Pentagon to Trey Gowdy and Benghazi panel: Back off
Apr 29, 2016 17:53:19 #
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/pentagon-to-benghazi-panel-back-off/article/2589933
By Rudy Takala (@RudyTakala) • 4/29/16 12:51 PM
The Pentagon is sick of a House panel's demands regarding the 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, and sent a letter to the committee Thursday night calling on them to do a better job with their urgent requests for interviews.
"The department has spent millions of dollars on Benghazi-specific congressional compliance, including reviews by four other committees, which have diligently reviewed the military's response in particular," Stephen Hedger, the department's assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs, wrote in a Thursday letter addressed to the Select Committee on Benghazi. The committee is chaired by Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C.
"The department is working diligently to accommodate your staff's multiple and changing requests," Hedger said. "[H]owever, we are concerned by the continuous threats from your staff to subpoena witnesses because we are not able to move quickly enough to accommodate these new requests."
The letter was released by committee Democrats, who have charged that the investigation into the Sept. 11, 2012 attack on American facilities in Libya is aimed at impugning former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
"The number and continued pace of these requests since February 2016 are in tension with your staff's statements that the committee expects to finish its investigation in the near term," Hedger wrote. "Perhaps because of this conflict, the committee's requests are accompanied by unrealistic timelines for the department to identify the correct service members (who are often only identified by positions), locate them if deployed or retired, and schedule interviews, which in some cases require them to return from overseas.
Hedger also cited instances of the committee requesting "individuals who seem unnecessary even for a comprehensive investigation, or has insisted we prioritize certain requests only to later abandon the request." One of the requests involved finding "John from Iowa," who into Sean Hannity's radio show in 2013, claimed he was a drone camera operator who saw the whole thing and said they weren't allowed to be armed.
"The Department has expended significant resources to locate anyone who might match the description of this person, to no avail," Hedger wrote. "The Committee staff then expanded this initial request to include all RPA [remotely piloted aircraft] and RPA sensor operators who operated in the region that night. This expansion resulted in a time-intensive search that required DoD to locate another half-dozen current and former service members."
The other examples of interview requests included four pilots who could have been, but were not, deployed to Benghazi at the time, and someone who claimed on Facebook "that he had been a mechanic at an air base in Europe the night of the attack and alleged that planes at his base could have been deployed to Benghazi in time to make a difference."
The letter concluded with a complaint that Pentagon officials were being asked to talk about issues they deemed speculation, and a request that the department be left out of it.
By Rudy Takala (@RudyTakala) • 4/29/16 12:51 PM
The Pentagon is sick of a House panel's demands regarding the 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, and sent a letter to the committee Thursday night calling on them to do a better job with their urgent requests for interviews.
"The department has spent millions of dollars on Benghazi-specific congressional compliance, including reviews by four other committees, which have diligently reviewed the military's response in particular," Stephen Hedger, the department's assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs, wrote in a Thursday letter addressed to the Select Committee on Benghazi. The committee is chaired by Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C.
"The department is working diligently to accommodate your staff's multiple and changing requests," Hedger said. "[H]owever, we are concerned by the continuous threats from your staff to subpoena witnesses because we are not able to move quickly enough to accommodate these new requests."
The letter was released by committee Democrats, who have charged that the investigation into the Sept. 11, 2012 attack on American facilities in Libya is aimed at impugning former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
"The number and continued pace of these requests since February 2016 are in tension with your staff's statements that the committee expects to finish its investigation in the near term," Hedger wrote. "Perhaps because of this conflict, the committee's requests are accompanied by unrealistic timelines for the department to identify the correct service members (who are often only identified by positions), locate them if deployed or retired, and schedule interviews, which in some cases require them to return from overseas.
Hedger also cited instances of the committee requesting "individuals who seem unnecessary even for a comprehensive investigation, or has insisted we prioritize certain requests only to later abandon the request." One of the requests involved finding "John from Iowa," who into Sean Hannity's radio show in 2013, claimed he was a drone camera operator who saw the whole thing and said they weren't allowed to be armed.
"The Department has expended significant resources to locate anyone who might match the description of this person, to no avail," Hedger wrote. "The Committee staff then expanded this initial request to include all RPA [remotely piloted aircraft] and RPA sensor operators who operated in the region that night. This expansion resulted in a time-intensive search that required DoD to locate another half-dozen current and former service members."
The other examples of interview requests included four pilots who could have been, but were not, deployed to Benghazi at the time, and someone who claimed on Facebook "that he had been a mechanic at an air base in Europe the night of the attack and alleged that planes at his base could have been deployed to Benghazi in time to make a difference."
The letter concluded with a complaint that Pentagon officials were being asked to talk about issues they deemed speculation, and a request that the department be left out of it.
