by Aaron Klein
26. Ibid., 25, 27.
9. NEWS MEDIA SNAGGED IN BENGHAZI DECEPTION
1. David D. Kirkpatrick, “A Deadly Mix in Benghazi,” chap. 1, New York Times, December 28, 2013, http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2013/benghazi/#/?chapt=0.
2. Ibid., chap. 5, http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2013/benghazi/#/?chapt=4.
3. Ibid., chap. 1.
4. Ibid.
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.
6. Michael R. Gordon, Eric Schmitt, and Michael S. Schmidt, with reporting from David D. Kirkpatrick and Suliman Ali Zway, “Libya Warnings Were Plentiful, but Unspecific,” New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/30/world/middleeast/no-specific-warnings-in-benghazi-attack.html?_r=1&, 1.
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid., 3.
9. Kirkpatrick, “A Deadly Mix in Benghazi,” chap. 1.
10. The quotations that follow from this article are from David D. Kirkpatrick and Steven Lee Myers, “Libya Attack Brings Challenges for U.S.,” September 12, 2012, mobile.nytimes.com/2012/09/13/world/middleeast/us-envoy-to-libya-is-reported-killed.html.
11. Ibid.
12. 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.
13. 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
14. US Department of State, “Unclassified” ARB Report, accessed February 26, 2014, http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/202446.pdf (hereinafter “ARB report”), 22.
15. Ibid.
16. Catherine Herridge, “Analysis of social media in Libya finds no reference to anti-Islam film on day of attack,” Fox News, December 18, 2012, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/12/18/no-reference-to-anti-islam-film-on-social-media-in-libya-day-attack-analysis/.
17. Kirkpatrick, “A Deadly Mix in Benghazi,” chap. 4, http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2013/benghazi/#/?chapt=3.
18. ARB report, 15, 16.
19. Hadeel Al Shalchi, “In Libya, deadly fury took U.S. envoys by surprise,” Reuters, September 12, 2012, http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE88C02Q20120913?irpc=932.
20. Paul Schemm and Maggie Michael, “Libyan witnesses recount organized Benghazi attack,” Associated Press, October 27, 2012, http://bigstory.ap.org/article/libyan-witnesses-recount-organized-benghazi-attack.
21. David Brock and Ari Rabin-Havt, The Benghazi Hoax (Media Matters for America, 2013), 64.
22. Ibid., 62
23. See the “About Crisis Group” section of the International Crisis Group website, which specifically champions the Responsibility to Protect doctrine, at http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/about.aspx. The doctrine was coauthored by Gareth Evans, the ICG’s president emeritus, as further documented in my article “Obama’s Benghazi investigator tied to Libya bombing,” WND, November 3, 2012, http://www.wnd.com/2012/11/obamas-benghazi-investigator-tied-to-libya-bombing.
24. Brock and Rabin-Havt, The Benghazi Hoax, 53.
25. Ibid., 54.
26. “Statement on the Attacks on the US Facilities in Benghazi, Libya before the Senate Armed Services Committee as Delivered by Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, Washington, D.C., Thursday, February 07, 2013,” posted on the website of the U.S. Department of Defense, http://www.defense.gov/speeches/speech.aspx?speechid=1748.
27. 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,” 19.
28. Brock and Rabin-Havt, The Benghazi Hoax, 33.
29. Ibid., 34.
10. FROM BENGHAZI TO… THE BOSTON BOMBING?
1. Mariam Karouny, “U.S.-trained Syrian rebels returning to fight: senior rebel source,” Reuters, March 14, 2013, http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/14/us-syria-crisis-rebels-idUSBRE92D15E20130314.
2. David S. Cloud and Raja Abdulrahim, “Update: U.S. training Syrian rebels; White House ‘stepped up assistance,’” Los Angeles Times, June 21, 2013, http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jun/21/world/la-fg-wn-cia-syria-20130621.
3. Aaron Klein, “Mideast war in March?” WND, February 24, 2012, http://www.wnd.com/2012/02/mideast-war-in-march/.
4. Aaron Klein, “Just lovely: Look who U.S. is helping now,” WND, May 22, 2012, http://www.wnd.com/2012/05/just-lovely-look-who-u-s-is-helping-now.
5. Thomas Hegghammer, “Syrian’s Foreign Fighters,” Foreign Policy magazine, December 9, 2013, http://mideastafrica.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/12/09/syrias_foreign_fighters#sthash.A56j4wLb.EOpduFk.
6. Thomas Hegghammer, “Number of foreign fighters from Europe in Syria is historically unprecedented. Who should be worried?” The Monkey Cage (Washington Post blog), November 27, 2013, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2013/11/27/number-of-foreign-fighters-from-europe-in-syria-is-historically-unprecedented-who-should-be-worried/; and Sophie Cousins, “Australian fighters in Syria alarm officials,” Al Jazeera, February 4, 2014, http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/02/australian-fighters-syria-alarm-officials-201422132139299187.html.
