone fully endorsed by the GOP. All McCain and Palin, Limbaugh, Hannity, Graham want to do is lambast the white house for something that was being undertaken by the CIA. Bring the general back and question him some more or let the thing go. Perhaps there was some national security stuff going on that should remain secret. I bet McCain knows about it and knows the white house won't say anything because of the sensitivity to national interest. He and others can keep accusing Obama of a coverup knowing they won't fight back. The only un-American activities are by the GOP who care only about political opportunism and nothing about the U.S.
These four people were expendable because they were WHITE. Plain and simple.
So you have the CIA who wants to cover up what they have been doing in Benghazi. You have an attack on diplomatic headquarters down the street... by al Qaeda, the allegedly *former* allies with the CIA in the Soviet-Afghan war that destroyed the embassy. Are we sure they aren't still working together? It really is the perfect cover. What if Stevens found out what they were doing and was going to blow the lid? Maybe the CIA sold the job to their old buddies to cover their tracks. The way they work, it wouldn't surprise me.
As far as having the right to know, I think we at least need to know if the President or anyone in Congress was complicit. I won't go so far as to say there is no need for clandestine operations, but there at least needs to be oversight. And if there is no oversight outside the agency, then are we even sure they are on our side?
-they'd been there for a while right? I mean you can't draw the correlation that they just got there. its the larger idea of coming over and breaking in and lying about it that is uncool. really uncool. I think a promise not to do that ever again ... you know. defense – not offense. thanks. glad we had this talk.
.."You jeopardize your family.." now you do know that the truth has no container for it, right? that if you weave a lie thing, you have at some points the truth that is visible and knowable by lots of people not necessary involved. We all know you broke into Libya.. I mean its not a secret. – never mind.
Here are the Canada Free Press stories that told of the CIA Op. They date back to last October:
http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/51346
http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/51400
http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/print-friendly/50586
http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/51470
If Obama is not involved in this cover up, it begs the question.... Why has he not ordered an immediate and in depth investigation into this situation??? The answer..... He is directly involved in it. This is the worst president in American history. 4 major scandals in less than a year, added over 9 trillion to the debt in less than 6 years. Has made no compromises to end rampant unemployment, deficiences in government spending. He talks about being fiscally responsible but is constantly spending more and more money that we do not have, while using his position to bully and intimidate anyone who opposes him.
Things are not looking good for Obama and Clinton at the moment. Both careers are in trouble.
Damia, do you really have no clue? Do well at the polls? You think because the dems got the executive branch and the senate that they run the country? Republicans won the House, 30 Republican Governors out of the 50 states, or is that 57? Total state government control, which means the governor and the chamber majorities..24 Republican, 12 Democratic and the party composition of the legislatures as of 2013, was: 27 Republican and 17 Democratic. Democrats lost over 600 seats around the country. Open your eyes otherwise you just look like another low info liberal.
Obama should be impeached if he was running weapons from Libya to terrorists in Syria.
Great reporting Mr. Tapper...this is the kind of REPORTING the CNN organization is famous for and why I watch it on TV! The truth, is the bottom line that the American people should be presented...unbiased and factual.
Well done...BRAVO as a matter of fact!
This is not a Republican vs Democratic issue. It it about getting back control of the USA from illegal and unconstitutional factions that are using the dark shadow of "national security" to push an agenda of dominance by force and insurgency.
It's a joke to read former CIA "expert" Baer say operatives are polygraphed every 3-4 years!! Are you really expecting anyone to believe that!! I have a friend who was extremely low-level employee who was tested at least once a year. The idea that anyone who joins the CIA would be surprised by monthly testing is pure fiction. Can you stop exaggerating information to create intrigue and division? Good grief this story is a joke. Don't join secret police agencies and the cry "pressure". I mean the rest of us who work in normal jobs get drug tested and are spied on by our supposedly liberal president. Jeez get a frickin' clue Mr. Tapper and investigate violation of privacy rights of those of us who don't play spy games and then whine.
