Benghazi – During Attack Denis McDonough and Tom Donilon Replace President Obama and

Interesting assessment:

Benghazi – During Attack Denis McDonough and Tom Donilon Replace President Obama and VP Biden…

Posted on January 5, 2013 by sundance
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Two days ago we posted a discussion around a newly released photo from the White House. The picture was taken in the oval office on Sept 11th 2012:

We thought the picture was worth a thousand words. After research it appears we were correct. Yet again, it provides more sunlight into the events surrounding the Benghazi, Libya events and who made the critical decisions in those moments of crisis.

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(Sept. 11, 2012) – ”Denis McDonough, Deputy National Security Advisor, left,updates the President and Vice President on the situation in the Middle East and North Africa. National Security Advisor Tom Donilon and Chief of Staff Jack Lew are at right.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The picture was taken at exactly 7:28:16pm DC time. It was dusk outside, and President Obama had just completed a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Why is this important? Because we know the conversation lasted an hour.

Sept 11, 2012 President Obama spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu for an hour tonight as a part of their ongoing consultations. The two leaders discussed the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program, and our close cooperation on Iran and other security issues. (link)

So we know the phone call began at around 6:30pm and ended just before 7:26pm.

What is equally important is what was taking place in Libya (Benghazi) during the time the phone call took place.

The attack against the CIA/State Dept. Consulate began at 3:40pm D.C. time.

So this phone call between Benjamin Netanyahu and President Obama started three hours after the attack began.

What is also revealing about this photograph is who was where, why, and what decisions were being made.

It might seem odd that both President Obama and Vice-President Biden would simultaneously be tied up, indeed it is a breach of previously established security protocols for this exact “crisis” and “leadership need” reason.

But, they are used to doing it all the time – and besides, what are the odds of something actually being urgent while they are both engaged, and needing one of them immediately.

Indeed the odds are slim. Slim, but this was one of those moments when it actually existed; and had massive consequences.

You can see the phone notes in the hands of Joe Biden. Actually if you enhance the picture and zoom in on the notes you can see they are notes, in Biden’s handwriting, of the phone call discussion contents between Netanyahu and Obama. Whether or not BiBi knew Biden was also on the call is unknown, but he was indeed taking copious notes.

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(on the left you see the notes from Biden 9/11/12 - on the right you see notes from Biden taken during the Vice-Presidential debate)

We won’t clarify the content of the notes themselves. We have done that part, but in the interest of embarrassing national security, and out of an abundance of caution for the arrival of Black Helicopters, we’ll let you do it on your own. Suffice to say they are notes about the call.

It is important to remember how much flack President/Candidate Obama was getting from the opposition about his previously ignoring Netanyahu around the BiBi United Nations speech.

This call was perceived as important by both the Obama Campaign and White House advisors to a defensive pro-Israel narrative. It could not be skipped by a candidateneeding to assure the Jewish electorate of his Israel-Cred. So from 6:30pm to 7:26 pm both Vice-President, Joe Biden, and President Obama, were “indisposed”.

This phone call took place between 12:30pm and 1:26am Benghazi time. Again, three hours after the attack began at 9:40pm.

According to numerous reports, in Benghazi, around the same time, CIA operatives and former SEAL’s Tyrone Woods and Glenn Doherty were returning from the Consulate complex to the CIA annex with the body of State Dept. Aide to Ambassador Stevens, Sean Smith. Ambassador Stevens was missing.

http://theconservativetreehouse.file...pg?w=640&h=360Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods, Sean Smith

During this Oval Office call, Woods and Doherty were setting up defensive positions on the roof of the CIA annex building and maintaining a defensive perimeter while calling for more support.

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So we know POTUS and VPOTUS were out-of-the-decision-loop. Who was making the decisions on behalf of the Commander and Chief?
Back to the timeline – and remember, this is the TIMED VERSION initially released to the media:

(5 p.m. D.C.): Just ahead of the weekly meeting with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of Joint Chiefs Martin Dempsey, White House National Security Advisor Tom Donilon tells President Obama of the attack and the fire at the main villa….

