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SAT DEC 28, 2013 AT 12:09 PM PST
NY Times Benghazi Bombshell: Attack spurred by anti-Islam Video
by RfrancisR
Benghazi Truthers dealt a blow by months long investigation by NY Times as actual journalism rears its head.
MORE:
http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2013/benghazi/#/?chapt=0
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/12/28/1265761/-NY-Times-Benghazi-Bombshell-Attack-spurred-by-anti-Islam-Video
Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)spanone
(135,857 posts)Thinkingabout
(30,058 posts)spanone
(135,857 posts)Gothmog
(145,475 posts)Gregory tried to call out Issa and Issa was in a panic and talked over Gregory. Rep. Castro did a good job of dealing with Issa's lies
DirkGently
(12,151 posts)spanone
(135,857 posts)evidence that Al Qaeda or other international terrorist groups had any role in the assault. The attack was led, instead, by fighters who had benefited directly from NATOs extensive air
power and logistics support during the uprising against Colonel Qaddafi. And contrary to claims by some members of Congress, it was fueled in large part by anger at an American-made
video denigrating Islam.
Pretzel_Warrior
(8,361 posts)Maybe Darrel Issa's New Year's resolution will be to shut the fuck up about Benghazi.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)those that, at this point, still believe the Bengazi, IRS and every other revealed scandal, will not be any more swayed than the birthers were with the media coverage of President Obama's birth certificate.
The AJ/Infowar crowd now has it where stuff that proves the fallacy of their conspiracy theories, only to serve to convince them that there really is a conspiracy.
DearAbby
(12,461 posts)Their only goal nullify and humiliate this President, and to inflict as much pain as possible on those who voted for Obama. Why Christie's bridgegate resonates...it's been the game plan since their secret meeting on the night Obama was sworn into office.
3catwoman3
(24,025 posts)STFU about everything
Iliyah
(25,111 posts)and their berating her was total bullshit.
Kingofalldems
(38,468 posts)Benghazi!
KoKo
(84,711 posts)More broadly, Mr. Stevens, like his bosses in Washington, believed that the United States could turn a critical mass of the fighters it helped oust Colonel Qaddafi into reliable friends. He died trying. (bolding is mine)
Well...we shall see. Many of us legacy DU'ers cast a skeptical eye at NYT for international news.
pacalo
(24,721 posts)(All bolding is mine.)
Al Qaeda was having its own problems penetrating the Libyan chaos. Three weeks after the attack, on Oct. 3, 2012, leaders of the groups regional affiliate, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, sent a letter to a lieutenant about efforts to crack the new territory. The leaders said they had sent four teams to try to establish footholds in Libya. But of the four, only two in the southern Sahara were able to enter Libyan territory and lay the first practical bricks there, the letter said.
The letter, left behind when the groups leaders fled French troops in Mali, was later obtained and released by The Associated Press. It tallied up the spectacular acts of terrorism the group had accomplished around the region, but it made no mention of Benghazi or any other attacks in Libya.
KoKo
(84,711 posts)WowSeriously
(343 posts)monmouth3
(3,871 posts)my imagination but I haven't heard much from her trip or her findings.
KoKo
(84,711 posts)Let's focus on what Democrats can learn from this report by NYT.
Many of us are skeptical because of their faulty reporting for years ....and the Judith Miller and other F'Ups.
Lets read and think....and forget trashing the RW when it's our Democracy at stake. What can Democrats learn from this... Does this report ring true...does it reveal new info that those of us read other sources could accept as FACT? Is there anything there that is cautionary about our Foreign Policy that smacks of the usual Think Tank Supported news from NYT ...or have they reformed. Is Kilpatrick a person tied in and funded by a Think Tank or other "Sources."
I'd rather focus on Finding Truth than worrying about what the RW Crazies say about anything.
Peace!
OnyxCollie
(9,958 posts)Saying that the attack was blowback for a torture/assassination program casts a bad light on the administration. Better to say that it was simply those crazy Mooslims gettin' all worked up 'cause someone made fun of their god.
