What We Will Never Ever Know About Benghazi

The simple answer to the question of what we will never find out about what happened that additional fateful September 11 is the complete truth. Sure we will be told about all the things that might have been done beforehand to provide ample and proper security for Ambassador Stevens and the brave Americans who battled against all the odds to try and save lives. We will hear about a number of options which were available for dispatch that might have completely altered the fatal outcomes of the attack in Benghazi. We will hear of the brave and valiant efforts made by Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty who rescued a number of personnel and fought giving a heroic effort at the Consulate and then again at the Annex Building. We will hear that they had painted the mortar position with laser identifiers and which eventually zeroed in on their position ending their fight. Everything which has already been made public which would serve to give those who were allowed to be sacrificed some of the deep respect they are due will be rehashed in the press taking up every available inch of space. What we will likely never know is who actually gave the stand-down orders to the various units who were in the process of dispatching help to the embattled Americans. The press will once again not cover in any depth the shortcomings of those responsible from within the Obama Administration. Somewhere in the eventual outcome of the politicized hearings an unlikely and unfortunate individual will become the chosen middle level functionary who is going to be sacrificed to save those who were actually to blame. Benghazi will eventually have its very own Colonel Oliver North and if they are fortunate, they will be able to wear their sacrifice bravely and even gain respect from some quarters for their efforts.

 

But there is one item that not only will we never know, it will likely never be asked by anybody covering this story from any angle. Part of the reason is that it is a question that cannot be answered. What will be overlooked is what effect would the entire Benghazi debacle have had on the Presidential Election had the press given the story the full investigative coverage it deserved. Such a question is one the press would very much like to bury and instead attempt to credit themselves over their brave take-no-prisoners coverage they will give the investigations. There will be editorials delving into the intricate elements that together birthed this disaster. They will explain complicated webs of woven information which was not shared in a timely enough manner to have made a difference in the immediacy of the attack. There might even be detailed explanations as to the reasoning and execution of the offensive video ruse which eventually fell apart as the cheap evasive ploy that it was. Hopefully we will receive details over Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s testimony where she was quoted angrily exclaiming, “Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided they would go kill some Americans? What difference at this point does it make?” To be absolutely honest, this is one of the items I am particularly desiring a full explanation as this was not only the nastiest and most disrespectful outrages in the entire Benghazi debacle, but actually the worst outburst ever to pass from Hillary Clinton’s lips, which is an accomplishment. I am sure that there will be a very large number of people and questions, both public and privately held, for which there will be no answer forthcoming. Many of these will remain unasked as the mainstream media is mostly interested in getting the Obama Administration through the investigation without any impeachment charges or serious damage to the Democrat Party or their potential Presidential hopefuls for 2016, even Hillary Clinton.

 

As this is my editorial, perhaps I should share what I hope will come from these hearings. I want to know who in the White House and the entire Obama Administration heard about the stand-down orders before 4:00 AM Benghazi time as had teams from either Tripoli, Italy, France, or either of the two aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean Sea been dispatched, they could have arrived in time to save at least some of our people caught in a desperate fight for their lives. I would like to have an accounting of the action of President Obama during the entire time the entire confrontation was playing out with particular emphasis on what information was given him, by whom, and his exact orders, reactions, and his attitude to the situation. If the rumors that he left people in charge without specific instructions and went to bed sleeping peacefully as our people died, that would be extremely upsetting. I am curious as to what the commanders who were in theater thought and would be curious if they have any reasons for not taking actions to send aid and support to our forces who were heavily engaged. Was their inaction due to lack of information, if so what did they do to attempt to gain additional information, and did they simply choose to obey a stand-down order and gave no thought to ignoring such orders and going out on their shield after supporting our people in a dire situation which cried out for a hero to come to the rescue in the nick of time. American history has numerous cases where officers or even enlisted personnel went against orders because it was the decent and correct actions to take. I want to know where are such heroes today and if we have none of that caliber in command positions, maybe we need some new commanders. As a veteran I am fully cognizant of the importance of obeying orders and even more familiar with the beating heart of a fighting force which demands that no man be left sacrifice if there is the slimmest chance to come to their aid and come to the aid of those in distress as we are never supposed to leave a man behind. That is the real sin in Benghazi, we left our people behind at the mercy of a cruel enemy and that is something as Americans we should not and cannot allow to go unpunished.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

