Benghazi Hearing

LAST WEEKS BENGHAZI HEARING
IT’S NOT POLITICS – IT’S COMMON SENSE

My wife and I watched THE HEARINGS as did millions of others, thereby making it a highly rated show and it appears that, afterwards almost everyone agreed that Hillary Rodham Clinton not only survived the ten hour ordeal but also came out the better for it, a view  that was almost universally shared, except of course by some of the die hard Republicans.

However, there is always a however, the questions that we were waiting for were never asked.  To be sure, a lot of questions were asked but they were all of the bullshit variety.  These questions centered on her improper use of a personal email server plus the fact that she did change her story, more than once.  Is that the same as lying?  Probably.  When you get right down to it, who the fuck really cares since it is hardly likely that our national security was ever compromised by her judgement or lack of it.  Remember, almost every politician has been guilty at one time or another of some transgression.  The trick, of course, is not to get caught.

So what were these questions that the committee overlooked?  If I was on the committee, this is what I would have asked:

1.   On what date and at what time did the problem first start.
2.   On what date and at what time did the problem end or was brought under control.
3.   During that time period were any calls for help or assistance sent out.
4.   How many of such calls were sent out.
5.   By what means were these calls sent out: telephone, telegraph, radio, email, courier, by the host country or by any other means.
6.   When did the first of such calls come in and how often did they come in after the first.
7.   Who were the calls addressed to, if anyone.
8.   Were the calls actually logged in.
9.   What is the procedure for logging in such calls and was that procedure followed.
10, Who actually logged in the calls.
11. When calls for help are received, what was the procedure, then and not now, and actual chain of command when responding to such calls
12. Were these procedures followed.
13. Who was involved in these procedures and what part did they actually play in dealing with these calls.
14. If the calls for help were answered, what would have been the procedure.  Would you:
a) Ask the perpetrators to stop.
b) Ask the host country to force the perpetrators to stop.
c) Ask the President to take action via:
i)   Land
ii)   Sea
iii)   Air
iv)   Any combination of i), ii) and iii)
d) Ask the United Nations to intercede
15. If the calls for help were answered, how long would the response times have been via:
i)   Land
ii)   Sea
iii)   Air
16. What action, if any, was taken on the calls.
17. Who has the actual authority to answer such calls for help.
18. Who has the authority to order a ‘stand down’ on such calls for help.
19. Were the calls responded to and if not, why not..
20. Did anyone give an order to ‘stand down’.
21. If so, who gave the order to ‘stand down’.
22. In light of what happened at Benghazi, have any of the original procedures been changed or modified and if so, which ones specifically.

We all know now that nothing appears to have been done regarding these calls for help.  Regarding any rescue attempt, we have unconfirmed information that a rescue crew was already aboard a C-130 and ready to go but was ordered at the last minute to ‘stand down’.  What is truly strange, is that

none of the above questions were ever asked.  It was almost like the committee members never really wanted to know what happened.  But, it’s not too late.