By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
On Friday, Fox News investigative reporter, James Rosen asked White House Press Secretary Jay Carney for answers about Benghazi based on issues raised by U.S. Representative Martha Roby (R) from Montgomery about the military’s forward preparedness leading up to the September 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya.
On September 11, 2012, our consulate in Benghazi, Libya was attacked and four Americans including our ambassador to Libya were killed. We now know that the Benghazi attack was coordinated by international terrorists who are still at large. How did terrorists so easily overwhelm the consulate and why were U.S. Armed forces positioned in such a way that the decision makers in Washington were unwilling to send in any sort of rescue mission to Benghazi even though American forces on the ground were engaged in a running firefight for their lives that lasted for several hours.
Ominously the day before the attack the White House issued a press release saying, “Earlier today the President heard from key national security principals on our preparedness and security posture on the eve of the eleventh anniversary of September 11th. Over the past month, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism John Brennan has convened numerous meetings to review security measures in place. During the briefing today, the President and the Principals discussed specific measures we are taking in the Homeland to prevent 9/11 related attacks as well as the steps taken to protect U.S. persons and facilities abroad, as well as force protection. The President reiterated that Departments and agencies must do everything possible to protect the American people, both at home and abroad.”
Rep. Roby, who chairs the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, has led an inquiry into the military’s role in the Benghazi attack. Rep. Roby’s investigation has had some serious questions about military force posture leading up to the attack. Rep. Roby wants to know what ‘key national security principals” President Obama met with before the White House issued a press release that claimed U.S. forces were prepared.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney deflected Rosen’s questions to the Pentagon, saying that the Department of Defense, not the Commander-in-Chief , is responsible for answering questions about the White House’s statements on preparedness.
Following a classified subcommittee briefing from Gen. Martin Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about the events of September 11 and 12, 2012 Representative Roby released a written statement. Rep. Roby said, “General Dempsey confirmed my belief that there was no amount of heroic action on the part of our men and women in uniform that could overcome our lack of preparedness during the horrible Benghazi attack. We simply were not postured to respond in time. I continue to be concerned that more than a year after the attack, our posture has not improved enough to sufficiently mitigate the risks to Americans serving overseas and in harm’s way.”
Rep. Roby continued, “Of particular interest was General Dempsey’s impression of the Administration’s preparations in the days before September 11, 2012. We were eager to understand what consultations took place between General Dempsey and the National Security Staff prior to the White House’s announcement on September 10th that John Brennan had concluded a review of U.S. Security posture to ‘prevent 9/11 related attacks as well as the steps taken to protect U.S. persons and facilities abroad, as well as force protection.’ General Dempsey confirmed that while he was not personally involved in that review, elements of the Joint Staff were. His description of the process leads me to conclude that while it may have allowed the White House to issue a comforting press release, it was far from the rigorous examination and preparation the security of the American people deserved.”
Rep. Roby and her committee are continuing their review of what went wrong in Benghazi.
Congresswoman Martha Roby is in her second term in the US Congress representing Alabama’s Second Congressional District.
Readout of the President’s Meeting with Senior Administration Officials on Our Preparedness and Security Posture on the Eleventh Anniversary of September 11th.
Earlier today the President heard from key national security principals on our preparedness and security posture on the eve of the eleventh anniversary of September 11th. Over the past month, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism John Brennan has convened numerous meetings to review security measures in place. During the briefing today, the President and the Principals discussed specific measures we are taking in the Homeland to prevent 9/11 related attacks as well as the steps taken to protect U.S. persons and facilities abroad, as well as force protection. The President reiterated that Departments and agencies must do everything possible to protect the American people, both at home and abroad
