Did House Republicans Blow The CIA's Benghazi Cover?

[Lakhota]

By Dana Milbank

When House Republicans called a hearing in the middle of their long recess, you knew it would be something big, and indeed it was: They accidentally blew the CIA’s cover.

The purpose of Wednesday’s hearing of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee was to examine security lapses that led to the killing in Benghazi last month of the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three others. But in doing so, the lawmakers reminded us why “congressional intelligence” is an oxymoron.

Through their outbursts, cryptic language and boneheaded questioning of State Department officials, the committee members left little doubt that one of the two compounds at which the Americans were killed, described by the administration as a “consulate” and a nearby “annex,” was a CIA base. They did this, helpfully, in a televised public hearing.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) was the first to unmask the spooks. “Point of order! Point of order!” he called out as a State Department security official, seated in front of an aerial photo of the U.S. facilities in Benghazi, described the chaotic night of the attack. “We’re getting into classified issues that deal with sources and methods that would be totally inappropriate in an open forum such as this.”

A State Department official assured him that the material was “entirely unclassified” and that the photo was from a commercial satellite. “I totally object to the use of that photo,” Chaffetz continued. He went on to say that “I was told specifically while I was in Libya I could not and should not ever talk about what you’re showing here today.”

Now that Chaffetz had alerted potential bad guys that something valuable was in the photo, the chairman, Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), attempted to lock the barn door through which the horse had just bolted. “I would direct that that chart be taken down,” he said, although it already had been on C-SPAN. “In this hearing room, we’re not going to point out details of what may still in fact be a facility of the United States government or more facilities.”

May still be a facility? The plot thickened — and Chaffetz gave more hints. “I believe that the markings on that map were terribly inappropriate,” he said, adding that “the activities there could cost lives.”

In their questioning and in the public testimony they invited, the lawmakers managed to disclose, without ever mentioning Langley directly, that there was a seven-member “rapid response force” in the compound the State Department was calling an annex. One of the State Department security officials was forced to acknowledge that “not necessarily all of the security people” at the Benghazi compounds “fell under my direct operational control.”

And whose control might they have fallen under? Well, presumably it’s the “other government agency” or “other government entity” the lawmakers and witnesses referred to; Issa informed the public that this agency was not the FBI.

“Other government agency,” or “OGA,” is a common euphemism in Washington for the CIA. This “other government agency,” the lawmakers’ questioning further revealed, was in possession of a video of the attack but wasn’t releasing it because it was undergoing “an investigative process.”

More: Dana Milbank: Letting us in on a secret - The Washington Post

 

[Lakhota]

Darrell Issa is a twisted little freak.

 

[Avatar4321]

Republicans are to blame. Is that all you can ever say? Is it really too much to just accept responsibility for your own actions?

BTW I knew it was CIA. Searching for the weapons Obama provided the rebels im sure.

So were our men killed by the weapons our President gave Al Qaeda? Why doesnt anyone want to answer that question?

 

[Lakhota]

It's God's will...

 

[Lakhota]

In their questioning and in the public testimony they invited, the lawmakers managed to disclose, without ever mentioning Langley directly, that there was a seven-member “rapid response force” in the compound the State Department was calling an annex. One of the State Department security officials was forced to acknowledge that “not necessarily all of the security people” at the Benghazi compounds “fell under my direct operational control.”

Very interesting...

 

[buckeye45_73]

Republicans are to blame. Is that all you can ever say? Is it really too much to just accept responsibility for your own actions?

BTW I knew it was CIA. Searching for the weapons Obama provided the rebels im sure.

So were our men killed by the weapons our President gave Al Qaeda? Why doesnt anyone want to answer that question?

He's a dumbass......I've never seen somone so partisan and stupid.....but apparently they exist

 

[CaféAuLait]

In their questioning and in the public testimony they invited, the lawmakers managed to disclose, without ever mentioning Langley directly, that there was a seven-member “rapid response force” in the compound the State Department was calling an annex. One of the State Department security officials was forced to acknowledge that “not necessarily all of the security people” at the Benghazi compounds “fell under my direct operational control.”

Very interesting...

Why?

 

[Lovebears65]

i was watching an interview about one of the Seals that was shot down in that helicopter right after Bin Ladin was dead .. Obama wanted our soldiers to tell the Afghans all their intels. When they landed, where the special ops were going ect.. Obama gave that helicopter a death sentence because of his rules of engagement.. Because as everyone knows not all the troops we trained are on our side. We see it all the time they turn their guns on our troops
This is from Hannity about this a little bit .. Hannity with Sean Hannity - Fox News