The REAL Benghazi Story: What the White House and Hillary Don't Want You to Know

by Aaron Klein

  22. U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Review of the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, with Additional Views, September 11–12, 2012 January 15, 2014, http://www.intelligence.senate.gov/benghazi2014/benghazi. pdf, 6.

  23. Ibid., 7–8.

  5. WHODUNIT?

  1. Bill Roggio, “Ansar al Shariah issues statement on US Consulate assault in Libya,” Threat Matrix (a blog of the Long War Journal), September 12, 2012, http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2012/09/ansar_al_shariah_issues_statem.php#ixzz2sT3f59rP.

  2. David D. Kirkpatrick, Suliman Ali Zway, and Kareem Fahim, “Attack by Fringe Group Highlights the Problem of Libya’s Militias,” New York Times, Middle East, September 15, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/16/world/middleeast/attack-by-fringe-group-highlights-the-problem-of-libya-militias.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0.

  3. David D. Kirkpatrick , “Suspect in Libya Attack, in Plain Sight, Scoffs at U.S.” New York Times, Africa, October 18, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/19/world/africa/suspect-in-benghazi-attack-scoffs-at-us.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&.

  4. Adam Goldman, “Former Guantanamo detainee implicated in Benghazi attack,” Washington Post, January 8, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/former-guantanamo-detainee-implicated-in-benghazi-attack/2014/01/07/c73fdf78-77d5-11e3-8963-b4b654bcc9b2_story.html.

  5. Federal Research Division, Library of Congress, “Al-Qaida in Libya: A Profile” (Washington, D.C., August 2012), http://www.fas.org/irp/world/para/aq-libya-loc.pdf, 17.

  6. Ibid., 3, 6, 23.

  7. Ibid., 1.

  8. Ibid., 12.

  9. Aaron Klein, “Egypt’s Morsi behind murder of U.S. ambassador?” WND, July 7, 2013, http://www.wnd.com/2013/07/egypts-morsi-behind-murder-of-u-s-ambassador. See also Raymond Ibrahim, “Libyan Intelligence: Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood Involved in Benghazi, Front Page magazine, June 27, 2013, posted at http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3036218/posts.

  10. Josh Rogin, “Exclusive: John McCain on His Meeting with the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo,” Daily Beast, August 6, 2013, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/08/06/exclusive-john-mccain-on-his-meeting-with-the-muslim-brotherhood-in-cairo.html.

  11. See, for example, “Video storm the U.S. embassy and burned in Libya,” Arabic-language YouTube video, 2:19, purporting to show Benghazi attackers speaking Egyptian dialect, posted by “Morad709,” September 12, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSXHsTCFysI.

  12. Cynthia Farahat, “Benghazi Terrorists: ‘Dr. Morsi Sent Us,’” Front Page magazine, May 31, 2013, http://www.frontpagemag.com/2013/cynthia-farahat/benghazi-terrorists-dr-morsi-sent-us/.

  13. Klein, “Egypt’s Morsi behind murder of U.S. ambassador?”

  14. Warner Todd Huston, “CNN Ignores Real Goal of Cairo Riots: Freedom of Blind Sheik,” Breitbart News, September 14, 2012, http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2012/09/13/Cairo-Riots-Were-Not-Over-Offensive-American-Movie-Freedom-of-Blind-Sheik-The-Goal.

  15. US Department of State, “Unclassified” ARB Report, accessed February 26, 2014, http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/202446.pdf, 16.

  16. “EDITORIAL: Obama’s intelligence failure,” Washington Times, September 16, 2012, http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/sep/16/obamas-intelligence-failure/.

  17. Nic Robertson, Paul Cruickshank, and Tim Lister, “Pro-al Qaeda group seen behind deadly Benghazi attack,” CNN, September 13, 2012, http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/12/world/africa/libya-attack-jihadists.

  18. Josh Gerstein, “Ex-FBI agent admits to AP leak,” Politico, September 23, 2013, http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/ex-fbi-agent-pleads-guilty-associated-press-leak-case-97226.html.

  19. U.S. Department of State Office of the Spokesperson, “Terrorist Designations of the Muhammad Jamal Network and Muhammad Jamal,” State.gov, October 7, 2013, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2013/10/215171.htm.

  20. U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Review of the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, with Additional Views, September 11–12, 2012 January 15, 2014, http://www.intelligence.senate.gov/benghazi2014/benghazi.pdf, 40.

  21. United Nations, Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011) concerning Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities, “Narrative Summaries of Reasons for Listing,” United Nations website, accessed February 12, 2014, http://www.un.org/sc/committees/1267/NSQE13613E.shtml.

