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Gates: Some Benghazi critics have "cartoonish" view of military capability

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I'm still waiting for some one to answer how did the military brass know help wouldn't arrive in time? how in the hell they knew when the attack was going to end? how many more people needed to die before they decided to send help? what was the acceptable numbers of death before help was sent?
 
Gee, who knew the American military was so ineffectual aaboutcapable of at least attempting the rescue of a US Ambassador and his colleagues. America's enemies must be comforted by such admissions.

Anybody remember how well that worked for Carter?

If Obama sent tropps into a shredder and they got shredded, all y'all'd be squawking about THAT.
 
The Israelis went in, guns-a-blazin' at Entebe. That worked out quite well.

Custer failed because of a breakdown in discipline within his chain of command, not because the indians over-powered his regiment. So, let's stop with the erroneous examples, please.

The Israelis planned and trained before they went into Entebe.

How do you know there was a breakdown in Custer's chain of command?
 
No Mr. Gates, what's "cartoonish" is the level of common sense applied toward keeping our embassy personnel safe.

Stevens was not in an Embassy. He was in a CIA house.Stevens was the kind of man who wanted to be with people. He knew how dangerous it was. It was a 3 house compound.
 
Clearly the former SEALS on the ground in Benghazi couldn't have given them a reliable sitrep :roll:
 
That's the chance you take, because...military operations, especially special operations are dangerous by their very nature.

Little Bighorn is a bad example, BTW. Custer wasn't on a rescue mission. Apples and oranges. The bottom line, is that if you have people on the ground, in trouble, you don't do NOTHING.

Not to mention that Custer was a self-aggrandizing MacArthur type who idiotically underestimated his enemy even though he did have intelligence and advice that should have let him know more than he did.

Or, as Sgt Major Plumley put it "Custer was a *****".
 
So, the solution was to do NOTHING?

Totally inexcusable.

Well Obama had a fundraiser to go to and didn't want to have dark circles under his half-white eyes.
 
Anybody remember how well that worked for Carter?

If Obama sent tropps into a shredder and they got shredded, all y'all'd be squawking about THAT.

Not true. I remember a short time after the Seals went in an got bin Laden the Seals were sent into northern Afghanistan on a rush rescue to try to assist/save some American troops which were trapped and under attack. During that foray, a helicopter crashed and several Seals and other service members were killed but the troops were saved in the process. I don't recall any specific negative reaction to that decision to send in a rescue force that didn't have time for planning and their actions saved lives even though some of the rescuers were lost. Rather than people "squawking" about it, those Seals were honored and the incident basically forgotten and never mentioned again while Obama continued to talk up the more successful bin Laden raid.

There is far more honor in trying to save comrades and failing than in never even trying.
 
The Israelis planned and trained before they went into Entebe.

Sure they did, for 12 hours.

How do you know there was a breakdown in Custer's chain of command?

Because Benteen and Reno displayed cowardice on the battlefield, by not supporting Custer's attack, as they were ordered to do. I'm not sure what Reno's deal was, but Benteen willingly let those men die, because he had personal issues with Custer.
 
Not to mention that Custer was a self-aggrandizing MacArthur type who idiotically underestimated his enemy even though he did have intelligence and advice that should have let him know more than he did.

Or, as Sgt Major Plumley put it "Custer was a *****".

And the hubris for which Longstreet apparently shamed him at Appomattox ultimately led to his glory-seeking end.
 
Not to mention that Custer was a self-aggrandizing MacArthur type who idiotically underestimated his enemy even though he did have intelligence and advice that should have let him know more than he did.

Or, as Sgt Major Plumley put it "Custer was a *****".

You've been watching too many movies. Don't get your historical info from movies. It's highly likely that you're being misled.
 
And the hubris for which Longstreet apparently shamed him at Appomattox ultimately led to his glory-seeking end.

I doubt that incident had anything to do with anything.
 
Those two were the closest people there, and they could not save steavens even when they did arive. The only thing that we could is help evacuate CIA building.

2 specialists were able to save dozens of Americans in harm's way

The Obama Administration couldn't provide them backup within 8 hours

Nothing more needs to be said
 
With all the drivel you have been posting on this, some very outlandish. This one makes sense to me. I never had any problem with the judgment calls as to rescue operations or the lack there of and has said so many times in various posts. I would just like to know what the cover up, why this administration wanted to make everyone believe it was a video when everyone knew different. It is more out of curiosity than hostility. In my little mind it makes no sense.
I suppose it doesn't make sense if you think it was a cover-up. I don't think it was, because on the 12th President Obama said in the Rose Garden it was an act of terror. Remember the the discussion between Romney and Obama at the debate about this? It makes sense if in fact the President is trying to misdirect the terrorists.

