Admin. rejects new claim about Libya attack
Glass, debris and overturned furniture are strewn inside a room in the gutted U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, after an attack that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2012. / AP Photo/Ibrahim Alaguri
WASHINGTON Obama administration officials defended their response to the September attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, amid new claims that the White House failed to send help quickly enough as militants overran the mission. The U.S. ambassador and three other Americans died in the hourslong battle.
Fox News reported that security officers working for the CIA in Benghazi heard the attack on the consulate but were twice told to wait before rushing to the compound. Fox also reported that U.S. officials refused when the security team asked for U.S. warplanes to bomb their attackers, which would have meant violating Libyan airspace.
In response to the report, CIA spokeswoman Jennifer Youngblood said the CIA "reacted quickly to aid our colleagues during that terrible evening in Benghazi."
She added: "Moreover, no one at any level in the CIA told anybody not to help those in need; claims to the contrary are simply inaccurate."
President Barack Obama said repeatedly Friday that his administration would "find out what happened" and punish those responsible, but he twice ducked questions about whether U.S. officials denied requests for help.
"We're going to gather all the facts, find out exactly what happened, and make sure that it doesn't happen again, but we're also going to make sure we bring to justice those who carried out these attacks," Obama said in an interview with Denver television station KUSA.
In the run-up to the presidential election, Republicans have accused the Obama administration of distorting the account of the attack on Sept. 11 that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. Officials first blamed the attack on a mob set into motion by an anti-Islamic film, saying the mob had been infiltrated and overtaken by extremists. Officials later revised their account, describing the attack as a military-style operation that took place without a demonstration beforehand.
The new claims come as Republican senators demanded that the Obama administration make public the surveillance video taken during and just after the attacks.
Sens. John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire wrote to the defense secretary, CIA director and attorney general demanding that the video from Sept. 11 and 12 be declassified. Pentagon and CIA officials declined to comment on the senators' request. Justice Department officials did not respond to requests for comment.
U.S. intelligence officials this week turned over intelligence reports to Congress showing what officials at the CIA and other agencies knew and when. U.S. officials who have reviewed the material say it shows confusion during and in the days following the attack. Members of Congress have complained that the White House and the intelligence community stuck to the analysis that an angry mob started the attack long after it had become more clear that it was an organized militant operation.
Popular on CBSNews.com
- S. Korea: N. Korea launches short-range missiles
- U.K. police announce new leads in missing girl case
- Photos of the Week 21 Photos
- Plane catches fire landing in Moscow
- Plane catches fire on Moscow runway Play Video
- Drone technology myths, facts and future feats
- Dramatic video appears to show 747 crash in Afghanistan
- Russia strikes back after expelling alleged U.S. spy
First Four Star General Carter Ham is replaced as commander of AFRICOM after he talked to Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz about Benghazi and his displeasure at being told to "stand down" when he had a deployment team ready and now Rear Adm. Charles M. Gaouette has been replaced as commander of the John C. Stennis Middle East Strike Force for unspecified "inappropriate leadership judgment".
Wonder what that "inappropriate leadership judgment" was??
Obama spent $7 hundred thousand on TV ads on Arab TV stations promoting the LA movie trailer and apologizing on behalf of America for the video.
Audio and email proof that Obama ordered security units 'to stand down' during the attack on Stevens now has been leaked. Drones were sending live video of the slaughter on Steven in the 2nd hour of the attack. Stevens lived 7 hours which means Obama watched his struggles for 5 hours. Some lives at the annex were only saved because US Seals who happened to be nearby disobeyed Obama's stand down order directly, and went in to help including Woods whose body was found slumped over his machine gun 7 hours into the fight. Two Seals died, including Woods, helping Americans under fire. Stevens, an American hero, died. Obama insisted the whole thing was about a LA video trailer for two weeks, and even apologized in a speach at the United Nations.
Romney's "shooting first, then aiming", as Obama put it, was dead on and patriotic. Obama was off target and unpatriotic. Stevens, Woods, and the others who died might still be alive today if Obama had not ordered on the ground US security forces 'to stand down'.
The emails, recordings, etc. that are incriminating Obama are leaked by the military and by the State Department. Obama is not pleased. The Clintons are furious because about a week ago Obama began to try to spin blame onto the State Department.
Do not trust President Obama.
He was meeting with the Turkish Consul in regards to a ship which was in Turkey after leaving Libya. The ship was supposedly holding arms including surface to air missiles from Libya.
Could he have been lured there? It is a possibility.Which the militias in Benghazi knew and would set up his murder.
Could the protests in Egypt be used as cover for this attack? Yes. The attacks in Egypt could have been used to set up a distraction and an excuse to make the administration concerned about offending the protesters. This would slow any rescue response and give the perpetrators time to scatter.
These are simple questions the press could be asking with a scenario range that is wide.