Biden contradicts State Department on Benghazi security

[dkf]

Vice President Joe Biden claimed that the administration wasn't aware of requests for more security in Libya before the Sept. 11 attacks on the U.S. mission in Benghazi during Thursday night's debate, contradicting two State Department officials and the former head of diplomatic security in Libya.

"We weren't told they wanted more security. We did not know they wanted more security there," Biden said.

In fact, two security officials who worked for the State Department in Libya at the time testified Thursday that they repeatedly requested more security and two State Department officials admitted they had denied those requests.

"All of us at post were in sync that we wanted these resources," the top regional security officer in Libya over the summer, Eric Nordstrom, testified. "In those conversations, I was specifically told [by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Charlene Lamb] ‘You cannot request an SST extension.' I determined I was told that because there would be too much political cost. We went ahead and requested it anyway."

http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/10/11/biden_contradicts_state_department_on_benghazi_security

[DURHAM D]

1. I appreciate your hard work in bringing negative Obama news to DU.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. dkf, may i please inquire who you intend to vote for in the upcoming presidential election.

Thank you in advance for your answer.

[dkf]

10. I fully intend to vote for Obama.

And maybe the problem is that State wasn't keeping the Oval Office up to date. That would fall on Hillary.

[CreekDog]

18. you "intend"?

what kind of wordsmithing is that?

[FarPoint]

30. I struggle to actually

believe you are honest and forthcoming..I will continue to try and be open minded as always....yet.....I feel you are enjoying the moment.

[obamanut2012]

5. I was just thinking the same thing

It must be really hard work, especially on a Friday when all one wants to do is sip a Starbucks and coast into the weekend.

[NoGOPZone]

14. .

[KurtNYC]

24. this isn't negative news -- it is negative spin -- just says "State Dept Officials"

denied the request. That does not seem to be at variance with what Biden said, in spite of the headline.

[FarPoint]

28. I sustained

an unsuccessful alert.....

[Mass]

2. Really? Where does it says that the WH knew?

[atreides1]

6. Don't you know

The magic word "Administration" means that a magical crystal ball emits a beam of light into the President's eyes and he knows what's going on in any part of the known universe at any time!

[former-republican]

23. Even some hard right wing members of the MSM admitted requests like that would never reach the oval

office .

The President doesn't handle things like that

[leveymg]

4. Requests from officers in the field aren't always communicated to the White House.

Apparently, there had already been a policy decision made at Foggy Bottom to not treat Libya as a continuing high-risk post. Nordstrum may well have been told quite accurately that "there would be too much political cost" to such an action.

But, ultimately, the Ambassador gets as much protection as he requests, and Stevens was on-board with policy because he was personally deeply invested in making regime change in Libya a success.

[uponit7771]

7. ***GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT*** Administration doesn't not mean Obama or Biden

[dipsydoodle]

11. Presumably it doesn't mean your State Department is either.

[Vattel]

8. There is no contradiction.

Biden said that "we weren't told." "We" is ambiguous. If it was intended to refer to the Whitehouse, then what Biden said is consistent with the fact that some at the State Department were told that the Embassy wanted more security. The article uncharitably assumes that Biden was claiming that no one in his Adminsitration was told.

[Tennessee Gal]

9. It does not say that the White House knew that a request was made.

It does say that Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Charlene Lamb knew.

[JaneyVee]

12. You are SEVERELY underestimating the SIZE of the intelligence community & the MIC

It is an entity unto its own. They have a hard time cross sharing intelligence between the CIA & FBI, now add dozens of other intelligence gathering groups like NSA, DHS, etc. and you basically have a loooong game of telephone. Most never reaches the top.

[Angry Dragon]

13. The CIA was on site

[librechik]

15. Biden wasn't aware of something that was revealed the day of the debate? I'm shocked

because communication is always perfect and the administration is always aware of every detail of minor hearings on the hill, even while preparing for a unique debate event.

But when Ryan votes down a request to add security to our embassies worldwide (because hated Obama had requested it--no thought THEN for the endangered embassy personnel) his hands are clean. Is that right?

[ieoeja]

16. Republicans cut the budget for State Department security. n/t

[Whiskeytide]

19. Thank you. I bet Ryan even voted for the cuts.

Hillary said then it would put American lives at risk. Why is no one shoving this up Ryan and Romney's ass?

On edit - should be "asses".

[Hugabear]

22. Ryan absolutely did cut funding for embassy security

As Biden rightfully pointed out during the debate.

[FarPoint]

31. Ryan did vote for the cuts.

VP Biden made such a point.

[dipsydoodle]

17. White House: Obama, Biden Weren’t Told About Libya Security Requests

Now in LBN as well :http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014264464

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. Because we all know

The President knows everything.

[marshall]

21. The buck stops nowhere

Unfortunately, in our incredibly complicated world, nobody is ultimately in charge of everything. The responsibility is sorted out among many people--some good and some bad. Our hope must be that the good ones outnumber the bad in a world among equals.

[nadinbrzezinski]

25. That is part of it

but the other, is that it is ok if Republicans do it.

There were TWELVE, yes, TWELVE embassy attacks during the Bush Administration. The OP, and Republicans will scream though the rooftops that Obama had to know (Embassy and Consulate security is way bellow the pay grade of any US President... it is an administrative decision also driven by the moneys authorized for such by the US Congress, which did not approve the requested budget for such), but when the same happened twelve times during the Bush administration, they were silent.

There is more DEMOCRATS did not spin it into a political football

So if they are going to hold hearings, I want to know why those REPUBLICAN Congresmen screaming the loudest, did not aprove the moneys requested by Officials in the State Department.

[obliviously]

32. The sky is blue

and there were 12.7 million bicycles sold in 2006, but that still doesn't clarify the accusation in the news story.

[theinquisitivechad]

26. Was this really necessary?

Was the effort to post negative information worth it to you? Do you think it will help your candidate?

[theinquisitivechad]

27. Notice how the OP isn't rebutting the points made here.

Curious.

[FarPoint]

29. Pure flaimbait...

Negativity runs rampant..... There is history.....

Must go on Ignore list since alerting is futile.