  22. Eli Lake, “Benghazi’s Al Qaeda Connection,” Daily Beast, October 7, 2013, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/10/07/benghazi-s-al-qaeda-connection.html.

  23. Aaron Klein, “Look who freed Benghazi attackers,” WND, October 8, 2013, http://www.wnd.com/2013/10/look-who-freed-benghazi-attackers.

  24. “Al-Qaeda confirms death of bin Laden confidant Libi,” Daily Star (Lebanon), September 11, 2012, http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2012/Sep-11/187485-al-qaeda-confirms-death-of-bin-laden-confidant-libi.ashx#axzz2t2qejB4l.

  25. Paul Cruickshank et al., “Sources: 3 al Qaeda operatives took part in Benghazi attack,” CNN, May 4, 2013, http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/02/world/africa/us-libya-benghazi-suspects/index.html.

  26. Kirkpatrick , “Suspect in Libya Attack, in Plain Sight, Scoffs at U.S.”

  27. July Pace, “Vanishing adviser reappears as Iran policy player,” Associated Press, December 24, 2013, http://news.yahoo.com/vanishing-adviser-reappears-iran-policy-player-185811990--politics.html.

  28. Guy Taylor, “Benghazi talking points not shared with Clinton, Nuland says,” Washington Times, July 11, 2013, http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jul/11/clinton-aide-victoria-nuland-promotion-faces-senat/?page=all.

  29. Larry Johnson, “Was Iran behind Benghazi?” No Quarter (blog), October 25, 2012, http://www.noquarterusa.net/blog/73784/was-iran-behind-benghazi/.

  30. Mark Langfan, “Op-Ed: Benghazi Leads to Iran, Not Al Qaeda,” Arutz Sheva 7 / Israel National News, August 3, 2013, http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/13641#.Ut6iTRD8LX5.

  31. Marinka Peschmann, “Whistleblower Exclusive: The Benghazi cover-up is the proxy battle with the war with Iran,” Canada Free Press, May 29, 2013, http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/55502.

  6. THE REAL REASON BENGHAZI SUSPECTS NOT CAPTURED

  1. Evan Perez, “First criminal charges filed in Benghazi attack probe,” CNN, August 7, 2013, http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/06/politics/benghazi-charges/index.html.

  2. David D. Kirkpatrick, “Suspect in Libya Attack, in Plain Sight, Scoffs at U.S.” New York Times, Africa, October 18, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/19/world/africa/suspect-in-benghazi-attack-scoffs-at-us.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&.

  3. Bill Roggio, “Ansar al Shariah issues statement on US Consulate assault in Libya,” Threat Matrix (a blog of Long War Journal), September 12, 2012, http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2012/09/ansar_al_shariah_issues_statem.php#ixzz2sT3f59rP.

  4. Kirkpatrick, “Suspect in Libya Attack, in Plain Sight, Scoffs at U.S.”

  5. “Grand Jury Indictment of Abu Anas al-Libi,” New York Times, October 5, 2013, http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/10/05/world/africa/06libya-document.html?_r=0.

  6. Esam Mohamed and Robert Burns, “Anas al-Libi, Libyan Militant, Reportedly Captured In Tripoli,” Associated Press article reprinted at the World Post, October 5, 2013, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/05/abu-anas-al-libilibya_n_4050844.html.

  7. Barbara Starr, “First on CNN: US commandos were poised for raid to capture Benghazi suspect,” Security Clearance (CNN blog), October 29, 2013, http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2013/10/29/first-on-cnn-us-commandos-were-poised-for-raid-to-capture-benghazi-suspect/.

  8. Michael S. Schmidt and Eric Schmitt, “U.S. Officials Say Libya Approved Commando Raids,” New York Times, October 9, 2013, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/09/world/africa/us-officials-say-libya-approved-commando-raids.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1389711914-LSs9DhQpRflj/2xN21X9Mg.

  9. Ibid.
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  10. Starr, “First on CNN.”

  11. Ibid.

  12. Schmidt and Schmitt, “U.S. Officials Say Libya Approved Commando Raids.”

  13. Mark Thiessen, “Kidnapped Libyan prime minister pays the price for an Obama leak,” Washington Post, October 10, 2013, http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/marc-thiessen-the-consequences-of-an-obama-administration-leak/2013/10/10/cfd5b43c-31ad-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_story.html.

  14. Adam Goldman and Sari Horwitz, “U.S. efforts stall in capturing suspects in 2012 Benghazi attacks, officials say,” Washington Post, December 6, 2013, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-efforts-stall-in-capturing-suspects-in-2012-benghazi-attacks-officials-say/2013/12/05/4847afe4-5dd0-11e3-95c2-13623eb2b0e1_story.html.

