Benghazi - First Casualty?

[Respen33]

Standard procedure in Petraeus' case is to debrief him of all clearances upon resignation. He resigns NDAs at that point. He can appeal to retain some clearances if he can show need for further employment AND it is acceptable to the U.S. Government. That's the kicker here: the U.S. Government must approve for him to retain any clearances. If, as we believe, he is being forced out so as not to testify before Congress of what he knows by virtue of his classified accesses, then the U.S. Government will not make the mistake of granting him any clearances. I believe this is controlled totally by the executive branch. He would have to go public and risk prosecution for defying any NDAs he may have signed. Congress might grant him immunity for his testimony, but violation of his NDAs is a Justice Department matter.

If the Petraeus affair becomes a national security issue, like some are really trying to make it, then all bets are off regarding his testimony. He could be indicted and tried in the court of public opinion. I'd put him on suicide watch at that point (Adm Boorda comes to mind).

As for Admiral G, damn the torpedoes full speed ahead gets you torpedoed in this administration. Every Democrat President wants to be Truman vs MacArthur to demonstrate civilian authority over the military, it's in their jeans (pun intended).

i think it is safe to say that the executive branch is looking to keep tow on Patraeus so he CANNOT speak out. Obama would rather scuttle him then create a rogue boomer. Too bad, however, because what Obama has done is expose his positions so our fast attack's can handle it and make way for the fleet to enter harbor and start pathfinding for the landing parties.

Hey you started the naval speak...

[tombogan03884]

Petraeus' clearances and NDA's do not matter when he testifies before the intelligence committees.
They have clearance to hear anything he might say and NDA do not prevent him from testifying before the appropriate oversight committees whether he has immunity or not.
The Justice Dept has nothing to do with it .

[Jrlobo]

Tom, I disagree. #1, The intelligence committees do not have clearance for everything Petraeus might say. He had clearances that go beyond the intelligence committee purviews and into the armed services, international affairs and defense committees. The various committees jealously guard their purviews as do the executive branch departments that they oversee. Further, not all members of the committee are cleared for all the accesses; some of the accesses are restricted to the ranking two members on each side of the aisle and they jealously guard that! That is one reason why McCain has asked for a select committee to be formed to ferret out all issues before a committee that would be cleared to have all accesses and probably be limited to those ranking members who have all of the accesses. #2, If, as I said, he was debriefed from all clearances when he resigned, then those NDAs he signed do have standing. I mentioned he may be granted immunity for his testimony before the intelligence committees, divulging classified information to those committees or members for which they are not cleared is against the law. If the administration wants his ass, then they will not overlook that. And, #3, it's just fun watching the bastards squirm, but the establishment knows how to survive as they hide behind all their arcane rules and regulations. Bet Petraeus doesn't say much impugning POTUS' statements!

[tombogan03884]

He testified today.

[crusader rabbit]

Rush had it pretty much nailed when he said, "Too many generals are taking orders from their privates."

[Sponsor]

[Jrlobo]

Indeed he did testify and he did say one thing that might bite Hussein's butt unless POTUS can come up with yet another fall guy or woman. So, POTUS heads to Myanmar to play goody two shoes with some tyrants and the media will cover that page 1 while the Libyan affair languishes, his SecState won't testify until 2 Dec, by which time the fiscal cliff will dominate the news. A whistleblower is badly needed here.

[Rastus]

One other thing to remember about ADM Gaoutte is that ANYTHING leaving the Gulf to Libya would have to get permission  for overflight authorization from Iraq and Israel at least. ..

So nothing was in the Med?  The Stennis group was in the Gulf?

[jnevis]

So nothing was in the Med?  The Stennis group was in the Gulf?

Exactly, I highly doubt Gaoutte being relieved had anything to do with Libya.  No matter what was happening in Libya, the CSG in the Gulf would not be included in any of the message traffic as a participant, if at all.  He probably got caught banging his aide or got really druck in Dubai.

[santahog]

Exactly, I highly doubt Gaoutte being relieved had anything to do with Libya.  No matter what was happening in Libya, the CSG in the Gulf would not be included in any of the message traffic as a participant, if at all.  He probably got caught banging his aide or got really druck in Dubai.

I'm sorry.. I just don't believe that. What we know about the timing of what transpired in those few minutes doesn't lend itself to some ordinary situation. I just don't believe it..

[jnevis]

I'm sorry.. I just don't believe that. What we know about the timing of what transpired in those few minutes doesn't lend itself to some ordinary situation. I just don't believe it..

That's fine, believe all the conspiracy theories you want.  The reality is a CSG commander in the Gulf has more local and pressing matters to contend with than an attack on an embassy more than 500 miles away in another CSGs AOR.  If the Bengahzi attack was just a precurser to an attack on other embassies and he sent all his assets out of theater he'd be caught with his pants down, probably literally.

Sitting on my desk right now is reports of four Skippers all fired for the same "poor leadership" in a single month.  The Navy has fired 16 Skippers so far this year and a like number of XOs and CMCs, just being an Admiral does not make you imune to it.  Before you all start screaming purge, those numbers have been relatively constant for at least a decade, they are just being reported out beyond the Navy now.  Up until last year the Navy didn't report out on Chiefs being relieved, but since its becoming such an epidemic, the rules changed and MCPON wants them to feel shame.