7. 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.
8. Steve Scherer, “Western countries alarmed as Libya slides towards chaos,” Reuters, March 6, 2014, http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/03/06/uk-libya-conference-idUKBREA2523B20140306.
9. Michelle Nichols, “Libya arms fueling conflicts in Syria, Mali and beyond: U.N. experts,” Reuters, April 9, 2013, http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/09/us-libya-arms-un-idUSBRE93814Y20130409.
10. James Risen, Mark Mazzetti, and Michael S. Schmidt, “U.S.-Approved Arms for Libya Rebels Fell into Jihadis’ Hands,” New York Times, December 5, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/06/world/africa/weapons-sent-to-libyan-rebels-with-us-approval-fell-into-islamist-hands.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0.
11. Nichols, “Libya arms fueling conflicts in Syria, Mali and beyond.”
12. Karl Vick, “Petraeus: Terrorists with Missiles Could Down Global Air Traffic,” Time magazine, January 28, 2014, http://world.time.com/2014/01/28/petraeusegypts-israel-militants-rockets/.
13. Aaron Klein, “U.S. facing al-Qaida payback strike?” WND, August 3, 2013, http://www.wnd.com/2013/08/u-s-facing-al-qaida-retaliation-strike/.
14. Adam Nossiter, “Some Algeria Attackers Are Placed at Benghazi,” New York Times, January 23, 2013, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/23/world/africa/some-algeria-attackers-are-placed-at-benghazi.html?_r=0.
15. 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.
16. Mahmoud Habboush, with reporting by Ali Abdelatti, Reuters “Al Qaeda confirms death of bin Laden confidant Libi,” Chicago Tribune, September 11, 2012, http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-09-11/news/sns-rt-us-security-qaedabre88a04l-20120910_1_libi-abu-yahya-zawahiri.
17. Cruickshank et al., “Sources: 3 al Qaeda operatives took part in Benghazi attack.”
18. Ibid.
19. Liz Sly and Ahmed Ramadan, “Syrian extremists amputated a man’s hand and live-tweeted it,” Washington Post, February 28, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/02/28/syrian-extremists-amputated-a-mans-hand-and-live-tweeted-it/.
20. Daniel Wagner, “The Dark Side of the Free Syrian Army,” Huffington Post, December 31, 2012, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-wagner/dark-side-free-syrian_b_2380399.html.
21. “ASIA/Syria – Abuse of the opposition forces, ‘ethnic cleansing’ of Christians in Homs, where Jesuits remains,” Agenzia Fides,
March 21, 2012, http://www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=31228&lan=eng.
22. Perry Chiaramonte, “Libya’s lurch toward Shariah sends chill through Christian community,” Fox News, January 12, 2014, http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/01/12/libya-lurch-toward-shariah-sends-chill-through-christian-community/.
APPENDIX A: LIES AND MISLEADING CLAIMS
1. 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.
2. Catherine Herridge, “Report sheds light on ex-CIA deputy director’s role in Benghazi talking points,” Fox News, February 4, 2014, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/02/04/report-sheds-light-on-ex-cia-director-role-in-benghazi-talking-points/.
3. Robin Banerji, “Did Ansar al-Sharia carry out Libya attack?” BBC, September 12, 2012, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-19575753.
4. 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.
5. Jake Tapper, “Ambassador Susan Rice: Libya Attack Not Premeditated,” ABC News, September 16, 2012, http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/09/ambassador-susan-rice-libya-attack-not-premeditated/.
6. Aaron Klein, “Egypt’s Morsi behind murder of U.S. ambassador?” WND, July 2, 2013, http://www.wnd.com/2013/07/egypts-morsi-behind-murder-of-u-s-ambassador/.
7. 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.
8. Statement from Senators Graham, McCain, and Ayotte 11/27/2012,” 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.
9. 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.
10. Ibid.
11. US Department of State, “Unclassified” ARB Report, accessed February 26, 2014, http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/202446.pdf. Hereinafter, “ARB report.”
12. Aaron Klein, “Benghazi witnesses: Security ‘not armed,’ WND, November 23, 2013, http://www.wnd.com/2013/11/benghazi-witnesses-security-personnel-were-not-armed/
13. “VIDEO: Rep. Lynn Westmoreland on Benghazi eyewitness testimony,” Fox News, November 26, 2013, http://video.foxnews.com/v/2871289782001/replynn-westmoreland-on-benghazi-eyewitness-testimony/#sp=show-clips.
14. James Risen, Mark Mazzetti, and Michael S. Schmidtt, “U.S.-Approved Arms for Libya Rebels Fell into Jihadis’ Hands,” New York Times, December 6, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/06/world/africa/weapons-sent-to-libyan-rebels-with-us-approval-fell-into-islamist-hands.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0.
15. 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.htm.
