Sunday, May 26, 2013

Panetta, the Liar: Behghazi Re-Examined

The very core of Obama's screwup in Benghazi is this:  whether or not US forces could have rescued the Ambassador, his defenders, and US classified documents.

It is more and more certain that Panetta lied about that question.  Why?  To cover Hillary's ass, or to cover Obama's?  Could Panetta have been so stupid as to NOT know the capabilities of CIF teams?  Not likely; Panetta's been sucking up taxpayer payroll for a long, long, time, in highly sensitive slots.

Elite U.S. troops were completely capable of saving Ambassador Chris Stevens during the Benghazi Consulate attacks on September 11, 2012.  Elements of the highly specialized Combatant Commanders In-Extremis (CIF) units are always on alert, on forward deployment, ready to respond.  Their job description is to hit the ground in 3 to 5 hours.  CIF elements are ready to engage in active combat anywhere in their region, 3 to 5 hours after the call.

...we absolutely do "have a ready force standing by" to reach any trouble spot in a few hours.  Insider reports previously revealed that CIF elements were training in Croatia and could have been in Benghazi in three and a half hours.

...Standard military doctrine is to activate all such resources immediately, even if they are ultimately not used.  Military's plans require getting such teams in the air and on the way, not waiting to see if they will be needed...

As to air power:

...two unmanned drones were overhead, sending real-time video, including infrared and night-vision cameras, back to the national command authority.  Everyone but Panetta seems to know how dumb Panetta's statement was.

...Sigonella air base is only 475 miles from Benghazi.  Fighter jets from Sigonella could have been above Benghazi in 20 minutes from takeoff at the F-16's maximum speed of 1,500 miles per hour.  Transports and gunships could have reached the Consulate in 90 minutes from take-off.  ...Remember: a "spotter" from the Benghazi CIA annex was on the roof of the Consulate, "laser designating" the attackers' mortar team and reporting by radio.


F-16s can carry fuel for a flight of 2,000 nautical miles.  So the 475-mile flight from Sigonella would have left enough fuel for an hour of operations over the Consulate in Benghazi

And the Navy was available, too.

...the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis and its battle group were within range to assist the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi

The Congressional investigation should prove very interesting, indeed.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! Another "interview" with an anonymous "special operator". I wonder if he's the same guy that explained the whole episode when he called into the Rush Limbaugh show from North Carolina.

A quote from the interview: "We could have sent a C 130 to Benghazi to provide medical evacuation for the injured."

A C 130 WAS sent and provided medical evacuation.

Anonymous said...

If wingnuts are angry now, imagine how upset they'll be when they finally figure out where Benghazi is!

Anonymous said...

Like the anonymous people who said we could not rescue them? Which begs the most important question. How the hell did the white house know, in advance, how quick the ambassador would be killed? Think about it, if they did not send troops to rescue them because they "could not have saved them in time" then they must have known how fast they would die, correct? Or they are a bunch of incompetent, dumb ass shit for brain cock sucking liberals.

You decide

Anonymous said...

Anon 10:11. The latter.

Dale said...

The cavalry didn't come.Period. Not even 'the cavalry got there late'. It just did not come. Totally unacceptable. Morally indefensible. We have a government of lesser men.

Anonymous said...

Since it was the military who was in charge of any rescue and the organization that would determine the feasibility and effectiveness of such action, then I guess we have a military command of lesser men.

Anonymous said...

Commander in chief of the military is some jizz stain named Barack Hussein Obama.

Dad29 said...

Two military commanders have been removed for acting to rescue the Ambassador.

Obozo is a girly-man.

Anonymous said...

Bullshit. What's your source?

Anonymous said...

A verbal "Do what you gotta do" from the CiC on his way out the door is not sufficient authorization for Clinton, Panetta and Petraeus to commit combat troops to a rescue attempt. Another instance of Obama simply not measuring up to the job. Loves the hell out of the perks, but not so much the responsibilities. All talk and no game.nwsersix unless