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NYT: Diplomat Says Questions Over Benghazi Led to Demotion

The Prof

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well, there's so very much to tell you, it's hard to know where to begin

but you can look at it this way---the fact that you're hearing from me here and now on this perilously precipitous issue is most decidedly NOT good news

i'll tell you the end first

from the republican point of view today's hearings could in no imaginable way have possibly exceeded any conceivable expectations any more than the combined testimony of american heroes mark thompson, gregory hicks and eric nordstrom went down today

there will be more hearings, there will be lots more hearings, there will likely be a special committee established and formed by strangely orange john boehner for the exclusive puprose of looking into all these things benghazi in a leisurely and thorough and painstakingly time-consuming way

fyi

it's cuzza the kind of people who are, y'know, running the us house of representatives

and, of course, the fact that no answers were provided in the slightest measure to this growing number of very serious questions and concerns about exactly what the heck was this collective white house doing in the months before, the hours during, and the approaching year since these TERRORIST attacks...

indeed, the questions grow bigger and louder, they're echoing, and brand new ones, surprisingly pointy, arise

mr's hicks, thompson and nordstrom seemed to bring to finality, however, a number of controversies that were subject to some debate just yesterday, that is, several points of dispute appear by the end of the hearings today largely to be accepted without rebuttal even by the democratic members

any idea that what happened in benghazi had anything to do with spontaneity or demonstrations, protests and/or videos, is inarguably absurd---which point was repeated all day and met with silence

such that, any subsequent mention of the same would be established by now as after-the-fact fabrication

that a stand down order was issued is equally accepted, at least tacitly, as consensus

and that arb holds accountable only professional department staffers BELOW a certain level similarly brooks no objection, that is, senior rankers at state are evidently above reproach

and this, via the new york times:

A veteran diplomat gave a riveting [wapo calls it "riveting and emotional"] minute-by-minute account on Wednesday of the lethal terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, last Sept. 11 and described its contentious aftermath in nearly five hours of testimony at a charged Congressional hearing that reflected the weighty political stakes perceived by both parties.

During a chaotic night at the American Embassy in Tripoli, 600 miles away, the diplomat, Gregory Hicks, got what he called “the saddest phone call I’ve ever had in my life” informing him that Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens was dead and that he was now the highest-ranking American in Libya. For his leadership that night when four Americans were killed, Mr. Hicks said, he subsequently received calls from both Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and President Obama.

But within days, Mr. Hicks said, after raising questions about the account of what had happened in Benghazi offered in television interviews by Susan E. Rice, the United Nations ambassador, he felt a distinct chill from State Department superiors. “The sense I got was that I needed to stop the line of questioning,” said Mr. Hicks, who has been a Foreign Service officer for 22 years.

He was soon given a scathing review of his management style, he said, and was later “effectively demoted” to desk officer at headquarters, in what he believes was retaliation for speaking up.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/09/u...count-from-libya-of-benghazi-attack.html?_r=0

wapo's writeup:

Hicks, a 22-year veteran of the department, said senior U.S. leaders, including President Obama and Clinton, lauded his performance during the crisis. After he questioned why Susan E. Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, had delivered talking points that linked the attack to a demonstration, his superiors turned on him, Hicks testified.

At Benghazi hearing, State Dept. officials challenge administration review of attacks - The Washington Post

sorry to say, samson, but that's coverup

and that's nyt and wapo, hardly your fox news

this bodes bad

cuz we're only beginning

ron fournier's elite left natl journal:

Benghazi is not going away.

The High Cost to the White House of Stonewalling on Benghazi - NationalJournal.com

furthermore, former acting mission chief cum desk officer gregory hicks not only testified that he was threatened, intimidated and demoted

no, the 22 year career staffer who served with distinction under 3 presidents without a blot also told the world exactly WHO did the threatening, intimidating and demoting

and that'd be CHERYL MILLS, hillary rodham clinton's chief of staff, and BETH JONES, acting assistant secretary for middle eastern affairs, the #3 in this particular chain of foggy bottom, after patrick kennedy and hrc

the latter of whom, ms jones, gregory hicks testified, directed upon him a "blistering attack"

but there's more:

During Wednesday’s House Oversight Committee hearing, Gregory Hicks, the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Triploli, Libya, confirmed that he was told by the State Department not to speak to members of Congress while they were investigating details of the Benghazi consulate attacks.

Hicks testified that State Department lawyers instructed him to avoid an interview with Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, who traveled to Libya to investigate the attacks.

“I was instructed not to allow the RSO, the acting deputy chief of mission and myself to be personally interviewed by Congressman Chaffetz,” Hicks replied when questioned by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.

Chaffetz is a member of the House and Oversight Committee.

Hicks detailed another conversation he had with Cheryl Mills, the counselor and chief of staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, after he complied with the congressional delegation.

According to Hicks, Mills was “very upset” that he spoke to investigators in a classified briefing without a State Department lawyer present.

