Panetta, Dempsey Say Clinton & Obama Never Checked in During Entirety of Benghazi Terrorist Attack

MCCAIN General Dempsey I ░░░░░░░░ just going over your ░░░░░░░░ statement and I have ░░░░░░░░ admit it is one ░░░░░░░░ the more bizarre statements ░░░░░░░░ I have ever seen ░░░░░░░░ my years in this ░░░░░░░░ When you re talking ░░░░░░░░ the Benghazi issue you ░░░░░░░░ We positioned our forces ░░░░░░░░ a way that was ░░░░░░░░ by and consistent with ░░░░░░░░ threat estimates Then you ░░░░░░░░ on to say Our ░░░░░░░░ was appropriately responsive even ░░░░░░░░ seven hours passed and ░░░░░░░░ Americans died at the ░░░░░░░░ of that Then you ░░░░░░░░ on to say We ░░░░░░░░ what our posture and ░░░░░░░░ allowed Um there s ░░░░░░░░ base at Souda Bay ░░░░░░░░ General there s a ░░░░░░░░ there It s about ░░░░░░░░ hour and a half ░░░░░░░░ There was including on ░░░░░░░░ of those factors on ░░░░░░░░ board there there was ░░░░░░░░ urgent message sent back ░░░░░░░░ the State Department on ░░░░░░░░ 15 that the consulate ░░░░░░░░ not withstand a sustained ░░░░░░░░ on the consulate I ░░░░░░░░ argue that there was ░░░░░░░░ outpost in all of ░░░░░░░░ diplomatic corp that had ░░░░░░░░ sequence of events these ░░░░░░░░ including many warnings from ░░░░░░░░ ambassador on the lack ░░░░░░░░ security including even what ░░░░░░░░ found on the rubble ░░░░░░░░ the consulate by a ░░░░░░░░ reporter weeks later For ░░░░░░░░ to say that our ░░░░░░░░ did not allow or ░░░░░░░░ rapid response our posture ░░░░░░░░ not there because we ░░░░░░░░ t take into account ░░░░░░░░ to that consulate and ░░░░░░░░ s why four Americans ░░░░░░░░ We could have placed ░░░░░░░░ there We could have ░░░░░░░░ aircraft and other capabilities ░░░░░░░░ short distance away at ░░░░░░░░ Bay Crete So for ░░░░░░░░ to testify before this ░░░░░░░░ that they were consistent ░░░░░░░░ available threat estimates is ░░░░░░░░ false That our military ░░░░░░░░ appropriately responsive what would ░░░░░░░░ been an indecipherable response ░░░░░░░░ no forces arrived there ░░░░░░░░ well after these murders ░░░░░░░░ place And obviously your ░░░░░░░░ to allow you to ░░░░░░░░ very shortly So finally ░░░░░░░░ of this is a ░░░░░░░░ of the so called ░░░░░░░░ footprint After Khadafi fell ░░░░░░░░ of us made it ░░░░░░░░ clear that they needed ░░░░░░░░ help To secure their ░░░░░░░░ caches help them secure ░░░░░░░░ borders allow them technical ░░░░░░░░ But the light footprint ░░░░░░░░ did not provide So ░░░░░░░░ was almost predictable almost ░░░░░░░░ not predictable that bad ░░░░░░░░ were going to happen ░░░░░░░░ Libya Because here was ░░░░░░░░ fledgeling government that have ░░░░░░░░ governed before without the ░░░░░░░░ that we could have ░░░░░░░░ them with I begged ░░░░░░░░ Secretary Panetta to send ░░░░░░░░ hospital ship over there ░░░░░░░░ help treat their 30 ░░░░░░░░ wounded What did we ░░░░░░░░ We sent a couple ░░░░░░░░ hospitals in the U ░░░░░░░░ A So I d ░░░░░░░░ glad to hear your ░░░░░░░░ General Dempsey as to ░░░░░░░░ the available threat estimates ░░░░░░░░ were informed by how ░░░░░░░░ our military appropriately responsive ░░░░░░░░ four people died seven ░░░░░░░░ later with thousands and ░░░░░░░░ of airplanes ships men ░░░░░░░░ women available in that ░░░░░░░░ of the world And ░░░░░░░░ did you do with ░░░░░░░░ posturing capabilities allowed DEMPSEY ░░░░░░░░ you senator I begin ░░░░░░░░ saying I stand by ░░░░░░░░ testimony your dispute of ░░░░░░░░ notwithstanding MCCAIN Well perhaps ░░░░░░░░ can give me some ░░░░░░░░ that would substantiate it ░░░░░░░░ Sure I will senator ░░░░░░░░ base our response on ░░░░░░░░ combined effect we get ░░░░░░░░ the Intelligence committee and ░░░░░░░░ network of intel agencies ░░░░░░░░ well importantly based on ░░░░░░░░ we get from the ░░░░░░░░ Department and the Chief ░░░░░░░░ of the station in ░░░░░░░░ country MCCAIN Did you ░░░░░░░░ get the message that ░░░░░░░░ couldn t withstand a ░░░░░░░░ attack on the consulate ░░░░░░░░ I was tracking that ░░░░░░░░ I was tracking through ░░░░░░░░ Did you receive that ░░░░░░░░ DEMPSEY I did MCCAIN ░░░░░░░░ it didn t bother ░░░░░░░░ DEMPSEY It bothered me ░░░░░░░░ great deal crosstalk MCCAIN ░░░░░░░░ aren t forces in ░░░░░░░░ to respond DEMPSEY Because ░░░░░░░░ weren t requested to ░░░░░░░░ so and MCCAIN You ░░░░░░░░ never heard of the ░░░░░░░░ Stevens repeated warnings about ░░░░░░░░ I had sir through ░░░░░░░░ Han but we never ░░░░░░░░ a request through the ░░░░░░░░ Department which would have ░░░░░░░░ us to place forces ░░░░░░░░ So it s the ░░░░░░░░ Department s fault DEMPSEY ░░░░░░░░ m not blaming the ░░░░░░░░ Department I m sure ░░░░░░░░ had their own assessment ░░░░░░░░ Who would you blame ░░░░░░░░ is responsible then It ░░░░░░░░ made clear that an ░░░░░░░░ was made that they ░░░░░░░░ t sustain an attack ░░░░░░░░ the consulate with being ░░░░░░░░ 11th and many other ░░░░░░░░ that are on that ░░░░░░░░ over their and various ░░░░░░░░ that have already taken ░░░░░░░░ DEMPSEY I stand by ░░░░░░░░ report of the accountability ░░░░░░░░ board But I would ░░░░░░░░ say senator I was ░░░░░░░░ concerned that time with ░░░░░░░░ and Yemen Khartoum Islamabad ░░░░░░░░ Baghdad we had significant ░░░░░░░░ streams from those places ░░░░░░░░ well MCCAIN I ve ░░░░░░░░ some of those estimates ░░░░░░░░ not one of them ░░░░░░░░ to the level of ░░░░░░░░ in Benghazi Did they ░░░░░░░░ to that level that ░░░░░░░░ couldn t withstand a ░░░░░░░░ attack DEMPSEY Yes they ░░░░░░░░ MCCAIN So well Basically ░░░░░░░░ did what our capabilities ░░░░░░░░ you didn t have ░░░░░░░░ capability to station forces ░░░░░░░░ Souda Bay Crete DEMPSEY ░░░░░░░░ do have those capabilities ░░░░░░░░ MCCAIN What we didn ░░░░░░░░ do we didn t ░░░░░░░░ those capabilities DEMPSEY Well ░░░░░░░░ based on time distance ░░░░░░░░ alert postures I sent ░░░░░░░░ Senator Reid a moment ░░░░░░░░ they wouldn t have ░░░░░░░░ there in time MCCAIN ░░░░░░░░ s an hour and ░░░░░░░░ half away general if ░░░░░░░░ had them at Souda ░░░░░░░░ Crete And finally I ░░░░░░░░ ask you what I ░░░░░░░░ you last March when ░░░░░░░░ 500 citizens of Syrians ░░░░░░░░ been killed It s ░░░░░░░░ up to 60 000 ░░░░░░░░ many more have to ░░░░░░░░ before you recommend military ░░░░░░░░ And did you support ░░░░░░░░ recommendation of then Secretary ░░░░░░░░ State Clinton and then ░░░░░░░░ of CIA General Petraeus ░░░░░░░░ we provide weapons to ░░░░░░░░ resistance in Syria DEMPSEY ░░░░░░░░ do support that.”