Petraeus Says U.S. Tried to Avoid Tipping Off Terrorists After Libya Attack

WASHINGTON — David H. Petraeus, the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, told lawmakers on Friday that classified intelligence reports revealed that the deadly assault on the American diplomatic mission in Libya was a terrorist attack, but that the administration refrained from saying it suspected that the perpetrators of the attack were Al Qaeda affiliates and sympathizers to avoid tipping off the groups.​
 
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I suppose it doesn't make sense if you think it was a cover-up. I don't think it was, because on the 12th President Obama said in the Rose Garden it was an act of terror. Remember the the discussion between Romney and Obama at the debate about this? It makes sense if in fact the President is trying to misdirect the terrorists.

Petraeus Says U.S. Tried to Avoid Tipping Off Terrorists After Libya Attack

Why did the original report get revised TWELVE times? Why did Rice tell the nation that it was all about a stupid internet video?
 
I suppose it doesn't make sense if you think it was a cover-up. I don't think it was, because on the 12th President Obama said in the Rose Garden it was an act of terror. Remember the the discussion between Romney and Obama at the debate about this? It makes sense if in fact the President is trying to misdirect the terrorists.

Petraeus Says U.S. Tried to Avoid Tipping Off Terrorists After Libya Attack

No, it makes no sense to send out the Ambassador to the UN and for Obama, two weeks later at the UN, to be claiming the attack was the result of a video, and then you have SOS Clinton telling families at Andrews AFB that the have the producer of the video in custody when the bodies were returned to the States...
 
Sure they did, for 12 hours.



Because Benteen and Reno displayed cowardice on the battlefield, by not supporting Custer's attack, as they were ordered to do. I'm not sure what Reno's deal was, but Benteen willingly let those men die, because he had personal issues with Custer.

12 hours of planning and training is a whole lot different then just going in guns blazing. So why wouldn't you want our troops to have the same 12 hours to plan and train?

What are your sources on Banteen and Reno?
 
I suppose it doesn't make sense if you think it was a cover-up. I don't think it was, because on the 12th President Obama said in the Rose Garden it was an act of terror. Remember the the discussion between Romney and Obama at the debate about this? It makes sense if in fact the President is trying to misdirect the terrorists.

Petraeus Says U.S. Tried to Avoid Tipping Off Terrorists After Libya Attack

President Obama also said that the Colorado theatre shootings were an act of terror. Are you also going to claim that the President was claiming the Colorado theatre shootings was a terrorist act? There is a difference, even if you're not prepared to acknowledge it.
 
Why did the original report get revised TWELVE times? Why did Rice tell the nation that it was all about a stupid internet video?
The 12 edits revealed a turf war between the CIA and State. The video was the attempt to misdirect the terrorists.
 
12 hours of planning and training is a whole lot different then just going in guns blazing. So why wouldn't you want our troops to have the same 12 hours to plan and train?

So, you support the decision of doing NOTHING?

What are your sources on Banteen and Reno?

I've used multiple sources to form that opinion and I'm not going to get into all that crap, because it isn't germane to the topic of the thread.
 
The 12 edits revealed a turf war between the CIA and State. The video was the attempt to misdirect the terrorists.

Oh really?!? Lieing about the video was some ingenious master plan? :lamo

Be sure and put that water bucket down so you can let the blood circulate through your fingers.
 
Rushing in guns blazing is what Custer did at Little Bighorn, look what happened to him.

Besides Benghazi was not the only place causing a commotion during the week of the attack.

You are describing a rush with guns blazing, not me. I'm saying it was inexcusable to throw up their hands and do nothing. Period.
 
My problems with this situation are

1-What idiot in charge couldn't figure out that 9-11 was a big day for islamists.

2-What idiot in charge couldn't remember that the USA doesn't leave soldiers behind??

DISGUSTING !!
 
So, you support the decision of doing NOTHING?



I've used multiple sources to form that opinion and I'm not going to get into all that crap, because it isn't germane to the topic of the thread.

I wasn't there and the investigation is still ongoing so I have no idea who did or did not do what. I answered your question so man up and answer mine:

So why wouldn't you want our troops to have the same 12 hours to plan and train?

If you didn't think it was germane to the thread then why did you bring it up? What are your sources on Banteen and Reno?
 
Not true. I remember a short time after the Seals went in an got bin Laden the Seals were sent into northern Afghanistan on a rush rescue to try to assist/save some American troops which were trapped and under attack. During that foray, a helicopter crashed and several Seals and other service members were killed but the troops were saved in the process. I don't recall any specific negative reaction to that decision to send in a rescue force that didn't have time for planning and their actions saved lives even though some of the rescuers were lost. Rather than people "squawking" about it, those Seals were honored and the incident basically forgotten and never mentioned again while Obama continued to talk up the more successful bin Laden raid.

There is far more honor in trying to save comrades and failing than in never even trying.

So in Afghanistan, where we have significant forces in place, hence the quick backup.

Not the same thing.

And it was a "success".
 
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