Benghazi witness: State Department told me not to speak to members of Congress | WashingtonExaminer.com

indeed, chief of staff to hrc mills tried to insist on desk officer hicks speaking to republicans ONLY in the presence of a state dept lawyer

i have quite a bit more to tell you, i'm sure you appreciate

this is a giant story

but a good storyteller knows where to leave it

and so do i

talk to ya soon
 
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wapo just updated itself adding this very pertinent sentence:

He [hicks] specifically alleged that Clinton counselor Cheryl Mills and Assistant Secretary of State Elizabeth Jones criticized him harshly.

At Benghazi hearing, State Dept. officials challenge administration review of attacks - The Washington Post

a guy like the prof, if you think about it, would need a place to go find all his LINKS

and the four on this page are doozies

they may turn out to be historical

are you ready for a little more dirt?

the dem's lead defense thru most of the day was, you republicans underfunded our embassies

until jim jordan, ohio, brought up the $100,000 chevy volt charging station just built for foggy bottom's embassy in vienna

Libya security cut while Vienna embassy gained Chevy Volts - Washington Times

that pretty much pulled the progressives' plug, by the end of the day they were left to politicization

as in, why did you blame a video when you knew better?

answer: you're politicizing

question: why are you threatening and demoting truth tellers?

answer: cuz you're politicizing

except cummings from maryland said:

Elijah Cummings At Benghazi Hearing: "Death Is A Part Of Life" | RealClearPolitics

and welch the uber lib from green vermont:

Peter Welch: Ambassador Stevens "Knew There Were Risks Associated With His Job" | RealClearPolitics

jay carney the barker:

Carney: Benghazi Has "Been Subject To Attempts To Politicize It By Republicans" | RealClearPolitics

see, i told ya so

stay tuned
 
roger simon's professional leftists and journolisters over at politico, primary print partner of msnbc:

on the topic of silencing witnesses, otherwise known as coverup:

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) told the committee that Hicks had previously been informed by a lawyer at State not to cooperate with the House investigation and not to speak with Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah).

Hicks responded by saying that he was in fact told not to participate.

“Has that ever happened where lawyers get on the phone prior to a congressional delegation investigating?” Jordan asked. “Have you ever had anyone tell you, ‘Don’t talk with the people in Congress coming to find out what’s what?’”

“Never,” Hicks responded.

on the democrats most determined defense:

Democrats contended that the hearing was purely political and not actually aimed at obtaining information. For their part, the Pentagon and the State Department have denied accusations that there were unnecessary delays in sending aid.

Committee ranking member Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) sought to push back against the Republican line of attack before the testimony even began.

“I am not questioning the motives of our witnesses; I’m questioning the motives of those who want to use their statements for political purposes,” Cummings said. “I respect the witnesses that are here today to offer their testimony. … Today’s hearing is not the full story; I hope we will eventually hear our military, our intelligence and our officials.”

He argued against claims that the administration delayed relief efforts from military teams stationed in nearby parts of the world.

“Of all the irresponsible allegations leveled over the last few weeks, this is the most troubling,” Cummings said. “This allegation is just untrue.”

Benghazi hearing: State officials get emotional - POLITICO.com

there's a lot more, believe me, a lot more than a lot more

wait til you hear about the 4th witness...

how much longer do you think hillary can keep him hushed?

the answer: was mr hicks, after all, able or not able to speak directly to congressman chaffetz WITHOUT the presence of a state dept attorney?

stay tuned

you better get out while you can, comrade
 
cbs:

Republicans, meanwhile, re-upped criticism of how Secretary Clinton and U.N. Ambassador Rice responded to the situation in their various roles: Hicks alleged that a lawyer told him not to allow himself "to be personally interviewed" by Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, and that he was generally not allowed to participate in meetings about the incident unless a State Department lawyer was present.

Philippe Reines, Clinton's longtime aide, told NBC Wednesday a lawyer was sent to meetings with diplomats because some at the Tripoli Embassy were uncomfortable with the interactions with Chaffetz, who would not let Democratas participate.

"We were hearing from our people in Libya that some at Embassy Tripoli were left unsettled by their interactions with the [congressional delegation] - which was made up of only [Jason] Chaffetz because he refused to allow any minority member to join him... - and the position they felt they were being put in," Reines told NBC's Andrea Mitchell. "State sent a legal advisor as sop to Tripoli so that any personnel on the ground who wanted their advice or presence for any conversation could avail themselves of that option. For their own protection and comfort. Chaffetz refused to let this person on government plane, and resented his being in Tripoli (after he was forced to fly there on his own). And he decided he didn't want this person around."

Reines said if individuals "didn't feel a need" for the legal adviser, "they didn't have to take it."

Benghazi "whistleblowers" question U.S. reaction to Libya attack - CBS News

sure, mr reines, if they didn't feel the need they didn't have to take it...

which is why ms mills called mr hicks and bitched him out over the phone

mr reines, by the way, hillary's "longtime aide," is the same charmboy who called tina brown's reporter michael hastings and cussed him out up and down for criticizing the state dept for leaving the diary of ambassador stevens lying around for cnn to find and report to the world that the ambassador feared he was on an aq hit list

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...partment-aide-tells-reporter-to-****-off.html

remember?

cnn:

One Republican congressman, Ohio's Jim Jordan, used the hearing to criticize top Clinton adviser Cheryl Mills.

