Friday, September 13, 2013

Obama's Alphabet Scandals: At the Bottom of Benghazi

Partly because of the latest theme and partly because of the letter Z.

 Related: 

Sunday Globe Special: Libyan Attack Led to Accelerated AmeriKan Occupation of Africa

Aaah, that's just the kind of talk that has Libya brimming with anger, rumors, and conspiracy theories."

 "The Benghazi attack has been under intense scrutiny by some House Republicans who have suggested the Obama administration is trying to cover up the circumstances and aftermath."

 Cover ups generally come with conspiracies. 

 What I have noticed is the superficial scrutiny of the AmeriKan ma$$ media.

"As threats rise, US details embassy security plan; Cost of response reaches $1.4b" by Eric Schmitt |  New York Times, May 21, 2013

WASHINGTON — The State Department plans by late summer to send dozens of additional security agents to high-threat embassies, install millions of dollars of advanced fire-survival gear and surveillance cameras in those posts, and improve training for employees headed to the riskiest missions.

 This while the American people are under the lash of austerity. 

 Maybe we should stop placing so many CIA stations around the planet, 'eh?

The price tag for the improvements put in place after the attack on the consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11 has reached $1.4 billion to meet the most urgent needs, including additional personnel. 

 A billion is like a buck to these guys.

Diplomats and lawmakers say it will take years and billions more dollars to fully carry out the changes sought by an independent review panel that investigated the assault, which killed four Americans and ignited a charged political debate about the Obama administration’s ability to ensure the security of overseas outposts....

 Another 9/11 Whitewash Commission.

The department is racing to fulfill the recommendations as threats against US embassies in Egypt, Yemen, and other hazardous places have sharply increased in recent months. But the department’s ability to correct the security flaws, the financing for it, and the review panel itself, led by veteran diplomat Thomas R. Pickering, have come under attack from House Republicans....

Even Democrats who have criticized Republicans for what they say is the politicization of the Benghazi episode vow to scrutinize the government’s response. ‘‘We need to make sure they’re following through,’’ said Representative Eliot L. Engel of New York, the Foreign Affairs Committee’s ranking Democrat. ‘‘We have to make sure there are no future Benghazis.’’

***************

President Obama, seeking to regain his footing amid repeated questions over the attack and his administration’s handling of it, sought last week to put the onus on Congress....

Questions I never see in my paper.

--more--"

 What did happen in Benghazi on the eleventh anniversary of 9/11?

"In Benghazi timeline, CIA errors but no evidence of conspiracy" by David Ignatius, November 1, 2012

A detailed CIA timeline of the assault on U.S. facilities in Benghazi paints an anguishing picture of embattled Americans waiting for Libyan security forces who didn’t come and courageous CIA officers who died on a rooftop without the heavy weapons they needed, trying to protect their colleagues below.

It’s a story of individual bravery, but also of a CIA misjudgment in relying on Libyan militias and a newly formed Libyan intelligence organization to keep Americans safe in Benghazi....


 Why the web version was changed is beyond me. 

 Related: Operation Mockingbird 

 Not any longer. Talk about shameless self promotion.


Attack dealt blow to CIA’s ability to keep tabs on Libya

 Another web version switcheroo.

American operatives at the mission also assisted State Department contractors and Libyan officials in tracking shoulder-fired missiles taken from the former arsenals of Khadafy’s forces; they aided in efforts to secure Libya’s chemical weapons stockpiles; and they helped train Libya’s new intelligence service, officials said....

 Ah, yes the HEROIC CIA!

‘‘It’s a catastrophic intelligence loss,’’ said one US official who has served in Libya and who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the FBI is still investigating the attack. ‘‘We got our eyes poked out.’’

Though the agency has been cooperating with the new post-Khadafy Libyan intelligence service, the size of the CIA’s presence in Benghazi apparently surprised some Libyan leaders."

 Not me. 

 At least the FBI is investigating:

"Concerns about safety in Benghazi have confined a team of FBI investigators to the Libyan capital, Tripoli, which is hundreds of miles away, and local security officials say they cannot guarantee that Americans would be safe here."

Also see: FBI question Benghazi consulate attack suspect

 Like that is going to tell us anything. No one believes the FBI anymore.

 ‘‘We don’t have institutions,’’ said Colonel Salah bin Omran, the newly-appointed military head of Rafallah al-Sehati, a government-backed militia that is one of the main groups providing security in Benghazi. ‘‘The security for normal people is fine. But I don’t know. If the Americans come, I’m not sure they’ll be completely safe.’’