Nothing to see here. Move along now...
http://wikileaks.org/cable/2009/08/09TRIPOLI677.html#
CLASSIFIED BY: Joan Polaschik, Charge d'Affaires, U.S. Embassy
Tripoli, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d)
¶1. (C) CODEL McCain discussed security, counterterrorism, and
civil-nuclear cooperation during August 14 meetings with Libyan
leader Muammar al-Qadhafi and his son, National Security Advisor
Muatassim al-Qadhafi, stressing the need for Libya to fulfill
its WMD-related commitments and to approve a Section 505
end-user agreement in order to move forward on bilateral
military and civil-nuclear engagement. While Muatassim
al-Qadhafi reiterated long-standing Libyan requests for security
assurances from the United States and emphasized Libya's
interest in the purchase of U.S. lethal and non-lethal military
equipment, Muammar al-Qadhafi was notably silent on these
subjects. The elder Qadhafi made a point of expressing his
satisfaction with the improved U.S relationship and his hope
that the relationship would continue to flourish. CODEL
McCain's discussion of the Megrahi case was reported ref A. End
summary.
THE MEETING
¶2. (SBU) CODEL McCain (R-Az), including Senator Joe Lieberman
(I-CT), Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Senator Susan Collins
(R-SC) and Senate Armed Services Committee Staffer Richard
Fontaine held back-to-back meetings August 14 with Libyan
National Security Advisor Muatassim al-Qadhafi and Libyan leader
Muammar Al-Qadhafi. Libyan officials NSC Director Dr. Hend
Siala, MFA Department of Americas Secretary Ahmed Fituri and MFA
Office of Americas Director Mohamed Matari also attended the
meetings, as did Charge and Pol/Econ Chief (notetaker).
MUATASSIM MEETING SECURITY FOCUSED
¶3. (C) Characterizing the overall pace of the bilateral
relationship as excellent, CODEL McCain opened its August 14
meeting with National Security Advisor Muatassim al-Qadhafi by
noting the drastic change that the relationship had undergone
over the last five years. "We never would have guessed ten
years ago that we would be sitting in Tripoli, being welcomed by
a son of Muammar al-Qadhafi," remarked Senator Lieberman. He
stated that the situation demonstrated that change is possible
and expressed appreciation that Libya had kept its promises to
give up its WMD program and renounce terrorism. Lieberman
called Libya an important ally in the war on terrorism, noting
that common enemies sometimes make better friends. The Senators
recognized Libya's cooperation on counterterrorism and conveyed
that it was in the interest of both countries to make the
relationship stronger. They encouraged Libya to sign the Highly
Enriched Uranium transfer agreement by August 15 in order to
fulfill its obligation to transfer its nuclear spent fuel to
Russia for treatment and disposal. [Note: The Libyan Government
subsequently informed us of its intent to sign the agreement on
August 17 and has begun taking good-faith steps to do so
4.(C) Muatassim welcomed the high-level visit, describing it as a good sign for the relationship - a relationship that Libya wants to develop. He explained to the Senators the recent requests that the National Security Council had made to procure defense equipment. He stated that there were three categories of requests: one which was approved by the USG, another which awaited congressional approval, and a third which waited USG agreement. He reiterated the refrain he conveyed to Secretary Clinton during his April visit (ref C) -- Libya has not been adequately rewarded for its decision to give up WMD and needed some sort of security assurance from the United States. He emphasized the need for Libya to purchase U.S. non-lethal equipment in order to enhance its defense posture.
http://www.hrw.org/news/2009/05/11/libyaus-investigate-death-former-cia-prisoner
(New York) The Libyan authorities should carry out a full and transparent investigation of the reported suicide of the Libyan prisoner Ali Mohamed al-Fakheri, also known as Ibn al-Sheikh al-Libi, Human Rights Watch said today. Al-Libi, who was held in secret US and Egyptian detention from late 2001 to at least 2005, was found dead in his cell in Abu Salim prison in Tripoli. Human Rights Watch spoke with him briefly in the Tripoli prison on April 27, though he refused to be interviewed.
After his arrest in Pakistan in late 2001, al-Libi was sent by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to Egypt in 2002, under the procedure known as rendition. According to a CIA declassified cable and a US Senate report, he was tortured in Egypt and gave false information about a link between Iraq and al-Qaeda that Colin Powell, then the secretary of state, used in his speech to the UN Security Council on the planned war with Iraq. Al-Libi was later held by the CIA in a series of secret prisons in Afghanistan and elsewhere.
~snip~
Al-Libi was returned from US custody to Libya in late 2005 or early 2006 and was detained at Abu Salim prison. The Abu Salim prison authorities told Human Rights Watch in April 2009 that he had been sentenced to life imprisonment by the State Security Court, a court whose trial proceedings fail to conform to international fair trial standards.
