To think that the US Ambassador and his defense team were left literally waiting to know that something soon was going to happen and no one would come to help. To think that the UK Ambassador was attacked by a fish bomb in Benghazi a few weeks earlier. That 230 attacks had occurred the last 12 months. As red flags where flying everywhere, but no help coming, brought tears to my eyes.
These were the reports we received today in the committee hearings on the Benghazi attack. The state department failed the Ambassador and his protectors. Our country failed these servants of the people. Here they were trying to get help, but the bureaucrats followed procedures and policies instead. It left us screaming at our TV's and congressmen shouting from their seats. Inexcusable doesn't even come close to defining what we heard today. Why didn't the state department listen to these people?
It wasn't because of lack of funds. Simply stated our government failed to listen to them.
Lt. Col. Anderson Wood: "the Ambassador knew he was in danger from a message on facebook after the attempt on the UK's Ambassador's bomb attack just a few weeks before 9-11-2012."
Erick Nordstrom, Regional Security Advisor: "There was a complete and total lack of planning." "Security continued to deteriorate and a litany of assaults continuing." Nordstrom continued: "Requests continued for military protection {SST} staying. If not, then give us 13 bodies from anywhere" was his plea. It fell on deaf ears.
Woods: Resources for there for SST to stay. We would have been happy to help."
Charlene Lamb: There were conflicting stories, multiple reports, we could not reconcile multiple reports on why they did not know if it was the video or terrorists." You can't make this stuff up.
On the question. Did you think it was a terrorist attack? Patrick Kennedy, Under Secretary of State in Management: "Anybody would have said the same thing as Rice." But on Sept 12th Kennedy said it was a terrorist attack in his own opinion contradicting himself. Nordstrom: "I thought it was a terrorist attack immediately." Woods: "I instantly believed it was a terrorist attack."
Rep. Gowdy: In swelling anger "Carney said there was no evidence that it was preplanned, no concrete evidence." Getting angrier he exploded "It was never a video, it was terror. We were lied to."
Rep. Rohrabacher was the one who gave the greatest assault on Webb and Kennedy: "Was it lack of money? Intelligence? I was in the Reagan Administration - he never sidestepped an issue. He never used lowering and scrabbling to the Islamic terrorists saying it never happened. "To Kennedy he said "you never even used the word terrorism in your written testimony as to what happened." There is a mind-set at play. And now you are here one month later - are you stonewalling?"
Rep.Adam: 230 incidents of attacks and you and your agency denied help?''
The feelings I have are deep inside. I feel anger and regret that our government let the Ambassador and his protectors down. They called for help and it did not come. How they must have felt, forsaken, frightened, and alone. They had come to help a country find it's way to freedom, but were ensnared in the arms of the terrorists. The American government let us down too. By not being forthright in what happened. And yes, they may have even lied to us. It was a terrorist attack. So they will explore and come up with a finding on how to possibly keep it from happening again. But can they bring the Ambassador back to his family. Can they bring back those that protected him for the sake of freedom, who were also father's and husbands? And all because they didn't meet the criteria for getting more help. This is government bureaucracy at it's worst.
God Bless Ambassador Stevens. God bless the others who gave their lives so Libyans have a chance at freedom. They gave the ultimate, highest price. There are no words for their sacrifice.
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