New Benghazi Revelations: The Administration Was Frozen Like a Deer in the Headlights

Win or lose, President Obama and his entire national security team should be tossed in jail for the Benghazi terrorist attack.  Two different reports released late this afternoon indicate that they never really considered helping out those brave Americans trying to ward off a terrorist attack on 9/11. They were frozen with fear not knowing what to do.

First the State Department, Eli Lake the only non-hack at the Daily Beast reports:

On the night of the 9/11 anniversary assault at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, the Americans defending the compound and a nearby CIA annex were severely outmanned. Nonetheless, the State Department never requested military backup that evening, two senior U.S. officials familiar with the details of military planning tell The Daily Beast. The only security backup that did arrive that evening were former special-operations soldiers under the command of the CIA—one from the nearby annex and another Quick Reaction Force from Tripoli. On Friday, Fox News reported that requests from CIA officers for air support on the evening of the attacks were rejected. (The Daily Beast was not able to confirm that those requests were made, though no U.S. official contacted for this story directly refuted the claim either.)

It’s unlikely any outside military team could have arrived in Benghazi quickly enough to save Ambassador Chris Stevens or his colleague Sean Smith, both of whom died from smoke inhalation after a band of more than 100 men overran the U.S. mission at around 9:30 p.m. that evening and set the buildings inside ablaze.

But military backup may have made a difference at around five the following morning, when a second wave of attackers assaulted the CIA annex where embassy personnel had taken refuge. It was during this second wave of attacks that two ex-SEALs working for the CIA’s security teams—Glenn Doherty and Tyrone Woods—were killed in a mortar strike.

They NEVER even requested backup. Now remember, the state department has already testified that they watch the attack in real time, and now we find out they didn't even try to help! Did they think they were watching an action movie? Did they order out for pizza and popcorn or did they watch two American heroes die on an empty stomach!

It gets worse! Obama never even convened his top interagency counterterrorism resource: the Counterterrorism Security Group, (CSG). Guess he was too busy packing for the Las Vegas trip.

"The CSG is the one group that's supposed to know what resources every agency has. They know of multiple options and have the ability to coordinate counterterrorism assets across all the agencies," a high-ranking government official told CBS News. "They were not allowed to do their job. They were not called upon."

Information shared with CBS News from top counterterrorism sources in the government and military reveal keen frustration over the U.S. response on Sept. 11, the night ambassador Chris Stevens and 3 other Americans were killed in a coordinated attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya.

Oh they were ready, but  they were never asked to help.

Counterterrorism sources and internal emails reviewed by CBS News express frustration that key responders were ready to deploy, but were not called upon to help in the attack.

CBS News has agreed not to quote directly from the emails, and to protect the identities of the sources who hold sensitive counterterrorism posts within the State Department, the US military and the Justice Department.

Absent coordination from Counterterrorism Security Group, a senior US counterterrorism official says the response to the crisis became more confused. The official says the FBI received a call during the attack representing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and requesting agents be deployed. But he and his colleagues agreed the agents "would not make any difference without security and other enablers to get them in the country and synch their efforts with military and diplomatic efforts to maximize their success."

Another senior counter terrorism official says a hostage rescue team was alternately asked to get ready and then stand down throughout the night, as officials seemed unable to make up their minds.

They were like a deer frozen in the headlights of a car. Instead of leaving it to the experts, the big-shots huddled and did nothing but work out a cover story.

"The response process was isolated at the most senior level," says an official referring to top officials in the executive branch. "My fellow counterterrorism professionals and I (were) not consulted."

This administration was impotent in the face of attack and did nothing but try (unsuccessfully)  to cover their tracks.  And now they want another four years.  What they deserve is four years in Leavenworth or even longer the whole lot of them.