**********

White House faces dilemma in Libya attack response

The dilemma is that the White House wants to demonstrate it is responding forcefully to Al Qaeda, but must balance that against its long-term plans to develop relationships with local governments and build a permanent US counterterrorist network in the region....

What was scrubbed from the web but what appeared in my printed paper:

Security problems have been widespread in Libya since the end of the civil war. On Monday, Libyan officials said 120 prisoners escaped from jail in Tripoli, the second jailbreak in the capital this year. Only two were captured by late Monday.

 Related: Libyan Jail Break

Prisoners say that since Libya's uprising, some have been languishing in prisons without charge. They also say the courts have not moved to hear their cases.

 The Libyans are learning it from AmeriKa!

Both Libya and Mali have fragile, interim governments that could lose popular support if they are seen allowing the United States unfettered access to fight Al Qaeda. The Libyan government is so wary of the U.S. investigation expanding into unilateral action that it refused requests to arm the drones now being flown over Libya.

First of all, does the government even have support in Libya? 

 Secondly, how would allowing the good guys in to fight the bad CIA-Duh lose them support, huh?

It shows you that the REST of the WORLD KNOWS what AL-CIA-Duh IS!! 

 Related: US intelligence apprised of ‘Al Qaeda-leaning’ training camps in Libya 

 That is why the West wanted to get rid of Khadafy, among a long list of other reasons.

 So who are the PATSIES to be FRAMED this time?

"One of few suspects held in Benghazi attack released; Little progress in investigation months later" by Bouazza Ben Bouazza and Paul Schemm  |  Associated Press, January 09, 2013

TUNIS, Tunisia — An investigation that has limped along for months, and despite US promises there has been little news of progress so far in bringing the perpetrators to justice....

lack of evidence....

authorities never had any evidence....

 Seems to be standard with U.S-backed ventures.

Already back in December, US officials were lamenting the lack of cooperation with the governments of the region, particularly Libya, in their ongoing investigation into the attack, saying most of the suspects remain free.

Mounting a coherent investigation is difficult for the Libyan government — especially in Benghazi — because authorities rely on the militias that fought former leader Moammar Khadafy and it is often difficult to draw clear lines between those providing security and those causing the instability.

 Related: What Made Libyans Mad? 

 Wouldn't you be?

In November, the official in charge of Benghazi security was assassinated, and on Sunday the Libyan government announced that the investigator sent to look into his death was himself kidnapped....

The FBI declined to comment Tuesday, and the State Department referred all questions to the FBI....

 What is a DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE AGENCY doing over there anyway? 

 Helping cover it up, that's what.

US intelligence has blamed the Benghazi attack on militants who are members of a number of different groups. They range from the local Libyan militia Ansar al-Shariah, whose members were seen at the US consulate during the attack, to militants with links to Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb — Al Qaeda’s leading representative in the African region.

 We were first told it was a movie, now it was "Al-CIA-Duh."

The consulate’s cameras captured many of the faces of armed men in a mob, and some have been questioned, but most remain free.

In a recent TV interview, Ali Harzi’s father, Tahar, said his son was just working in Libya in construction supporting his family.

Both Ali Harzi, a 26-year-old Tunisian extradited from Turkey in October, and his brother Brahim have had brushes with the law before, however.

In 2005, the two were sentenced to 30 months in prison for having contact with another brother, Tarek, who fought against coalition forces in Iraq, according to lawyer Oued-Ali.

Tarek recently escaped from an Iraqi prison in the city of Tikrit and is at large, added the lawyer.

--more--"

"Libyan militia leader charged in 2012 Benghazi attack" New York Times Syndicate, August 07, 2013

WASHINGTON — Federal law enforcement authorities have filed murder charges against Ahmed Abu Khattala, a prominent militia leader in Benghazi, Libya, in connection with the attacks on a diplomatic mission there last Sept. 11 that killed the US ambassador and three other Americans, according to senior law enforcement officials.

At least two other foreigners have been charged in the attacks, the officials said.

Although the charges have been filed under seal in the United States, law enforcement officials are frustrated with the Libyan government and the State Department because there have been no arrests.

The Libyan government has little control over the areas of the country where the suspects are believed to be, and arresting them will take significant negotiations and coordination between the US and Libyan governments.

Testifying before the House Judiciary Committee in May, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said the Justice Department had made significant progress in its investigation.

 Took them eight months, and it is just in time for the anniversary, huh? A little to coincidental for me, sorry.

It is unclear, however, whether the government had filed charges at that point.

In an interview in October, Abu Khattala said that he had arrived at the US compound in Benghazi as gunfire broke out but that he had played no role in the attack.

