Opinion: Why Benghazi Matters
As the politicians on the “left” and other persons on the political “left” insist that the election is over and that is why the rest of Americans should move on and drop the Benghazi, Libya controversy, those “leftists” need to understand exactly why the truth about the Benghazi terrorist attack needs to come out.
First, four Americans’ lives were lost – four deaths that would have not occurred if deceased-Ambassador Christopher Stevens’ requests for more security and assistance would have been properly addressed by the United States federal government. Regardless of why the failing happened, the United States federal government killed these four Americans who were slaughtered in Benghazi, Libya on Sept. 11, 2012. There is no way of getting around that fact.
Granted, most Americans tend to be more concerned about domestic rather than foreign matters, but this was an inexcusably major event involving Americans’ lives.
Secondly, America needs to get to the bottom of the Benghazi, Libya murders due to the terrorists’ attack on Sept. 11 so that we know which person in the United States federal government refused to give Ambassador Chris Stevens and his fellow-consulate government workers the assistive protection they obviously needed. This person – whoever he or she is – needs to be held accountable for the severe misjudgment made which attributed to the deaths.
Lastly – and at this point, most importantly – if America does not get to the bottom of this horrendous and deadly error, there is absolutely nothing from stopping such a tragedy from happening again.
There is no reason for not furthering the investigation of the Benghazi, Libya terrorist attack other than to unjustly cover-up for those responsible for the error. Analyses by those close to the situation have vocally agreed that the decision to not allow more security and protective assistance to Ambassador Chris Stevens and his cohorts in Benghazi had to have been made from someone extremely high in command.
It is common knowledge that the FBI and CIA work closely, and what one of those two organizations knew would also have been known by the other – immediately. Following the protocol-chain of command, United States Attorney General Eric Holder would have been notified as he is reportedly briefed on the events involving the FBI and CIA daily. Within the weavings of this close network is Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who would logically have known about the requests and issues from the Libya ambassador as quickly as anyone. And lastly, the buck stops at the Oval Office where President Barack Obama would have been notified.
If, in fact, this event didn’t end up on President Obama’s Oval Office desk in quick order, the person – or persons – who halted the communication before President Obama received it needs to be found and dealt with for not having done his or her job. Again, not learning where the communication broke down – if, in fact, it broke down at all – is a perfect path to the same mistake to be repeated in the future. Questions must be asked and answers must be had.
Ignoring this preventable, horrendous event in America’s history is not an option – regardless of who falls with the answers that come from the investigation.
Those in Obama’s administration need to quit hiding answers to questions of which someone obviously has the answers. They need to quit lying about who refused the assistance to the Libyan consulate. They also need to quit dancing around what is already known. Those who called the terrorist task a result an anti-Islamic video – of which there are many persons – need to quit changing what the nation knows they already said two months ago.
As we have seen since the Sept. 11 attack, sending Susan Rice on the talk shows to talk about an anti-Islamic video as the reason for the terrorist attack on the anniversary of 9-11 didn’t work. President Barack Obama standing before the press and the nation for the first time in months at a press conference and criticizing Republican politicians for searching for the truth didn’t work. Nothing is working in terms of hiding the truth – and nothing should work in the nation’s effort to get to the truth.
Last week at the president’s press conference, Obama said that Senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham and other politicians should go after him – the president – instead of going after others like Susan Rice. That’s one comment from President Barack Obama we can all agree on. The powers that be need to go after him, and get every answer he and his administration have refused to give.
About Scott Paulson
Scott Paulson writes political commentary for Examiner.com and teaches English at a community college in the Chicago area. The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of CBS Local.