Human Rights Watch briefly met with al-Libi on April 27 during a research mission to Libya. He refused to be interviewed, and would say nothing more than: Where were you when I was being tortured in American jails. Human Rights Watch has strongly condemned the CIAs detention program and documented how detainees in CIA custody were abused, but, like other human rights groups, was never granted access to prisoners in CIA custody.
http://www.democracynow.org/2013/7/1/was_deadly_benghazi_killing_of_ambassador
JACK MURPHY: Sure. Theres a number of different contributing factors that led to these attacks. When we start to talk about the blowback effect, we do also have to understand that this was a group of people, the Ansar al-Sharia militia, that wasnt particularly fond of Americans to begin with. There was a large number of foreign fighters, these international jihadists, who were amongst that group the night of the attack. But what hasnt been talked about very much in the media is that there were covert operations being run inside Libya, targeted killings against militia members, al-Qaeda-affiliated personnel, also involving securing weapons that had fallen into the militia hands, that we didnt want them to have in the post-war Libya that was destabilizing the Libyan transitional government. But there were a series of operations over the course of the summer and even that week of September in the run-up to the attack.
AMY GOODMAN: U.S. government allies were also assassinated, were killed.
JACK MURPHY: Youre talking about the British embassy that was attacked?
AMY GOODMAN: No, I was talking about what led upwhat so angered the Libyans as they were movingas we were moving into September 11th of that year.
JACK MURPHY: Well, allegedly, there was even a CIA asset that was targeted and killed in that first week of September prior to the attack.
AMY GOODMAN: By who? Killed by?
JACK MURPHY: By the United States military, by special operations personnel.
AMY GOODMAN: A CIA asset killed by U.S. personnel.
JACK MURPHY: Allegedly. And this phenomena has happened previously in Iraq and Afghanistan. I dont know if Ill ever be able to prove for certain that this individual was an asset, but you can only imagine whats going through the heads of the militia members as they feel that theyre working hand in hand with the Americans and then all of a sudden the Americans kill one of their people. And this wasthis was definitely one of the events that led to the special operations forces actually kicking up the hornets nest in Libya, and it was a contributing factor that led to the attack in Benghazi.
KoKo
(84,711 posts)And that's what happens when a Major News Source goes with Hack Reporters who work for "THINK TANKS" who work for the MIC. Serious journalism is suspected as just propaganda. That's the dangerous slope the MSM falls down when they EMBED with Think Tank Ideologues.
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)We know that it wasn't what ultimately killed Stevens (his attack being planned), but there was a lot of confusion at the time. I remember laughing at clips of the video in question, on that day. Why Repubs thought they could bury the reporting on that story and pretend that Obama/Rice just made it all up is beyond me.
calimary
(81,403 posts)There were eruptions all over the Arab world when somebody in Scandinavia or Denmark or some place drew a Mohammed CARTOON. A CARTOON that featured the prophet. And the whole Arab world went apeshit. They went apeshit and plotted death threats against Salman Rushdie, too. They tend to do that. Protests like that were happening all over the Arab world at that very same time, spurred BY that particular video - a video over which a whole shitload of people got bent out of shape in country after country. It was not AT ALL unreasonable to assume such in and around Benghazi, even before one investigated.
BlueMTexpat
(15,370 posts)But the US M$M went with whatever the GOP said.
It's nice that the NYT may actually have done some investigative reporting instead of regurgitating the conventional "wisdom."
KoKo
(84,711 posts)to "Coptic Christian Group out in California" who did the video.
THEN...the story tracking died because FAUX NEWS went on the Hillary Attack...that it was all about "Her Failure." (I'm no fan of Hillary)..but the whole story about this was so botched up..that it is hard to know what the truth of the whole incident was...but, that Video did seem to be something that would STIR UP FOLKS...just as the Duck Dynasty Founders Racist/Anti Gay rhetoric did for the Dem Activists who raged on for two weeks about it...and SO...there was much "Push Button Propaganda" maybe going on with BOTH STORIES and with MOST of what we READ from MSM these days.
calimary
(81,403 posts)There were so damn many riots, protests, disruptions, ALL OVER the Islamic World. They were EVERYWHERE. And yeah some of 'em did get covered. DAYUM you'd think somebody in the media would remember!
Berlum
(7,044 posts)...And don't forget that it was the Republicons who SLASHED the budget for State Dept. security, making it vulnerable in the first place.
Protests Erupt at Embassies Worldwide in Response to Right Wing "Christian" (R) video ridiculing Prophet Mohammed.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/human_nature/2012/09/mohammed_movie_embassy_attacks_don_t_let_internet_videos_drive_you_to_violence_.html
JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)Dopers_Greed
(2,640 posts)Going to apologize for accusing Obama of lying for well over a year now?
