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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAnother bad day for Benghazi conspiracy theories
Posted with permission.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/more-setbacks-benghazi-conspiracy-theory
Another bad day for Benghazi conspiracy theories
01/15/14 04:06 PM
By Steve Benen
The U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, better known as the Senate Intelligence Committee, published an 85-page report (pdf) today on the attack that left four Americans dead in Benghazi in September 2012. Its findings will likely seem pretty familiar.
The State Departments failure to heed warnings and requests for more security by diplomatic staff left the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, and its CIA annex vulnerable to the Sept. 11, 2012 attacks that ultimately took the lives of four Americans, according to an unclassified Senate Intelligence Committee report released Wednesday.
The report, which the committee approved by a voice vote, concluded that the attacks could have been prevented and makes several recommendations for improving security of U.S. diplomatic facilities in areas where U.S. personnel are likely to face threats.
The report, which the committee approved by a voice vote, concluded that the attacks could have been prevented and makes several recommendations for improving security of U.S. diplomatic facilities in areas where U.S. personnel are likely to face threats.
If this seems to cover familiar ground, thats because previous investigations have led to very similar conclusions. The Washington Posts Aaron Blake noted that Republicans, especially those eager to tear down former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are likely to be sorely disappointed by the findings.
Thats clearly true. As Adam Serwers report makes clear, there was no stand down order; Susan Rice did nothing wrong; and there was no White House interference with the creation of post-attack talking points. Indeed, of all the various Republican allegations about a conspiracy, there remains literally no evidence to bolster the far-right paranoia.
Indeed, if GOP officials who tried to destroy Susan Rices reputation apologize now that their attacks have been discredited, I remain confident that shed be gracious about their misguided smear campaign.
All of this, however, leads to a larger question: just how much more will it take to convince the Republican conspiracy theorist they were wrong?
I did a little digging this afternoon and found that over the course of the last 15 months, the deadly attack in Benghazi has now been investigated by:
* the independent State Department Accountability Review Board, led by former Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen and career diplomat Thomas Pickering;
* the Senate Intelligence Committee;
* the Senate Armed Services Committee;
* the House Intelligence Committee,
* the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee;
* the House Armed Services Committee;
* the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform;
* and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
And those are just the official investigations, led by current and former U.S. officials, and dont include investigative reports from journalists at major news organizations.
After all of this scrutiny, theres still no evidence of a cover-up or a conspiracy. None. The allegations raised by the Obama administrations fiercest and angriest critics are still without substantiation.
Given the latest report, which reinforces the previous reports, are Republicans finally prepared to move on to some other alleged conspiracy? Of course not. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) saw the findings of the Senate Intelligence Committee and said, It should be clear, even to my critics by now, that Benghazi is bigger than Watergate.
Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) added, Im familiar with cover-ups throughout history, the Pentagon Papers, Iran-Contra, all of them. This is gonna go down as the greatest cover-up in history because the president and Susan Rice both knew it was an organized terrorist attack and deliberately sent Susan Rice to tell the American people it was not.
It doesnt matter that theyre wrong; they dont care. They start with the conclusion and try to work backwards to find evidence that satisfies their goal. If the evidence doesnt match the preconceived answer, then theres a problem with the evidence, not the assumptions.
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Another bad day for Benghazi conspiracy theories (Original Post)
babylonsister
Jan 2014
OP
giftedgirl77
(4,713 posts)1. Unfortunately it isn't stopping the morons in congress
from blaming it on Obama & his Administration. They have been out in full force stating how the blame lies solely at their feet.
To top it off Joe Scum even tweeted out linking to a Fox News article, the hypocrisy amazes me.
phylny
(8,389 posts)2. NBC Nightly News is pinning this on Hillary Clinton.
Makes me puke.
"That will be fodder for any presidential campaign."
napkinz
(17,199 posts)3. Secretary Clinton WARNED Republicans ---->
Republicans slashed diplomatic security budget, still trying to cut more
May 09, 2013
As part of the Republican majority that has controlled the House the last two years, Mr. Issa joined in cutting nearly a half-billion dollars from the State Departments two main security accounts. One covers things like security staffing, including local guards, armored vehicles and security technology; the other, embassy construction and upgrades. In 2011 and 2012, President Obama sought a total of $5 billion, and the House approved $4.5 billion.
Utah teabagging Rep. Jason Chaffetz has been a leading proponent of Benghazi conspiracy theories, yet even he isn't shy to proclaim his votes against diplomatic security:
OBRIEN: Is it true that you voted to cut the funding for embassy security?
CHAFFETZ: Absolutely. Look, we have to make priorities and choices in this country.
Their priorities have consequences. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton (among others) had long warned Republicans that they were weakening national security by cutting, well, security. Back in February of 2011:
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton emerged from a meeting with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) sharply critical of proposed Republican cuts to the State Department budget, warning they will be detrimental to Americas national security."
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/05/09/1208061/-Republicans-slashed-diplomatic-security-budget-still-trying-to-cut-more
She WARNED them (House Republicans). They didn't listen. The GOP must be held accountable.
napkinz
(17,199 posts)4. Republican Hypocrisy ...
Cha
(297,723 posts)5. Thanks napkinz!
napkinz
(17,199 posts)6. you're welcome :)
Cha
(297,723 posts)7. This NEEDS to Be FRont and CENTER!
Again, Thanks!
napkinz
(17,199 posts)8. meegbear started a thread I responded to
napkinz
(17,199 posts)9. Lindsey Graham's answer ...
spanone
(135,886 posts)10. they don't care about no stinking facts.....
napkinz
(17,199 posts)11. Benghazi Put To Rest ...