OS 10243162
If that really WAS the case, Notfooled
It really was the case. You can try to make the case against Jay Carney and whatever you are trying to divert to, but those are probably going nowhere too.
All I can do is provide you with the facts. Here are some of the fact of what Susan Rice said that are irrefutable:
Ambassador Susan Rice, as you can see in the following direct quotes, did not 'blame the movie' or 'blame a crowd' or 'blame a protest' or 'blame a video' for the attacks on Benghazi. On every show she went on she blamed "extremists'. She very clearly stated with the best information we have at the time we 'BLAME':
(a) "individual clusters of extremists who came with heavier weapons"
(b) "extremist elements, individuals, joined in that -- in that effort with heavy weapons"
(c) "opportunistic extremist elements came to the consulate as this was unfolding. They came with heavy weapons"
(d) "and those with extremist ties joined the fray and came with heavy weapons"
RICE: We believe that folks in Benghazi, a small number of people came to the embassy to -- or to the consulate, rather, to replicate the sort of challenge that was posed in Cairo. And then as that unfolded, it seems to have been hijacked, let us say, by some individual clusters of extremists who came with heavier weapons, weapons that as you know in -- in the wake of the revolution in Libya are -- are quite common and accessible. And it then evolved from there. [ABC News, This Week with George Stephanopoulos, 9/16/12]
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it seems to have been hijacked, let us say, by some individual clusters of extremists who came with heavier weapons"
RICE: -- sparked by this hateful video. But soon after that spontaneous protest began outside of our consulate in Benghazi, we believe that it looks like extremist elements, individuals, joined in that -- in that effort with heavy weapons of the sort that are, unfortunately, readily now available in Libya post-revolution. And that it spun from there into something much, much more violent. [CBS News, Face the Nation, 9/16/12]
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it looks like extremist elements, individuals, joined in that -- in that effort with heavy weapons"
SCHIEFFER: Do you agree or disagree with him that al Qaeda had some part in this? ... SUSAN RICE: Well, we'll have to find out that out. I mean I think it's clear that there were extremist elements that joined in and escalated the violence. Whether they were al Qaeda affiliates, whether they were Libyan-based extremists or al Qaeda itself I think is one of the things we'll have to determine. [CBS News, Face the Nation, 9/16/12]
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I think it's clear that there were extremist elements that joined in and escalated the violence"
GREGORY: Well, let's talk -- talk about-- well, you talked about this as spontaneous. Can you say definitively that the attacks on-- on our consulate in Libya that killed ambassador Stevens and others there security personnel, that was spontaneous, was it a planned attack? Was there a terrorist element to it?
MS. RICE: Well, let us-- let me tell you the-- the best information we have at present. First of all, there's an FBI investigation which is ongoing. And we look to that investigation to give us the definitive word as to what transpired. But putting together the best information that we have available to us today our current assessment is that what happened in Benghazi was in fact initially a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired hours before in Cairo, almost a copycat of-- of the demonstrations against our facility in Cairo, which were prompted, of course, by the video. What we think then transpired in Benghazi is that opportunistic extremist elements came to the consulate as this was unfolding. They came with heavy weapons which unfortunately are readily available in post revolutionary Libya. And it escalated into a much more violent episode. Obviously, that's-- that's our best judgment now. We'll await the results of the investigation. And the president has been very clear--we'll work with the Libyan authorities to bring those responsible to justice. [MSNBC, Meet the Press, 9/16/12]
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What we think then transpired in Benghazi is that opportunistic extremist elements came to the consulate as this was unfolding. They came with heavy weapons which unfortunately are readily available in post revolutionary Libya. And it escalated into a much more violent episode."
WALLACE: Let's talk about the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi this week that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.
The top Libyan official says that the attack on Tuesday was, quote, his words "preplanned". Al Qaeda says the operation was revenge for our killing a top Al Qaeda leader.
What do we know?
RICE: Well, first of all, Chris, we are obviously investigating this very closely. The FBI has a lead in this investigation. The information, the best information and the best assessment we have today is that in fact this was not a preplanned, premeditated attack. That what happened initially was that it was a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired in Cairo as a consequence of the video. People gathered outside the embassy and then it grew very violent and those with extremist ties joined the fray and came with heavy weapons, which unfortunately are quite common in post-revolutionary Libya and that then spun out of control.
But we don't see at this point signs this was a coordinated plan, premeditated attack. Obviously, we will wait for the results of the investigation and we don't want to jump to conclusions before then. But I do think it's important for the American people to know our best current assessment. [Fox News, Fox News Sunday, 9/16/12]
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People gathered outside the embassy and then it grew very violent and those with extremist ties joined the fray and came with heavy weapons, which unfortunately are quite common in post-revolutionary Libya and that then spun out of control."
Susan Rice spoke the CIA talking points verbatim. Nothing was altered.