Good Bye Queen Hillary

Hillary Clinton stepped down as the United States Secretary of State, one of the highest positions in the American government. Where any mere mortal would have left in disgrace after the Benghazi tragedy, Ms. Hillary is leaving to high accolades and tributes walking out on a golden runway festooned with rose pedals, rousing peals of applause and graciously kind, loving tributes written into the books for history. This was the only possible result after the grueling and deeply probing questions reminiscent of the Spanish Inquisition, well, almost. The truth be told, the Benghazi Hearings were closer to a Hollywood Roast than an honest inquiry. Ms. Clinton did not appear for questioning as much as the members of Congress either gave her the praises she demanded or were dealt with first by Hillary’s notorious anger driven tongue and later by her minions of the fourth estate. Ms. Hillary swept through the hearings leaving cheering fans and devastated opponents in her wake. She leaves for her retirement where she can write her memoirs and relax with her life-long partner in crime, President Bill Clinton.

We should be so fortunate. The initial rumblings of the 2016 Hillary for President campaign have already begun with the echoes from the chorus in the liberal press and protestations and eerie warnings from the other end. The most interesting thing about the whole affair is thus far we have not heard from the Queen herself as to her plans. Actually, this too may be part of her campaign, to allow the press and commentators to exalt or criticize as to their own proclivities as she sits quietly biding her time until the appointed time. The result of the coverage, whether supportive or damning, will provide her the one item she is unable to provide without declaring her intentions, her name constantly in the news cycle. We all know the old saying, any coverage is good coverage. This will be a definitive test of that adage. Meanwhile, Ms. Hillary can take a while out of the spotlight giving any bad press or other problems that might taint the Clinton name are dealt with and cleansed from the public memory. After all, the first volley in the Hillary campaign has already been given, it was the 60 Minutes powder-puff interview given Hillary and President Obama.

So, will Queen Hillary be the candidate to continue the Democrat Regal Presidency which has been started by President Obama and his many executive orders and circumventing the Congress, the Courts, and the Constitution. One way of confirming or denying the idea of a Hillary run for the Presidency is to wait for her to announce her intentions which are what will be demanded of all her conservative detractors. A likely more accurate method would be to carefully watch good ole Bill Clinton and wait for his setting the way for Queen Hillary to return offering herself as the salvation for all the ills that plague the United States. She will have the only solutions and Bill will sell a willing public on that supposed truth. The really big question will be who from the ranks of the Republicans will have the audacity to run against Ms. Hillary? Will it be yet one more Bush and we can have the final Clinton vs. Bush contest? If that be the choice I can predict likely the lowest turnout for a Presidential Election in history.

Beyond the Cusp

Secretary of State Clinton Claims Israeli Elections not Death of Peace Process

During Secretary of State Clinton’s “global townhall” meeting today where she answered questions from Internet-users and broadcasters around the world she commented on the recent Israeli elections and their possible effects on the Peace Process between Israel and the Palestinians. She stated that, “I actually think this election opens doors, not nails them shut.” The truth is the Israeli elections actually had absolutely no effect on the moribund peace process as the obstructing force is not with the Israeli government. She added a comment recognizing the apparent shift in the Israeli electorate adding that the election results displayed that they wish to pursue a “different path” towards peace. Speaking of the future and setting the mood for incoming Secretary of State John Kerry, who was approved by the United States Senate by a vote of 94 to 3, stating that Kerry, will forcefully seek a solution and added, “So I know President Obama and my successor soon-to-be secretary of state John Kerry will pursue this, will look for every possible opening.” Secretary Clinton also had some comments about Hamas stating, “Hamas is not interested in democracy, it is still largely a military resistance group.” She added that should Hamas turn from violence and adopt a political approach similar to the transition made by the PLO when becoming the Palestinian Authority then “there’s a place for them at the table.” Secretary Clinton the expressed, “It would be my great hope that they would do that.”

All of her statements are exactly what one would expect considering that the Administration of President Obama has taken the position that Israel must make all the sacrifices for peace and the Palestinians simply get to decide when Israel has given enough. Such an approach is a guarantee that there will never be a peace settlement as Israel is not the side refusing all negotiations. Perhaps this is what Senator Kerry was speaking about during his confirmation hearing in the Senate committee holding his hearing when he suggested that he may have new proposals to restart direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Secretary of State designate Kerry went further stating, “We need to try to find a way forward, and I happen to believe that there is a way forward.” He additionally predicted, “But I also believe that if we can’t be successful that the door, or window, or whatever you want to call it, to the possibility of a two-state solution could shut on everybody and that would be disastrous in my judgment.” Perhaps he is planning on actually addressing the actual roadblock that prevents going forward which is Mahmoud Abbas and his near endless list of preconditions which would require Israel to surrender on every single of the final status negotiation points and then even more. Mahmoud Abbas holds no illusions that there is any chance that the Israelis will ever accept his preconditions as preventing any negotiations are the sole purpose of his extravagant demands.

