A slew of new reporting this morning debunks Fox News reports claiming that the Obama administration withheld assistance during the Sept. 11 attack on a U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya. With these revelations, the combined conservative narrative as led by Fox News — that the Obama administration failed to respond adequately during the attack and that mainstream media has not covered Benghazi enough — is in further disarray.

The Los Angeles Times’ version of the CIA’s role focuses the most heavily on pushing back on Fox’s spin:


“At every level in the chain of command, from the senior officers in Libya to the most senior officials in Washington, everyone was fully engaged in trying to provide whatever help they could,” a senior intelligence official said in a statement. “There were no orders to anybody to stand down in providing support.”

Fox reporter Jennifer Griffin claimed in an “exclusive” report last week that the CIA denied Tyrone Woods, one of the four Americans killed in the attack, permission to help repel the assault. Griffin’s reporting spun off into a bevy of conspiracy theories on the far right. The Pentagon, White House, and CIA had all previously denied refusing requests for support. The New York Times reports on the Pentagon’s involvement:


[A] senior official also sought to rebut reports that C.I.A. requests for support from the Pentagon that night had gone unheeded.

In fact, the official said, the military diverted a Predator drone from a reconnaissance mission in Darnah, 90 miles away, in time to oversee the mission’s evacuation. The two commandos, based at the embassy in Tripoli, joined the reinforcements. And a military transport plane flew the wounded Americans and Mr. Stevens’s body out of Libya.

The new reports also contain previously unreported details about the CIA’s role in Benghazi. President Obama and Secretary of Defense Panetta did order U.S. forces into the region, but the CIA was the first to respond to the attack, arriving on the scene in under half an hour.

The lack of security at the outpost in Benghazi, far removed from the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, has been the subject of inquiry by both Fox News and Congressional Republicans. The Wall Street Journal sheds new light onto why that was the case. The CIA and State Department had entered into a series of secret deals in which the Agency would provide emergency security to the diplomats operating within Libya.

While the State Department primarily relied upon local Libyan militias for day-to-day protection, as well as contracted British private security, the arrangement between it and the CIA explains why the outpost seemed under-protected. The revelation also will prompt a renewed look at the State Department’s decisions to remove Department of Defense-provided security from the Embassy in Tripoli, which were highly scrutinized during Rep. Darrel Issa’s hearings.

The primary role of the CIA was intelligence gathering and covert operations within Benghazi. Agents there operated out of an annex originally reported to be an offshoot of the diplomatic mission, revealed officially — and accidentally — during Issa’s highly politicized hearing into the Benghazi attacks. The Agency’s large presence may also help explain why the diplomatic compound was open to journalists and looters for weeks after the attack, as more vital intelligence documents were collected.

Washington Post’s David Ignatius has gone as far as to produce a detailed minute-by-minute timeline, of the events that night. These reports together give the clearest picture yet of the events in Benghazi. Rather than the Obama Presidency unraveling as the news organization has claimed, it appears to be Fox News’ narrative that is coming undone instead.

Should be Romney by a landslide:



Most people would expect more from a man who said he was a pastor in his Mormon church for ten years. But then, Romney wasn't a pastor in his church. He was a bishop and a stake president. There's no position known as pastor in the Mormon hierarchy. It has been suggested Romney used the term "pastor" to appeal to those mainstream Christians who believe Mormonism is a cult.

". . . it appears to be Fox News’ narrative that is coming undone instead."

Well now, that's certainly a surprise. Not.

Not really worried about who said what. We left a bunch of folks under gunned and under supported in an area where there was an insane amount of firepower, and they died. It really isn't a good thing be be right about, either way.

Molehills into mountains....how many people will die under GW III (aka Romney)?
Answer: None because a second term is coming thank god.

The only point that really matters, but wont be flushed out and understood by the obamamaniacs until the next election, when republicans embarrass the administration for more seats, if Obummer wins.

# 3 scary. I cant see landing in that country until they go way beyond what they have, including a mass execution of the attackers. Short of that, they can starv. If Khadaffi could not defend the country, they cant now.

The airlines should stay clear of that airspace too.

We need some of that lethal deterent equipment around our embassy where everyone in range goes deaf or blind.

The current administration made very poor decisions in the months leading up to the murder of 4 americans. Somehow Stlhead and BWP can't see how inept those decisions were.

There is absolutely some very hard questions that have to be answered here and all of our people should be protected to the best of our countries ability.

That said, I wonder just how many here called for Bush's head when 9/11 happened? His admin knew that there were terrorists in our country and looking to attack with small planes, where over 3000 people died on our own turf!

If we are going to persecute at least lets do it with a blind eye to party affiliation.

Fishy

Dead men tell no tales. Perhaps the attack provided an opportunity for the administration to cover up their weapon deals?

It provided Romney/Ryan with a talking point to force feed you ditto heads.

Speaking of which:

"We need some of that lethal deterent equipment around our embassy where everyone in range goes deaf or blind."

Yeah, let's deport RWWJ's to Lybia and give them a podium with loud speakers. The deaf and blind are their base.

I don't see a problem with that. Toss in an equal amount of Left Wing Whack Jobs to keep things fair and balanced.