16. Eli Lake, “CIA Contractor Testimony Could Undermine Obama on Benghazi,” Daily Beast, November 6, 2013, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/11/06/cia-contractor-testimony-could-undermine-obama-on-benghazi.html.
17. Larry Shaughnessy, “Military chief disputes ‘stand down’ claim on Benghazi,” CNN, June 12, 2013, http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2013/06/12/military-chief-disputes-stand-down-claim-on-benghazi/.
18. ARB report, 23.
19. Aaron Klein, “Now CIA contradicts gov’t Benghazi account,” WND, December 16, 2013, http://www.wnd.com/2013/12/now-cia-contradicts-govt-benghazi-account/.
20. “TRANSCRIPTS Hillary Clinton Senate Hearing: Questions from Senators Flake, Coons, and McCain,” CNN, January 23, 2013, http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1301/23/cnr.04.html.
21. United States House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Benghazi Attacks: Investigative Update: Interim Report on the Accountability Review Board (September 16, 2013), http://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Report-for-Members-final.pdf.
22. 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.
APPENDIX B: QUESTIONS FOR THE HOUSE SELECT COMMITTEE ON BENGHAZI
1. 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, 39.
2. Leigh Ann Caldwell, “GOP Rep: Benghazi Not a ‘Complete Cover-Up,’” New Day (CNN blog), November 18, 2013, http://newday.blogs.cnn.com/2013/11/18/rep-westmoreland-weighs-in-on-hearing-with-benghazi-eye-witnesses/.
3. US Department of State, “Unclassified” ARB Report, accessed February 26, 2014, http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/202446.pdf (hereinafter ARB report), 5.
4. ARB report, 21.
5. Jessica Donati, Ghaith Shennib, and Firas Bosalum, “The adventures of a Libyan weapons dealer in Syria,” Reuters, June 18, 2013, http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/18/us-libya-syria-idUSBRE95H0WC20130618
6. 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-withciaaid.html?_r=0.
7. James Risen, Mark Mazzetti, and Michael S. Schmidt, “U.S.-Approved Arms for Libya Rebels Fell into Jihadis’ Hands,” New York Times, December 5, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/06/world/africa/weapons-sent-to-libyan-rebels-with-us-approvalfell-into-islamist-hands.html?pagewanted=all.
8. Catherine Herridge and Pamela Browne, “Was Syrian weapons shipment factor in ambassador’s Benghazi visit?” Fox News, October 25, 2012, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/10/25/was-syrian-weapons-shipment-factor-in-ambassadors-benghazi-visit/.
9. Jake Tapper, “Exclusive: Dozens of CIA operatives on the ground during Benghazi attack,” The Lead (CNN blog), August 1, 2013, http://thelead.blogs.cnn.com/2013/08/01/exclusive-dozens-of-cia-operatives-on-the-ground-during-benghazi-attack.
10. Risen, Mazzetti, and Schmidt, “U.S.-Approved Arms for Libya Rebels Fell into Jihadis’ Hands.”
11. ARB report, 22–27.
12. Eli Lake, “CIA Contractor Testimony Could Undermine Obama on Benghazi,” Daily Beast, November 6, 2013, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/11/06/cia-contractor-testimony-could-undermine-obama-on-benghazi.html.
13. “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/.
14. Aaron Klein, “Benghazi witnesses: Security ‘not armed,’ WND Politics, November 23, 2013, http://www.wnd.com/2013/11/benghazi-witnesses-security-personnel-were-not-armed/.
15. “VIDEO: Rep. Lynn Westmoreland on Benghazi eyewitness testimony,” Fox News, November 26, 2013, http://video.foxnews.com/v/2871289782001/replynn-westmoreland-on-benghazi-eyewitness-testimony/#sp=show-clips.
16. ARB report.
17. Aaron Klein, “Now CIA contradicts gov’t Benghazi account,” WND, December 16, 2013, http://www.wnd.com/2013/12/now-cia-contradicts-govt-ben
ghazi-account/.
18. ARB report, 23.
19. Ibid., 26
20. Ibid.
21. Ibid., 27.
22. U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Review of the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, with Additional Views, 7–8.
23. 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.
24. U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Review of the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, with Additional Views, “Additional Views of Vice Chairman Chambliss and Senators Burr, Risch, Coats, Rubio, and Coburn,” 11.
25. Catherine Herridge, “Exclusive: Classified cable warned consulate couldn’t withstand ‘coordinated attack,’” Fox News, October 31, 2012, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/10/31/exclusive-us-memo-warned-libya-consulate-couldnt-withstand-coordinated-attack/.
26. 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-senseof-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.
27. U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Review of the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Additional Views, 11.
28. 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.
29. Catherine Herridge, “Report sheds light on ex-CIA deputy director’s role in Benghazi talking points,” Fox News Politics, February 4, 2014, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/02/04/report-sheds-light-on-ex-cia-director-role-in-benghazi-talking-points/.