That is the problem that the United States, the United Nations, the European Union along with most of its individual countries, the Russians, and the entire Arab Muslim world in that they all place the entire expectations for peace squarely on the shoulders of the Israelis. While the Israelis are pressured by these forces, the Palestinians are given piles of cash every time they even emit the slightest squeal that they are short of funds. Despite an ever changing list of preconditions trotted out in random order and length by Abbas and other Palestinian leaders whenever a mention of negotiations are brought up, nobody ever thinks of insisting that he drop his ridiculous obstructions and just negotiate. There are a few of his demands which even if they were the sole demand, they would preclude any Israeli agreement. Examples of some are, the Palestinians must be allowed to retain their right to armed struggle against the Israelis until all of Palestine from the river to the sea has been liberated, contrary to the promises of United Nations Resolution 181 where Israel was not required to return to the 1949 Armistice Lines also called the Green Line or the pre 67 war lines but that Israel was to withdraw to strategically secure and defensible borders, Abbas demands Israel withdraw completely to the 1949 Armistice Lines, and there is the oldest demand for the Palestinian ‘Right of Return’ which would bring more than five-million Palestinian Arabs into Israel inside of the 1949 Armistice Lines and grant them immediate citizenship thus allowing them to vote Israel into yet another Arab state and deny it any Jewish recognitions or properties. Any sane and rational individual looking at these and the rest of the preconditions, or as Abbas sometimes refers to them whenever anybody, especially Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu calls for negotiations free of preconditions from either side and settling the differences through the peace process, the preconditions become obligations which Israel is required to meet under all understanding of the international community before the Palestinians can even be approached to meet with the Israelis. With such a barrage of negativity at the ready for every approach, no wonder everybody demands Israel bend and leave Abbas alone, he is too much of a pain in the neck.

All the statements by Secretary Clinton that the Israeli elections did not preclude the continuation of the peace process was accurate as the Israelis are willing and ready to hold peace talks immediately as Prime Minister Netanyahu has expressed repeatedly. What is unfortunate is that virtually nobody is willing to speak the truth that it is the Palestinians who are refusing to meet or address or even consider any offer to bring them to the table to talk. Even despite President Obama’s initial taking of the Palestinian side and demanding that the Israelis impose a building freeze in all of Judea and Samaria and Prime Minister Netanyahu imposing exactly that for ten months, that did not bring Abbas to the table and instead he listed numerous other preconditions as excuses not to talk. Well, Abbas did eventually come to the table and talk when his insistence that the meeting be with President Obama and a horde of photographers and press and it be held at the White House. They had the handshaking, the photo shoot, and then they spoke with the press there to witness the great promise this auspicious occasion proffered, their promise to hold talks as a follow up never materialized as Mahmoud Abbas had scheduling difficulties and then trotted out his preconditions and the rest is, as they say, history.

Until the world is willing to remove their blindfolds and actually seek the truth, there will be no progress or opportunity of restarting the moribund peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Pressuring Israel to make sacrifices for the sake of peace is a dead issue. Israel made sacrifices simply agreeing to the Oslo Accords. Israel made sacrifices simply agreeing to the building freeze. Israel made sacrifices simply agreeing to the starting point for borders to be the 1949 Armistice Lines as long as land swaps were also made possible. Israel made sacrifices simply agreeing to the disengage unilaterally from the entirety of the Gaza Strip for which they have been under years of rocket assaults launched by Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Resistance Committees, al-Qaeda in Gaza and any other terror entities from within highly dense civilian areas in order to avoid Israeli retaliations. Israel has committed to so much in the name of peace over the years including sacrifices made to the Palestinian Arabs before the State of Israel had even been founded by forgiving their claim to all of the British Mandate Lands in order for the British establishing a State for the Palestinian Arabs which is today’s country of Jordan. What most of the world has forgotten is that they all agreed when this reallocation of the Mandate lands east of the Jordan River were taken to form Transjordan that they would guarantee that all the remaining lands west of the Jordan River would be sacred and remain indivisible in perpetuity as the Jewish State. I still wait for any politician to admit and speak up reminding the world of their obligations which stem from the League of Nations and were reconfirmed by the United Nations Charter Article 80 and actually commit to the promises they made. I hope I can live long enough that my patience is some day rewarded.

Beyond the Cusp