  15. Ibid.

  7. GAME CHANGER: HILLARY’S CENTRAL, UNREPORTED ROLE IN BENGHAZI

  1. “Hillary Clinton at Benghazi Hearing: ‘What Difference, Does It Make… ,” YouTube video, 1:08, posted by Joe Bunting, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka0_nz53CcM; accessed March 17, 2014.

  2. U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Review of the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, with Additional Views, September 11–12, 2012 January 15, 2014, http://www.intelligence.senate.gov/benghazi2014/benghazi.pdf, “Additional Views of Vice Chairman Chambliss and Senators Burr, Risch, Coats, Rubio, and Coburn,” 11.

  3. U.S. State Department, “Benghazi: Where Is the State Department Accountability?” Majority Staff Report – House Foreign Affairs Committee, accessed March 17, 2014, http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/sites/republicans.foreignaffairs.house.gov/files/HFAC%20Majority%20Staff%20Report%20on%20Benghazi.pdf, 7.

  4. Ibid., 12.

  5. US Department of State, “Unclassified” ARB Report, accessed February 26, 2014, http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/202446.pdf (hereinafter “ARB report”), 30.

  6. U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Review of the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, Additional Views of Vice Chairman Chambliss and Senators Burr, Risch, Coats, Rubio, and Coburn, 10.

  7. Ibid.

  8. ARB report, 4, 29.

  9. U.S. State Department, “Benghazi: Where Is the State Department Accountability?” 10.

  10. Brian Knowlton, “U.S. Diplomats, Relieved after Libyan Attack, Are Reinstated,” New York Times, August 20, 2013, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/21/world/africa/us-diplomats-relieved-after-libyan-attack-are-reinstated.html?_r=0.

  11. Maxwell admitted this during a May 7, 2013, interview with the House Foreign Affairs Committee as referenced on page 10 of the Committee’s Majority Staff Report, “Benghazi: Where Is the State Department Accountability?” (See note 3.)

  12. Ibid., 13.

  13. U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Review of the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, Additional Views of Vice Chairman Chambliss and Senators Burr, Risch, Coats, Rubio, and Coburn, 9.

  14. U.S. State Department, “Benghazi: Where Is the State Department Accountability?” 13.

  15. Stephen F. Hayes, “Lawmakers: CIA #2 Lied to Us about Benghazi,” Weekly Standard, March 3, 2014, http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/lawmakerscia-2-lied-us-about-benghazi_782724.html.

  16. “TRANSCRIPTS Hillary Clinton Senate Hearing: Questions from Senators Flake, Coons, and McCain,” CNN.com, January 23, 2013, http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1301/23/cnr.04.html.

  17. U.S. House of Representatives, “Interim Progress Report for the Members of the House Republican Conference on the Events Surrounding the September 11, 2012 Terrorist Attacks in Benghazi, Libya,” April 23, 2013, https://goodlatte.house.gov/system/uploads/229/original/Libya-Progress-Report.pdf, 6.

  18. U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Review of the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, Additional Views of Vice Chairman Chambliss and Senators Burr, Risch, Coats, Rubio, and Coburn, 11.

  19. Catherine Herridge, “Exclusive: Classified cable warned consulate couldn’t withstand ‘coordinated attack,’” Fox News Politics, October 31, 2012, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/10/31/exclusive-us-memo-warned-libya-consulate-couldnt-withstand-coordinated-attack/.

  20. Terence P. Jeffrey, “Testimony: Stevens Went to Benghazi Mission on 9/11/12 So Clinton Could Announce on Upcoming Libyan Visit It Had Become Permanent U.S. Post,” CNS News, May 9, 2013, http://cnsnews.com/news/article/testimony-stevens-went-benghazi-mission-91112-so-clinton-could-announce-upcoming-libyan.

  21. Ibid.

  22. Ibid.

  23. Michael R. Gordon and Mark Landler, “Backstage Glimpses of Clinton as Dogged Diplomat, Win or Lose,” New York Times, February 2, 2013, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/us/politics/in-behind-scene-blows-and-triumphs-sense-of-clinton-future.html?action=click&module=Search®ion=searchResults%230&version=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fquery.nytimes.com%2Fsearch%2Fsitesearch%2F%23%2FBackstage%2BGlimpses%2Bof%2BClinton%2Bas%2BDogged%2BDiplomat%2C%2BWin%2Bor%2BLose%2F.

  24. C. J. Chivers and Eric Schmitt, “Arms Airlift to Syria Rebels Expands, with Aid from C.I.A.,” New York Times, March 24, 2013, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/25/world/middleeast/arms-airlift-to-syrian-rebels-expands-with-cia-aid.html?_r=0.