Hicks said he received a call from Mills, who he added was not happy that a State Department lawyer -- described by Republicans as a minder -- was excluded from a briefing on Benghazi in Libya with Hicks, a Republican congressman and others.

Hicks has been "praised by everybody who counts, the president, the secretary, everyone above him," Jordan said. "And yet now, they're obstructing -- because he won't -- he won't help them cover this up."

But former Clinton aide Philppe Reines disputed that characterization, saying the State Department took a cooperative approach with Congress. He said in a written statement that Mills had, in fact, called Hicks to support him.

"She wanted (people on the ground in Libya) to know that no matter how far away they were from home, they weren't alone," Reines said. "She was with them, and most importantly (Secretary Clinton) was with them."

Doomed Libya ambassador: 'We're under attack' - CNN.com

mills had in fact called hicks to support him, absolutely...

in profusely profane phraseology

if state spokespersons and pelosi's people on house oversight don't come up some better public pronouncements...

and pronto...

hey, hillary---if it really doesn't make any difference, then WHY'D YOU GO AND DEMOTE THE GUY?
 
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significant new developments continue to emerge

“This hearing is now over, but this investigation is not,” Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, told reporters in the hallway after the hearing.

Issa, a Republican from California, said his message to potential “whistle-blowers” who “have been afraid to come forward” is that “today should demonstrate that in fact it is the right time to come forward.”

“Tell us your story, and we’ll make sure it gets told,” he said in the Rayburn House Office Building.

Lawmakers want more 'whistle-blowers' to step forward | The Daily Caller

come out, come out, wherever you are

all ye urchins free

Cummings acknowledged more hearings are likely needed, however.

oh?

“We’ve got to now do everything in our power to get to the bottom of this,” he said. “We probably still need to hear from [U.S. Ambassador Thomas] Pickering, and [retired Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Michael] Mullen and others, so that we can get a complete picture and we can then base our decisions on reform on good information,” Cummings said.

pickering and mullen were invited today and turned us down

they can't go public---they'd have to say exactly who they questioned when they wrote that half baked arb...

and exactly who they did not (and why)

you'll never see pickering and mullen in front of evil issa

cummings is just not sustainable

After the hearing, Issa said, “numerous questions are still unanswered.”

“Who denied the U.S. mission in Benghazi the increased security it requested months before the terror attacks?” he asked. “Who gave the order for special operations forces to stand down, preventing them from helping their compatriots under attack? What was the actual military capability and preparedness to respond to the mission’s requests for help?”

good questions
 
“Who denied the U.S. mission in Benghazi the increased security it requested months before the terror attacks?” he asked. “Who gave the order for special operations forces to stand down, preventing them from helping their compatriots under attack? What was the actual military capability and preparedness to respond to the mission’s requests for help?”

That's going to be a big one.
 
Does this not sound like the actions of the mob?

It's like Tony Soprano is in the White House, and Paulie Walnutz has been sent to take out the trash.
 
I'm sure it has nothing to do with his testimony that he was too busy watching television in his villa to answer the Ambassador's phone calls. :roll:
 
why, according to wapo, did both hillary and obama call ambassador hicks after the attack to "laud his performance during the crisis?"

unless, in addition to calling this american hero a poor employee, you want now to label him a perjurer, as well

something, i assure you, NO ONE in cummings' clueless caucus would dare dream of doing

but don't let that stop you

thanks, tho, for bumping this thread, you are extremely helpful

yesterday:

Obama administration officials are finally letting the attorney for a Benghazi whistle-blower get a security clearance — but the clearance is at such a low level that it will probably slow the congressional probe of how the administration handled last year’s terrorist attack on the embassy in Benghazi, Libya.

Victoria Toensing represents an unnamed government official who can help explain the reaction of top government officials to the jihadi attack on the U.S diplomatic site in Benghazi and killed four Americans last Sept. 11.

The official may also be able to explain if officials rewrote intelligence reports and took other actions to minimize media coverage of the administration’s errors and the perceived role of Al Qaeda jihadis.

Fourth Benghazi witness gagged by red tape | The Daily Caller

the toensing-digenova team has a 4th witness who so far has been unable to testify as his lawyer, ms toensing, has so far been denied the proper security clearance

that is, she is not allowed to discuss with her client classified material

she surely has, her client has surely filled her in on what he's got---but she's not legally able to ACT on that knowledge, they are essentially paralyzed until she gets that clearance

she'll get it, don't doubt that, it's just a matter of time (and not much time at that), and the loyal opposition to barack hussein obama has all the time in the world

ask yourself---do you think the one witness hillary has so far succeeded in silencing is the witness most or least damaging to her interests?

the leak is out---look for claims that seniors at the state dept actively rewrote intelligence reports from the field

stay tuned

and be patient, i'd say 18 months
 
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