This is OLD news. Where was CNN (besides spreading the video rumor) when the Canada Free Press told this story in better detail.
You're a little late.
How an agency operates and conducts itself does not have anything to do with who the president is. Any unchecked power without the oversight and accountability leads to its abuse anywhere in this world (Iraq, China, USSR, USA, Mexico, you fill in the rest.....)
The primary problem with government is that the people working for government (including judges) tend to put themselves and government above the Constitution and law. A secondary problem is that many people inclined to run government lack the intelligence and honesty necessary to run government. There is an us vs. them (Americans not employed by government) mentality in the 22+ million local, state and federal employees. So we have unintelligent and dishonest politicians overpaying themselves, failing to competently do their jobs and lying to us about their incompetence and corruption as if we are children. Oftentimes "journalists" help them do this. It is depressing to know we are being ruled by lying idiots who abuse us far more than the British did.
Well, A typical American always looks through a narrow 'patriotic' window. The fact is American is involved in a lot of political/military/social/economical manipulation around the globe and round-the-clock while there are heaps of dirt in house to clean up, particularly poverty and racism are growing issue in the land. While a typical American see themselves goody-goody the observation is quite contrary even by the Western Allies.
Americans are not Angles, especially those who are involved in 'dirty games'.
Yes, it's a spy agency and they do things that the public has no business knowing. I get that. However, 4 of our citizens were killed and this administration shows little concern about that fact. I believe it was Ms. Clinton that said something like it didn't matter how they died. Sorry, madam secretary, but it DOES matter. If this turns out to be a gun running exercise that went bad, then there is criminal culpability for the deaths of these men.
The Benghazi slaughter stunk to high heaven from day one.
The truth will out especially as we get closer to 2014 elections, even though it may be in dribs and drabs. The administration is and has been frantically and amateurishly, covering up something very significant – probably selling surplus Libyan arms to known Al Qaida affiliates in Syria...
What's Arabic for "Fast and Furious"?
1 Day later this is buried behind the headline on the front page "TERROR ALERT"
Its absolutely 100% true. The CIA is doing everything it can to bury this story and anything tied to it.
When you don't have the facts and know you are in the wrong... Pound on the table! This administration is covering up an Iran-Contra type mess and is hoping that there sycophants will help in the cover up until they are out of office. Then "Well thats all just ancient history and we stand by the record that we made sure was never written down. ;)
It seems Congress and our duly elected government is really a facade in running the country, the body to which these groups should answer to by supreme law. These agencies apparently don't work for "the people", you know... our supposedly representative government, and not accountable to anybody unless they "want" to be. Just who do they work for? Who really runs the government? I've never seen an administration and its agencies with so much contempt of the Congress, the repetitive lying in testimony even under oath, one that holds our rights and liberty in such low regard, not to mention the callousness they show in following our laws. This goes way above any political partisanship, it is a purposeful ignoring of the very foundations of our nation; a secret government within. They just do as they please in the dark... above the law. Worse, they have become the law, created their own.
Damia Savon, My my how you rant and rant, start over and be a little more specific about your subject matter. I got nothing at all from you post except that you are probably a dumacrat.
Jim Butler, you think that Damia Savon was making no sense, or you just couldn't understand the comment? Not everything is black and white and does take a bit more thought. I'm sure everyone knows the CIA is in every country we have an embassy. I'm sure they're in places we don't have an embassy. I'm sure their actions over the years have pissed off many people that would what to take out their wrath on the US. How many countries are we in where the people like America and it's people, but not the government. Our foreign policy (or the covert unchecked Policy of the CIA and others), would be the cause of much of the hatred and distrust of the US. Over look it or just shrug it off. Matters not to me. I would hope you (and others that think as you do) could look into things a bit more though...
Aside from Damia's moronic, leftist screed, the CIA does not and never has run its own show. The higher levels of CIA (like every other government agency) are appointed by the president and serve at his pleasure. If they were not following presidential orders and/or conforming to his general policy, they would be replaced with people who would. Congress needs to get to the bottom of whatever was going on here and whatever it was, was at the direction of the White House and/or the State Department.