My bet is on "no"
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,027 posts)BetsysGhost
(207 posts)NYTIMES October 29, 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/30/world/middleeast/no-specific-warnings-in-benghazi-attack.html?ref=daviddkirkpatrick&_r=0
But the question on the minds of some lawmakers is why the declining security situation did not prompt a fundamental rethinking of the security needs by the State Department and the White House. Three Congressional investigations and a State Department inquiry are now examining the attack, which American officials said included participants from Ansar al-Shariah, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and the Muhammad Jamal network, a militant group in Egypt.
David D. Kirkpatrick and Suliman Ali Zway contributed reporting from Benghazi, Libya
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,027 posts)Bernardo de La Paz
(49,027 posts)George II
(67,782 posts)Tikki
(14,559 posts)Some guy who wasn't really a video producer funded it and all
.
Tikki
kelliekat44
(7,759 posts)OilemFirchen
(7,143 posts)It's going on upthread.
And we have yet to hear from the Bengasmics who lurk around these parts...
Number23
(24,544 posts)UTUSN
(70,723 posts)KoKo
(84,711 posts)The other, favored by Republicans, holds that Mr. Stevens died in a carefully planned assault by Al Qaeda to mark the anniversary of its strike on the United States 11 years before. Republicans have accused the Obama administration of covering up evidence of Al Qaedas role to avoid undermining the presidents claim that the group has been decimated, in part because of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
The investigation by The Times shows that the reality in Benghazi was different, and murkier, than either of those story lines suggests. Benghazi was not infiltrated by Al Qaeda, but nonetheless contained grave local threats to American interests. The attack does not appear to have been meticulously planned, but neither was it spontaneous or without warning signs.
NewJeffCT
(56,828 posts)you know, the one that basically condemned Obama. 60 Minutes is never, ever wrong.
bluestate10
(10,942 posts)believes Faux News and CBS 60 Minutes, because those two tell useful lies.
Gothmog
(145,475 posts)This may shay the GOP Up on Benghazi
NYT will reverse the article to please the crazies on the right. Look at A&E and what MSNBC did to Martin Bashir.
DCBob
(24,689 posts)I don't know how the Rethugs were able to force the narrative that is was AQ planned attack.
fadedrose
(10,044 posts)and Africa all the people angered by the American-video denigrating Islam. There were riots everywhere. Many maps were shown on TV showing the sites of these demonstrations, some peaceful, some not, but all very angry.
And then the story changed and they were hardly mentioned again. About time somebody brought it to light again.
alp227
(32,045 posts)It's an excellent breakdown of the background in Libya and the Mideast before the Benghazi attack.
For the role of the "Innocence of Muslims" video: http://bit.ly/1gbSiu5
The book also says: "The sophisticated attack in Benghazi was a malignant symptom, following a brief period of remission, of a weakened and crippled al-Qaeda seeking new battlefields, new combatants, and new causes in the hope of remaining relevant..." http://bit.ly/1eiNHEu
(The Bit ly links to google books)
madrchsod
(58,162 posts)it`s interesting how the right dismissed this because it did`t fit their fantasy. then the truth was dismissed by the rest of the news organizations
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)Dwayne Hicks
(637 posts)Will the tea baggers heads explode now? Obama and Hillary VINDICATED!
kpete
(72,006 posts)By Heather December 28, 2013 10:37 pm
The pundits on Fox are not pleased with the NYT's reporting that runs counter to their scandal-mongering on Benghazi.
- See more at: http://crooksandliars.com/2013/12/fox-news-immediately-attempts-discredit#sthash.TXKCVQl2.dpuf
Berlum
(7,044 posts)Why do Republicons hate America and truth?
They routinely and systematically crap all over both
countryjake
(8,554 posts)pitchforx
(49 posts)"House Intelligence Committee".....isn't there an oxymoron in there somewhere?
Moral Compass
(1,524 posts)So, apparently Susan Rice was telling the truth immediately after the tragedy.
As others have noted here, this will probably get little play in our news media. Fox, of course, will just ignore the whole thing.
Benghazi will no longer be discussed on the Sunday shows. And, now that the ACA seems to be having its predicted success (not surprising given the magnitude of the need) the MSM will move on to something, anything that can be used to attack the current Democratic administration.
Because, after all, freedom. And November 2014.
L0oniX
(31,493 posts)So now they will censor Youtube? They already won't allow video of the caskets of our dead soldiers! They got a little smarter about that after Vietnam.
Festivito
(13,452 posts)And, threw dirt on Susan Rice, some of which will stick.
And with media help, they will get away with it.