Attack in Libya -Yes, it's a big deal

The assassination of our Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, and 3 other good Americans has been growing steadily in the news. It seems as though every day we find out more and more disturbing details about it. I have read comments and columns discussing the attack that say it was everything from an outrageous failure of leadership to something relatively unimportant. Well, I have news for you. It is important. It is a very big deal.

I'm not going to attempt to explain nor judge it here. I am simply going to ask a few questions, the answers to which may (should) result in some serious repercussions, especially for those responsible.

1) It was the anniversary of 9/11. Why did they not increase security to all of our Embassy's and Consulates, especially those in the Middle East?

2) There had been a resent assassination attempt on the British Ambassador to Libya and the British pulled all their people out of that country. Why did we actually reduce the number of security people in Libya?

3) Ambassador Stevens warned repeatedly that the situation was becoming dangerous and that Al Qaeda flags had been seen flying over public buildings. He requested additional security. Why were those requests denied (and by whom)?

4) Who in Washington denied requests for support after the attack started and actually told the security team at the annex to stand down and not got to the Consulates assistance (an order they ignored and as a result they saved the lives of several of our people at the Consulate)?

5) We know that Washington, including the White House Situation Room, was informed, within two hours of the start of the attack, that there was no demonstration and that the attack was sudden and being conducted by trained militants with heavy weapons (mortars and RPGs). That it was precise and well planned. Why, then, did President Obama allow his White House spokesperson, the Secretary of State and the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations make repeated public statements specifically saying the attack was a result of a spontaneous protest to an anti-Muslim video and that there "was no evidence whatsoever that is was a planned attack"?

6) Within hours of the attack and assassination of Ambassador Stevens, with no one sure if there may be more attacks against the Embassy itself, why did the President leave Washington, get on Air Force One and fly to Las Vegas to a re-election campaign fund raising event?

I would also ask what we are planning to do about this. How and when are we going to strike back? What are we doing to hunt down the bad guys and make them face the consequences for their actions? Surely, we are not going to just let this pass? But, going after the bad guys in these cases is something planned deep in the caves of the CIA and Special Operations commands. Talking about them is just a bad idea. So I will have to wait and trust that the President has something planned -an assumption that makes me a little uneasy considering the above unanswered questions....

For now, all I can say now is: Yes, this is a very big deal and the American people are going to demand answers to those questions. People in the Administration responsible for the bad decisions that lead to the deaths of these men and the misleading of the American people with inaccurate statements,  must eventually be held responsible...

Live Long and Prosper...