I know, Jim. You get bored with long sentences. That's OK. Damia was calling Bo racist, immature, uncompromising and a member of the party that embodies all of those qualities.
If you got nothing from it, its because you don't know how to read. or do you need a yelling idiot like rush libaugh to explain how stupid you are. you must be a FOX NEWS MORON. turn the channel its making you stupid, and everybody is noticing it.
Damia makes total sense. Benghazi is a GOP red herring. Now we find out that it was actually a CIA operation. That explains the strange talking points. The CIA didn't want to be "outted".
Now there are two potential issues:
1) The CIA did inform Congress about them being there and the GOP went after Obama anyway, even though they knew it was a CIA op all along, or, worse yet..
2) The CIA didn't inform anyone what they were doing and have, once again, run amok.
what?
Right back at ya, Mr. Butler. Your snappy response adds nothing to the discussion other than to spotlight another droid marching in lock-step to the Republican Party. Unfortunately for you, you have no idea whatsoever why the Republican Party has become the party of hate. And, you sir, are a prime example of what anger can do to an individual.
Of course there is a cover up this is our spy agency. What do people think they do? Are Americans that naive that they believe everything the government does should be out in the open? For all we know "Ambassador" Stevens wasn't even an Ambassador. Do you honestly think we have a right to know what covert operations are going on everywhere? How many Americans in Special Operations groups die in "training accidents" is it really our right to know what it was these great men and women were doing at the time? Wake up people these agencies exist to do the dirty work that we really don't want to know about.
If the dirty work you speak of is to funnel weapons from the gadafi regime into Syria to alquada militants. Then I do have a problem with that. After all the president tried to make it more difficult for us citizens to aquire fire arms legally. But I'm sure their doing back ground checks on them. Lets not forget fast and furious. "Wake up people".
Selling high-tech weapons to terrorist organizations is not something to sweep under the rug. We all need to move our country out of "endless wars" built on lies and more lies and into being a country we can be proud of because we are trustworthy and truly stand for liberty and justice for all.
Yes, we have a right to know when innocent Americans are raped and slaughtered. We have a right to know when US arms are being diverted to Syria via Turkey. We have a right to know when an innocent American citizen is identified as the culprit causing the uprising, who was jailed on a pretext. That is an outrage, where your government can use its' own citizens to cover up its' "covert" actions. Yes, we do have a right to know, because if we don't know,the government becomes tyrannical, we become the subjects. What an uproar the LIBs caused over Iran-Contra, which is peanuts compared to this scandal, yet now, we hear this kind of dampening from the left, down playing major scandals as "normal" spying. Wake up, wake up, before it is too late.
But the Congressmen on the oversight committees should know, shouldn't they? But apparently, they aren't being told about these things. There's no oversight. Are you ok with that?
Right on dude! Well said.
Thanks. Good post.
I accept your argument in support of secrecy only to a point. That point being that the ambassador was murdered. The operators knew the risks, But this still begs the question of just what the hell are we doing arming the Muslim Brotherhood or other radical Islamic groups for that matter? They are our sworn enemies. In this case you cannot say that the ally of an ally is our ally because there is no allliance here, only enemies: Our foreign policy is in the toilet and we now support terrorists.
Please speak for yourself regarding this matter. Many of us DO want to know. Were you as disinterested in Iran/Contra?
Agreed! Thought I was the only one thinking that way.
Thank you. That was a well thought-out response. If some people can get by the politics, they would see that Behghazi had noting to do with an administration cover-up. It was a CIA cover-up, which is normal for the CIA.
Of course we should know what they are doing and at all times no less. We could have avoided so much death if we knew what our government was doing.
Examples:
1812 – Sabre rattling politicians, with the taste of the Revolution and French and Indian war still lingering in their mouths, blame English impressment of American and French sailors to justify another war with Great Britain. The true goal was to finally rid our hemisphere of English influence so that we might influence/invade what is modern day Canada.