--more--"

Related:

"Libya suspect in Benghazi attack denies charge" Associated Press, August 08, 2013

TRIPOLI, Libya — A former Libyan militia commander denied charges Wednesday that were filed in US federal court accusing him of being involved in an attack that killed the US ambassador and three other Americans.

Ahmed Abu Khattala said he was not in hiding, nor had he been questioned by Libyan authorities over the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the US consulate in Benghazi. That assault killed Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and sparked Republican-led investigations in Congress over the attack and its aftermath.

“The American government has nothing to do with me,” he said. “I am in my city, having a normal life, and have no troubles and if they have an inquiry to make, they should get in touch with Libyan authorities.”

Khattala was commander of a group called Abu Obaida Bin Jarrah. He said he is now working in construction.

--more--"

 Then maybe he did this:

"Bomb hits Libya’s Benghazi on attack anniversary" by Esam Mohamed and Maggie Michael |  Associated Press, September 12, 2013

TRIPOLI, Libya — A car bomb tore through a Libyan Foreign Ministry building in the eastern city of Benghazi on Wednesday, a powerful reminder of lawlessness in the North African nation on the first anniversary of a deadly attack on the US consulate there and the 2001 terror attacks in the United States.

 I'm surprised the French couldn't help.

Prime Minister Ali Zidan issued a stern warning to militias blamed for much of the violence that has plagued Libya since the overthrow of dictator Moammar Khadafy two years ago.

“We will not bow to anyone,’’ the prime minister said.

But the challenges are mounting. Zidan said that armed men had just stormed a post office in Tripoli, taking employees hostage. A witness at the scene, speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns, said the attackers were seeking to cut off mail to the southern city of Sabha in retaliation for a rival tribe from Sabha cutting off the water supply to Tripoli for a week.

Other groups have shut down oil fields to protest corruption or demand regional autonomy, causing the country to lose out on millions of dollars a day in potential revenue.

The Benghazi blast caused no deaths or serious injuries, but it destroyed the Foreign Ministry building in an attack rich in symbolism....  

 It's SMELLING LIKE a mind-manipulating, false flag psyop!

The bombing took place about 6 a.m., well before anybody was due to arrive for work and at a time when the nearby streets were empty.

 Libyan terrorists must be stoo-pid as s**t!

The explosion damaged the Benghazi branch of the Libyan Central Bank.

 Oh, it damaged the bank, huh? Then it was terrorists.

Pictures circulated on Facebook show men carrying dead doves, with one person commenting, ‘‘The dog who did this will be punished for the guilt of killing doves.’’

Another photo shows black smoke smoldering out of the charred Foreign Ministry building, along with wrecked cars and burned palm trees....

Like a couple of tall towers, in case you have forgotten.

Mohammed el-Ubaidi, head of the Foreign Ministry branch in Benghazi, told Libyan television that the car carried 132 pounds of explosives and was blown up by remote control.

 Uh-oh. The hallmark of covert intelligence operations.

 No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which came a day after bomb disposal experts defused an explosive device found next to the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Tripoli....

 Another hallmark!

Khadafy was deposed and killed in 2011, after an eight-month uprising that descended into a civil war. Since then, successive Libyan interim governments have failed to impose law and order. The country remains virtually held hostage by militia forces initially formed to fight Khadafy. The militias, which have huge stockpiles of sophisticated weaponry, now threaten Libya’s nascent democracy.

Car bombings and drive-by shootings routinely kill security officials in Benghazi, the birthplace of the uprising.

Deputy Interior Minister Sadik Abdel-Karim described the security situation as deteriorating.

 And this is the most recent article the Globe has given me.

Tawfiq Breik, a lawmaker with the liberal-leaning National Forces Alliance, said the attacks will continue as long as Libya lacks a strong national army and police.

‘‘Even with so many officials assassinated, no one is held accountable,’’ Breik said. ‘‘No one is arrested. The state is disabled.’’

Ashour Shwayl, a former interior minister, concurred.... 

 I'm beginning to think that was the point of removing Khadafy.

But the government has been mired in political paralysis, fueled by rivalry between a Muslim Brotherhood-led bloc of Islamists and a liberal-leaning bloc following successful parliamentary elections last year.

The two sides have been unable to organize an election of an assembly tasked to write a new constitution, causing the liberal-leaning bloc last month to suspend its participation in the process.

Moreover, Libya has had no interior minister since the last one resigned weeks ago over a conflict with the prime minister.

The United States condemned Wednesday’s car bombing. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said ‘‘The attack threatens to undermine Libya’s democratic transition as well as the legacy of Libya’s revolution in which the Libyan people made their voices heard through peaceful means.’’

