SPECIAL OR SELECT COMMITTEES…..MUST BE AN ELECTION YEAR!

SPECIAL OR SELECT COMMITTEES…..MUST BE AN ELECTION YEAR!

FRAZER CHRONICLE

(All the News That Nobody Else Will Print)

 

Spring is in the air, ribbons are in the trees, baseballs are flying through the air and Republicans are selecting…..select committees to question the Democratic Party, and their activity. Eight years ago it was the Democrats who were attacking President George W. Bush and his handling of everything right down to the brand of dish-soap that the Whitehouse used.

 

At the present time we have the Benghazi situation…..or rather the Benghazi situation from 20 months ago, and the actions that the Obama administration either did, or didn’t do. 20 months ago, hell, some people’s memories are becoming blurry, jeez, sometimes I wonder why I’m in my vehicle and exactly where I’m headed.

 

I’ve written about the Benghazi event, I’ve read a slew of articles and opinions about what happened, and I’m not sure exactly what any kind of special or select governmental search group is gonna find. What I know, what everybody knows who’s interested, or kept up with what happened on the night of September 11, 2012 is this:

 

“A heavily armed group of between 125 and 150 gunmen attacked the American diplomatic mission at Benghazi, in Libya, killing U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and another diplomat. Several hours later, in the early morning of September 12, a second assault targeted a nearby C.I.A. annex in a different compound about a mile away, killed two embassy security personnel. Ten others were injured in the attacks which were condemned by the government of Libya, the United States, and many other countries throughout the world.”

 

The blow-by of the incidents was that the United States beefed up its security worldwide at various diplomatic and military facilities and began investigating the attack. May Libyans praised the late ambassador and staged public demonstrations against the militias that had formed during the civil war to oppose leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and the Libyan government began attempts to disband many of the militant groups.

 

During the course of the U.S. investigation, it was reported that the Benghazi attack was a spontaneous action that had developed during protests against the U.S. diplomatic mission and the C.I.A. annex. The investigation determined that the protest was not of a random nature, and in fact had been a well orchestrated terrorist attack launched by Islamist militants.

 

As anybody who followed the aftermath of the Benghazi attack knows, the debate during and after the attacks weighed heavily in the 2012 Presidential election, and in the following months several congressional and administrative investigations were launched, some of which are still active. The topic remains who knew what, and when, including the C.I.A.’s presence and role at the diplomatic mission.

 

On August 6, 2013, it was reported that the United States had filed criminal charges against several individuals, including militia leader Ahmed Abu Khattala for alleged involvement in the attack. To date, few arrests have been made and no one has yet been prosecuted. Yesterday, May 2, 2014, House Speaker, John Boehner announced that he intends a House vote to create a select committee to investigate the attack.

 

LET’S CHECK OUT THE FACTS ON THE LEAD-UP TO THE ATTACK

Many Islamists played a major role in the Libyan civil war that led to the overthrow of Col. Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Some of the combatants who fought in the civil war were veterans of Afghanistan, and jihadists who had served in Iraq.

 

In March, 2011, rebel leaders spoke of their need for anti-aircraft missiles in the ongoing war, and in April and May weapons begin being shipped to the rebels through Qatar with the approval of the United States. These weapons (manufactured by the United States, and shipped to the rebels through Qatar) would later fall into the hands of terrorists after they were used by rebels to free Libya from Gaddafi.

 

Within months of the Libyan revolution…..in February, 2011, the Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.) begin to build a significant but covert presence in Benghazi. During the war, elite counter-terrorist operators from America’s Delta Force were deployed to Libya as analysts, instructing the rebels on specifics about weapons and tactics. It was during this time (March, 2011) that J. Christopher Stevens was appointed the first liaison with the Libyan opposition (rebels).

 

At the end of the civil war, on October 23^rd, 2011, the casualties and injury list was extensive, estimated 25,000 killed, 4,000 missing, and 50,000 injured. The belligerent’s were listed as the National Transitional Council (good guys), National Liberation Army, Qatar (enforcing UNSC Resolution, 1973*), NATO and Tunisia.

* United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 on the situation in Libya, a measure that was adopted on March 17, 2011, was proposed France, Lebanon, and the United Kingdom, and voted into law with an affirmative vote by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia, Gabon, Lebanon, Nigeria, Portugal, South Africa, and permanent members France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Five nations, Brazil, Germany, India, and permanent members, China and Russia abstained, with none opposed.”

 

In effect, the vote (or none vote), by the above listed nations of the world,  took control of Libya on March 17, 2011 until a governing body…..to their liking, was established and prepared to govern the populous in a democratic manner.

 

After the war ended, October 23, 2011, the America presence in Libya and Benghazi was charged with the task of identifying and collecting arms that had flooded the country during the civil war, particularly those shoulder-fired missiles taken from the former arsenal of the fallen Gaddafi regime. In addition there was an active search for those dreaded chemical weapons stockpiles, and to train Libyan’s intelligence service.

 

IN EFFECT THE U.S. WAS OCCUPYING LIBYA

What happened was that the United States and those nations that aligned themselves with the U.S. were occupying the country…..and nobody, I repeat, NOBODY likes to be occupied no matter the reason. I’m not accusing anybody of anything…..clandestinely speaking because what happened in Libya is like business as usual for the United States.

 

However, that said, I find what transpired on September 11, 2012 as no big surprise and the response by the Obama Administration to be typical. While sad and reprehensible, the death of the Ambassador and the three other members of the contingent in Benghazi are what could probably be termed collateral damage.   

 

Republicans are now perching on the branch of an incident that occurred close to two years ago, and all that the effort will do is stir up the already muddied waters of politics here in the United States at a time when what we all should be focusing on are current issues that affect us every day of the week. Darrell Issa’s (R California) chairman of the House Oversight Committee has demanded information from the Obama Whitehouse about the September, 11, 2012  Benghazi attack through a legal subpoena. For the president to ignore the subpoena does not help the situation, it only serves to add fire to an already hot topic.

 

I’m sure that mistakes were made, I’m also sure that the reason why the attacks during the night-time of September were prompted by the continued perceived nation building effort by the United States and her allies. There are consequences to what the United States does (and her allies support), it’s simply the price of doing international business in the world of the 21^st century.

 

HAVE A NICE DAY!