1846 – Polk places American soldiers on the Mexican border to provoke the Mexicans into attacking us to justify a war. The real goal was Manifest Destiny which was an idea that was being pushed hard by the democratic politicians in the 1840's.
1898 – In the 1830's the United States agreed to pay Spain $5,000,000.00 for what is today the state of Florida. Part of this agreement was to give up our claim on territories in Texas and territories that were being disputed by Mexico and Spain. In 1898, Spain was declining in power and had lost decisive battles in Europe against the English. Spain needed money and wanted to reclaim the land we decided to cede to Spain upon buying Florida. They also wanted their money for Florida. We were not going to give them either even though it was signed into a treaty and we then launched a propaganda campaign to build support for a war by citing every reason other than the real ones. Once again, driven by the desire to cease land, we entered into a war.
1915 – The Lusitania is sunk. The English cruise ship, then the largest in the world, was traveling from the USA to Great Britain as a passenger ship. The truth is that there were 4 million rounds of Remington .303 ammunition (among other munitions) on board when the Germans sunk the boat. Both countries claimed that the Lusitania was a passenger ship and its' sinking is the smoking gun that drew us into the first world war.
1964 – The Gulf on Tonkin debacle takes place. To justify entry into the Vietnam war, the US government lied about US ships taking fire in the Gulf of Tonkin. History has proven (along with direct confirmation from President Johnson) that we took no such fire from the North Vietnamese AND our "retaliation" was nothing more than a dog and pony show. We were firing rounds into the water at imaginary targets knowingly hitting nothing. We immediately declared war on our phantom attackers.
Do you see any trends forming here?
2003 – Colin Powell lies to the UN about weapons of mass destruction and we invade Iraq. We are still there.
Politicians lie, Americans die. We should know EVERYTHING they do at any given moment of any day.
This is HUGE. Basically the CIA is reportedly giving polygraph tests EVERY MONTH to more than a dozen CIA employees that were on the ground in Benghazi during the attack, to ensure that none of them talk about what happened that night.
You nailed it.
CIA ARE PROTECTING ITSELF, REPORTING ON ITS OPERATIONS WILL MAKE THE CIA LESS AFFECTIVE, SO BECAREFUL WHAT YOU ARE ASKING FOR, A CIA WITH ITS HANDS TIED MEANS MORE AMERICAN DEAFS
Silly–they are look for the leak, the spy, the one who told of Stevens being there and the CIA station
COVER-UP
Wake up, Bo. The CIA is a SPY organization. Virtually everything they do is secret and YES, Benghazi is an example of a CIA cover-up. The scary part is that the President, and the Dems and GOP in congress, weren't informed.
Ironically, the GOP was right about a cover-up. They were simply wrong about who was involved. Let's see if Issa holds hearings on the CIA now.
"Lawmakers also want to about know the weapons in Libya" its one thing to misspell something. but to not get your words in order? come on guys you do this for a living.
I think CNN wanted to make sure you were paying attention.
hahaha! Your government at work.
They are going to start another Great War in your lifetime.
Remember – over 54 million did not vote for Obama. The welfare crowd and the blacks however did.
Pure BS. Stop being so f**king hateful and your party might do well at the polls. You realize how many "welfare" people are Republican don't you? People, surprisingly, do not vote in monlithic blocks nor is everyone a member of the same party regardless of skin color, socio-economic status or any other stupid criteria you want to name. Grow the heck up. Your stupid rhetoric and 30 second sound bite may get you off but it won't help the country at all. Or are you and your Republican fools just so self-centered that you prefer to sit in a corner and just whine rather than actually do something, like, you know, compromise.
That rant over, it does not surprise me the CIA is trying to cover things up. They were probably running amok again just like they did in the 70s and 80s. I bet there were more people availablle to go to the consolate but were held back because so many agents would raise too many questions. This does stink to high heaven.
"People, surprisingly, do not vote in monlithic blocks nor is everyone a member of the same party regardless of skin color, socio-economic status or any other stupid criteria you want to name."