Apr 29, 2016 18:04:52 #
robmull
Loc: florida
It's starting to remind me of all the grief Sen. Joe McCarthy (R), was getting from the same damn "card carrying" communist party (D), that's trying desperately to resist the scandal after scandal after scandal after Benghazi, libturd, that Sen. Joe was actively trying to tell America about in the '50's. Alinsky was right though; "for the radical communist movement to be exposed to the enemy [America], would cause the movement to be rapidly crushed" [Saul Alinsky]. Kind'a makes a tear well-up in my eyes. How 'bout YOU, libturd??? GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO TRUMP!!!
Apr 29, 2016 19:20:12 #
Shocking that a Pentagon that's gone through 7 years of having patriots removed is now siding with Clinton and against the soldiers who's deaths she lied about.
Apr 29, 2016 19:47:16 #
Super Dave wrote:
Shocking that a Pentagon that's gone through 7 years of having patriots removed is now siding with Clinton and against the soldiers who's deaths she lied about.
How true. Kinda makes you wonder!
SEMPER FI
Apr 29, 2016 19:47:49 #
Super Dave wrote:
Shocking that a Pentagon that's gone through 7 years of having patriots removed is now siding with Clinton and against the soldiers who's deaths she lied about.
There were no military deaths at Benghazi.
Apr 29, 2016 19:55:59 #
3jack wrote:
There were no military deaths at Benghazi.
Just Americans believing that their government had their back and trying to stay alive!
SEMPER FI
Apr 29, 2016 20:12:59 #
3jack wrote:
Correction.There were no military deaths at Benghazi.
American Patriots.. Not soldiers.
Apr 29, 2016 20:33:42 #
Super Dave wrote:
Correction.
American Patriots.. Not soldiers.
American Patriots.. Not soldiers.
Highly paid risk taking American contractors. Patriotism has nothing to do with the quest for a good salary.
Apr 29, 2016 20:42:53 #
3jack wrote:
Yeah.. That's why they went out of their way to try to protect Amb. Stevens in the middle of a terrorist attack without being required to do so.Highly paid risk taking American contractors. Patriotism has nothing to do with the quest for a good salary.
How do you manage to live your life looking for ways to hate and diminish the sacrifice others make for you?
Apr 29, 2016 21:41:59 #
Super Dave wrote:
Yeah.. That's why they went out of their way to try to protect Amb. Stevens in the middle of a terrorist attack without being required to do so.
How do you manage to live your life looking for ways to hate and diminish the sacrifice others make for you?
How do you manage to live your life looking for ways to hate and diminish the sacrifice others make for you?
What the hell are you talking about....They were hired security and their job was to protect the ambassador. Look in the mirror when you're talking about hate. All one has to do is mention Obama and the hate flows from the lips of you and your ilk.
Apr 29, 2016 21:45:09 #
3jack wrote:
Dumbass, they left a save place against orders to go to the scene of the terrorist attack. What the hell are you talking about....They were hired security and their job was to protect the ambassador. Look in the mirror when you're talking about hate. All one has to do is mention Obama and the hate flows from the lips of you and your ilk.
They were not doing their job. They were doing much better.
It has nothing to do with me hating Obama. It just has to do with your hatred of those that fight to keep your sorry ass safe.
Apr 29, 2016 22:08:52 #
Super Dave wrote:
Dumbass, they left a save place against orders to go to the scene of the terrorist attack.
They were not doing their job. They were doing much better.
It has nothing to do with me hating Obama. It just has to do with your hatred of those that fight to keep your sorry ass safe.
They were not doing their job. They were doing much better.
It has nothing to do with me hating Obama. It just has to do with your hatred of those that fight to keep your sorry ass safe.
Security contractors in a "save place"? What was their job? I don't need anyone to keep me safe, I'm capable of doing so myself. As far as your other BS post, the events in Libya did nothing to ensure security in America, so stop with you fake patriotic BS talking points. Yes, your losing ass hates Obama, but you'll get over it come 1/20/17.
Apr 29, 2016 22:22:19 #
3jack wrote:
You really are an ungrateful piece of trash, aren't you?Security contractors in a "save place"? What was their job? I don't need anyone to keep me safe, I'm capable of doing so myself. As far as your other BS post, the events in Libya did nothing to ensure security in America, so stop with you fake patriotic BS talking points. Yes, your losing ass hates Obama, but you'll get over it come 1/20/17.
Martin Luther King and JFK knew the risks.
Apr 29, 2016 23:05:24 #
Super Dave wrote:
You really are an ungrateful piece of trash, aren't you?
Martin Luther King and JFK knew the risks.
Martin Luther King and JFK knew the risks.
I would be offended if I gave a crap about what you think of me, but I am not offended. You, sir, are the piece of trash....look in the mirror.
Chris Stevens also knew the risks.
Apr 30, 2016 05:50:59 #
3jack wrote:
If anyone close to you either gets killed serving America, or if anyone you love is ever murdered, I hope no stupid asshole tells you that they knew the risk.I would be offended if I gave a crap about what you think of me, but I am not offended. You, sir, are the piece of trash....look in the mirror.
Chris Stevens also knew the risks.
Chris Stevens also knew the risks.
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