A drone overflying and observing Benghazi during attack???

[Tyler Durden]

If true....

http://twitchy.com/2012/10/21/rupert-murdoch-when-will-obama-come-clean-about-benghazi/?utm_source=autotweet&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=twitter

It is a can of worms and brings up a lot of questions... Like...

Is it SOP for us to have drones orbitting above mid east cities?

Or were US intelligence assets aware that something would be unfolding and sent the drone pre-emptively?

Was the drone armed?

If so, why didn't it attack the terrorists?

Who is watching the livestream and did they send a message to the oval office ?

Are naval intelligence people on ships in the Med able to watch this live stream?

Are naval commanders are privy to that video?

If so, why didn't they send assets to counter the attacks?

[alfsauve]

So many questions.   So few answers.


And the POTUS says that the situation "wasn't optimal". 


My thought:   The current resident of the White House isn't optimal.

[jnevis]

Operationally I highly doubt it was there at the beginning of the attack, but could have gotten overhead near the end.  If a Navy ship in the area had a UAS package aboard they could get it overhead faster, but they specified Predator so it would have come from further out.  They aren't THAT fast.  The Specters and fighters mentioned wouldn't be available either, for the same reason.  Bry the time they arrived on station the attack would have been over. 
Now, if they something overhead at the beginning, the video would be available to anyone in the area.  They would not have been armed or able to use a weapon if it was, due to ROE.

[tombogan03884]

According to a news report a while back (during the flap about BO skipping his intel briefings) Hillery had been warned of something 3 days in advance but did not believe it.
Bearing that in mind it is possible that US intelligence would have had a drone overhead so they could show her video and say "we told you so".
Another consideration is that being able to rub States nose in this would be helpful come budget talks.

[jnevis]

According to a news report a while back (during the flap about BO skipping his intel briefings) Hillery had been warned of something 3 days in advance but did not believe it.
Bearing that in mind it is possible that US intelligence would have had a drone overhead so they could show her video and say "we told you so".
Another consideration is that being able to rub States nose in this would be helpful come budget talks.

There is that...  Not outside the art of the possible. 

[Sponsor]

[Tyler Durden]

Maybe the intell community got wind of something fishey going on inside the administration scheme-wise say like a prisoner exchange... We give Libya the blind sheik and in exchange they give us the Ambassador and whatever other Americans being held hostage.  The Obama comes out smelling like a rose all astute in foreign policy and there is nothing as Presidential or patriotic looking as the CINC welcoming home live Americans to Dover AFB.

So the intell weenies figured it would be a good CYA maneuver to have a drone orbiting over Benghazi that day???

[tombogan03884]

Here's a link to the CBS story

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-33816_162-57536611/could-u.s-military-have-helped-during-libya-attack/?tag=contentAux;mostPopular

[alfsauve]

Maybe the intell community got wind of something fishey going on inside the administration scheme-wise say like a prisoner exchange... We give Libya the blind sheik and in exchange they give us the Ambassador and whatever other Americans being held hostage.  The Obama comes out smelling like a rose all astute in foreign policy and there is nothing as Presidential or patriotic looking as the CINC welcoming home live Americans to Dover AFB.

And somebody forgot to spool the Marine Guards into the loop.

[jnevis]

And somebody forgot to spool the Marine Guards into the loop

There are't any left.  We've been "scaling back" our overseas staffing so most security is made up of locals.  State's DSS only protects key people and certain facilities.

[Tyler Durden]

A few years back I interviewed for DSS.  I waa 36 and a half at the time.  The age cutoff is 37.

Incidents like these make me so glad they wouldn't be able to get my background done in time and I wasn't hired.