  25. Catherine Herridge, “Letter questions whether Boehner was briefed on Benghazi ops,” Fox News Politics, January 8, 2014, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/01/08/letter-questions-whether-boehner-was-briefed-on-benghazi-ops/.

  8. THE REAL STORY OF THOSE PESKY TALKING POINTS

  1. See “Ambassador Rice spends Sunday reinforcing White House position that Middle East violence was ‘spontaneous’” Fox News Politics, September 16, 2012, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/09/16/us-ambassador-rice-backs-administration-violence-sparked-by-anti-muslim-video/.

  2. Amie Parnes, “Obama: Extremists used film ‘as an excuse’ to harm US interests,” The Hill, September 20, 2012, http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/250813-obama-extremists-used-film-as-an-excuse-to-harm-us-interests.

  3. U.S. House of Representatives, “Interim Progress Report for the Members of the House Republican Conference on the Events Surrounding the September 11, 2012 Terrorist Attacks in Benghazi, Libya,” April 23, 2013, http://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Libya-Progress-Report-Final-1.pdf, 3. Hereinafter, House, Interim Progress Report.

  4. See page 2, bullet point 2 under the heading “4:42 p.m.” of the image at http://abcnews.go.com/images/Politics/Benghazi%20Talking%20Points%20Timeline.pdf.

  5. Lindsey Boerma, “Official: We knew Benghazi was a terrorist attack ‘from the get-go,’” CBS News, May 5, 2013, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/official-we-knew-benghazi-was-a-terrorist-attack-from-the-get-go/.

  6. Robin Banerji, “Did Ansar al-Sharia carry out Libya attack?” BBC Africa, September 12, 2012, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-19575753.

  7. Leila Fadel, “Consulate Attack Preplanned, Libya’s President Says,” NPR, September 16, 2012, http://www.npr.org/2012/09/16/161228170/consulate-attack-preplanned-libya-s-president-says.

  8. Tabassum Zakaria and Mark Hosenball, “Shifting account of CIA’s Libya talking points fuels Rice controversy,” Reuters, November 28, 2012, http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/29/us-usa-benghazi-rice-cia-idUSBRE8AS03F20121129.

  9. “Statement from Senators Graham, McCain, and Ayotte,” Press Room (Senator Graham’s official press release website), November 27, 2012, http://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=44354784-f8c9-664b-6178-c23a24d5c1ee&IsPrint=true.

  10. Sharyl Attkisson, “Who changed the Benghazi talking points?” CBS News, November 28, 2012, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/who-changed-the-benghazi-talking-points/;http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57555984/who-changed-the-benghazi-talking-points/.

  11. “Statement from Senators Graham, McCain, and Ayotte.”

  12. Zakaria and Hosenball, “Shifting account of CIA’s Libya talking points fuels Rice controversy.”

  13. Attkisson, “Who cha
nged the Benghazi talking points?”

  14. Rachel Rose Hartman, “Deputy CIA Director Morell to retire to ‘spend more time with family’” Yahoo! News, June 12, 2013, http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/deputy-cia-director-michael-morell-retire-replaced-white-200541735.html.

  15. Stephen F. Hayes, “Lawmakers: CIA #2 Lied to Us about Benghazi,” Weekly Standard, March 3, 2014, http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/lawmakerscia-2-lied-us-about-benghazi_782724.html.

  16. Philippe I. Reines bio at Beacon Global Strategies website, accessed March 17, 2014, http://beaconglobalstrategies.com/team/philippe-i-reines/.

  17. Catherine Herridge, “Report sheds light on ex-CIA deputy director’s role in Benghazi talking points,” Fox News Politics, February 04, 2014, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/02/04/report-sheds-light-on-ex-cia-director-role-in-benghazi-talking-points/.

  18. House, Interim Progress Report, 3.

  19. Ibid., 19, 3; emphasis added.

  20. Ibid., 3.

  21. Ibid., 20; emphasis added.

  22. Associated Press, “State Department spending $70G on Pakistan ads denouncing anti-Islam film,” Fox News Politics, September 20, 2012, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/09/20/state-department-spending-70g-on-pakistan-ads-denouncing-anti-islam-film/.

  23. “‘Innocence of Muslims’ filmmaker arrested on probation violation,” L.A. Now (Los Angeles Times blog), September 27, 2012, http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/09/innocence-of-muslims-filmmaker-arrested-on-probation-violation.html.

  24. The Hicks quotations that follow are from “Transcript: Whistle-blower’s account of Sept. 11 Libya terror attack,” Fox News, May 8, 2013, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/08/transcript-whistle-blower-account-sept-11-libya-terror-attack/.

  25. US Department of State, “Unclassified” ARB Report, accessed February 26, 2014, http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/202446.pdf,25.