 That's why I think they were involved in this reminder.

The bombing came exactly one year after militants linked to Al Qaeda stormed the US mission in Benghazi and a nearby building, killing US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

 So that is the official story now?

‘‘We can’t ignore the date and timing,” Zidan said. “We can’t forget.”

Last year’s attack sparked widespread criticism of President Obama and his administration for failing to protect the diplomats and for mishandling a subsequent investigation.

The United States closed 19 diplomatic posts across the Muslim world for almost a week last month out of caution over a possible Al Qaeda strike — probably in response to the Benghazi criticism.

 That scare sure fizzled quick.

--more--"

 Related: Libya plans diplomatic security force

 Little late, isn't it?

"Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States issued ominous warnings Thursday about threats to Westerners in Libya, in particular the unruly eastern city of Benghazi, less than a week after the deadly hostage crisis in neighboring Algeria."


And then it was gone like a toot of gas. 

I guess the Globe doesn't want you to know about the bomb that went off at the police station.

So what did happen that fateful day?


"He has to find some way between now and November of demonstrating that he is a leader who can command confidence and, short of a 9/11 event or an Oklahoma City bombing, I can't think of how he could do that." -- Robert Shapiro, former Clinton official and Obama supporter quoted by Financial Times in July 2010

As we watch the Congressional Hearings on the attack on the Benghazi consulate, we see the usual signs of yet another official attempt to generate a highly fictitious official version of events. We see the blame shifting and the pointed fingers as everyone dances the "Potomac Two-Step" to the beat of nervous pulse rates.

What Really Happened?

We may never know, but after some consideration and application of Occam's Razor, this is what I think may have been going on.

The official story is that on the night of 9/11/12, coinciding with the anniversary of the false-flag attacks in New York City, "Al Qaeda", enraged over a trailer for a non-existent Mohammed-bashing movie, attacked the Consulate, killing the Ambassador. Bad Muslims, no cookie!

But there are some interesting facts to consider.

There is ample evidence that the US Government knew something was going to happen days, maybe as much as a week, ahead of time. Yet they did not increase security at the Consulate or remove the Ambassador.

There were CIA and SEALS nearby who heard the gunfire but were ordered to stand down. Just where that order came from appears to be the White House, despite an early effort to pin the blame on CIA, which was denied by Patraeus, leading to exposure of a sex scandal and his forced retirement on November 9th.

There are reports that a Predator drone was overhead, "real timing" the video of the attack back to the White House situation room. Given that the Predator only has a top speed of 137 miles per hour, the drone had to be enroute to the Consulate long before the violence started.

So here is what I think was going on.

Polls in September showed the Presidential race neck and neck. Many media outlets were openly predicting a Romney victory. Obama had failed to garner public approval over the killing of a man claimed (but never proven) to be Osama bin Laden, mostly because of the manner in which the body was disposed of and the obvious faked photos leaked onto the internet.

Obama needed a publicity stunt.

A small team of "Al Qaeda" terrorists, or someone playing at being Al Qaeda terrorists, were supposed to enter the Consulate and take the Ambassador and his staff hostage. Obama would let the drama build for a few days, allowing the media to hype the story, then send in the SEAL teams to "rescue" the hostages, then campaign on how he did not let the situation turn into a repeat of the Iranian hostage crisis, which would have dovetailed with the Iran bashing (and Argo).

But the best laid plans of mice and men (and Candidates) gang aft agley, as they say. We know that the CIA operatives at the annex could hear the gunfire from the Consulate. Looking at the consulate through Google Earth, one sees heavily populated residential areas less than half a mile to the east and southwest, who no doubt heard the gunfire coming from the consulate as well. Given how quickly sympathetic protests erupted across the Middle East during this incident, it is clear that the region is an anti-American powder keg awaiting a spark, which Obama inadvertently provided with his staged terror attack.

The initial "Al Qaeda" (or reasonable facsimile thereof) was a small group, but were quickly joined by Libyans pouring in from adjoining neighborhoods. What was a planned and rehearsed operation to "kidnap" the Ambassador triggered a spontaneous riot with at least 200 participants on the ground, and spun out of control, leading to the deaths of the Ambassador and others.

Obama's carefully prepped operation to make himself look like a hero instantly turned in an epic fail.


This seems the simplest explanation that fits all the available facts.

 UPDATE:

Cover up? Benghazi Memo Underwent 12 Talking Points Revisions, Scrubbed of Terror Reference


Related:

 “They’re trying to sell a narrative. This conspiracy stuff is kind of ridiculous to be honest with you."

You can decide for yourself what is ridiculous and what is not, dear readers.
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