93% of black people and 71% of the "Latino vote" went to Obama... What planet are you from again?
Damia Savon; Let me see if I have this straight, you are accusing Republicans of somehow being the ones guilty of being "so f**king hateful"?!?!?
How ironic given the rest of your rant.
And by the way, when do the democrats ever have to "compromise"? Why is it always the most extreme elements of the democrat party get 100% of what they want, 100% of the time, and still somehow have the gall to suggest that somehow others are not "compromising"?
Damia, 93% of blacks voted for Obama- that counts as a "monolithic block"
Damia, stop being so profane, and ignorant. Blacks voted 95% for obama, if that ain't a monolihic block or racist, then the words do not exist.
What you say is generally true, since 96% of black Americans are Democrats, 70% of American Hispanics are Democrats, and a large majority of welfare recipients are Democrats. There are quite a few low income welfare recipients who vote Republican though, probably for reasons of morality/religion. Some Democrats call it hateful to point out exact or general facts. Many Democrats fail to understand that trying to force equal outcomes by forcing socialist policies is financially retarded and violates individual freedom, resulting in the likes of their disastrous affirmative action lending program and Detroit's bankruptcy. Their detachment from reality and logic makes it impossible to have rational discussions with them. That said, many Republican politicians love government and those Republicans who do can be corrupt too, speaking from personal experience dealing with them. The type of people drawn to run government, regardless of their politics, often lack the IQ and honesty necessary.
I'm white, work 35 hours a week (most my employer can afford me), have worked from the age of 12, didn't vote for Obama, and receive help from Medicaid. I am also NOT an "aberration" or an "exception to the rule".
There goes your theory.
Remember – well over 54 million DID vote for Obama. The birther and so-called "Patriot" crowd and the racists, however, did not.
Um Damia, that was a nice reasoned reply, but you're probably replying to a left-wing troll plant whose job it is to make the right look bad by throwing out incendiary racist comments, usually quite short like the one above.
Hate is what they do best.
The welfare people and the blacks make up about 10% -all the others that voted for Obama have jobs, pay taxes and have an education. Obama won by 10 million votes first time a 3 million the second. Get past it and move on. If someone wanted to attack the republicans who voted for Romney we could say that most of the republicans were rednecks and angry old white guys who actually believe the president doesn't have a birth certificate and is a muslim educated mole trying to bring sharia law to the U.S. But then that's probably what you believe!!!
and 53.9 million of those who did not vote, 1/2 are on foodstamps and or unemployment. your own party busting unions and sending industrial jobs to third world country's, then their argument is their aren't enough skilled labor here. how much skilled labor is their in a third world country. you are rooting for the very people who are screwing you , and pointing at the other guy saying why is he doing that to you. think for yourself, and stop letting fox news think for you. wake up.
Hey, Damia Savon – 93% of blacks voted for Obama in 2012 (see CNN graphic at http://cdn-media.nationaljournal.com/?controllerName=image&action=get&id=23831). I would say that 93% represents a "monolithic block". You'll note that the large majority of minorities as well as the youngest, least educated, and poorest people voted for Obama in 2012.
Try thi8nking for yourself instead of spouting GOP and FOX talking points
Hey, Damia Savon – 93% of blacks voted for Obama in 2012 (see CNN graphic at http://cdn-media.nationaljournal.com/?controllerName=image&action=get&id=23831). I would say that 93% represents a "monolithic block". You'll note that the large majority of minorities as well as the youngest, the least educated, and the poorest people voted for Obama in 2012.
Damia is a LIAR. We ran the democraphics on welfare districts and voting. The big blue cities vote democrat and are welfare bastions. California has 1/3rd the nation's welfare alone and they vote and live in DEMOCRATIC districts. The liberals lie when they say repubs are all over welfare, it is just a LIE. Welfare votes are democratic votes.
And compromise to a liberal means capitulate. Ther'e no compromise with the serial liar Obama and his lying ship of fools.Chicago hack politics at a national level. What a fraud.
It would be one way to address the population EXPLOSION.