(6:07 p.m. D.C): An alert from the State Dept. Operations Center states that the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli reports the Islamic military group “Ansar al-Sharia Claims responsibility for Benghazi Attack”… “on Facebook and Twitter and has called for an attack on Embassy Tripoli.”

(6:30 p.m. D.C.) : The Pentagon issues an order to a special operations team in Europe to move to Sigonella, Sicily – less than one hour’s flight away from Benghazi…. [Obama and Biden are now on the phone with Netanyahu] Who is in charge?

(7 p.m. D.C.): The first of two unmanned U.S. Predator drones, which already had been flying over eastern Libya, is diverted to Benghazi, as reported by CBS News’ Sharyl Attkisson and David Martin on Oct. 15. [Obama and Biden are still on the phone with Netanyahu] Who is in charge?

(7:30 p.m. D.C.): A U.S. security team from Embassy Tripoli lands in Benghazi and learn that the ambassador is missing. They try to arrange for transportation into town, with the goal of locating Stevens. [Phone call over - Obama and Biden are being updated by Denis McDonough as per the picture]

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But who was representing the Commander In Chief ? During that critical hour?

(From 2011) With little to no experience guiding them, everything becomes a first-impression type situation to Obama’s inner crew. To the point, Henry Kissinger reportedly, refers to Obama’s group of advisers as, “kids.”[...]

http://nimg.sulekha.com/others/thumb...1-7-8-3-14.jpgOne of Obama’s closest advisers is his Deputy National Security Adviser. The person acting the part of Deputy National Security Adviser is one Denis McDonough. While McDonough enjoys the credentials of a well-educated 41-year-old, he has sparse work experience. Working on the hill as a legislative aide before transferring to a liberal think tank before campaigning for Obama before becoming Deputy National Security Adviser, is good for McDonough but embarrassing to the position which he holds. [...]

McDonough has a reputation around D.C. – as a rabid mind-fixer in his mission to ‘set the record straight’ with democratic politicians and mainstream media types, who dare veer off the political reservation. It’s rather humorous in a way to see a glorified political functionary like McDonough act the part of a seasoned and experienced political heavyweight. McDonough was promoted out of ideological loyalty over convention. Try telling McDonough that and he’ll likely piss ideological vinegar all over you. But the thing with McDonough’s verbal piss, it doesn’t stain things, it can’t… it’s too inexperienced.

Above said, guess who is guiding Obama on the crisis in Egypt and the pending melt-down in the Middle East? If you guessed the low cal aperitivo named Denis McDonough, you would be correct. The United States’ official response to the crisis in Egypt has so far been one big massive embarrassment. President Obama is getting bad advice; advice that is fueling his ideological ego; advice that is clearly immature in nature and devoid of geopolitical experience. (link)

Perhaps this insight from Newt Gingrich , after he spoke to a “key senator” provides some clarity to the “fog”:

“There is a rumor — I want to be clear, it’s a rumor — that at least two networks have emails from the National Security Adviser’s office [Tom Donilon] telling a counterterrorism group to stand down,” [Newt] Gingrich said.” (link)

Newt Gingrich was specifically talking about his knowledge of a communication known by at least one Senator, and given to two media outlets - who did not use it. It makes sense:

Tom Donilon told people to “stand down” while POTUS and VPOTUS were on the phone with BiBi and unable to be interrupted. At 7:26pm (DC) 1:30am (Benghazi) -when this picture was taken – Ty Woods and Glen Doherty were fighting for their lives.

While Denis McDonough was bringing POTUS up to speed, at that exact moment, events in Benghazi had spiraled. What took place next, and why they did not reverse the “stand down call” is unknown.

Perhaps they considered it too late, after all, this 7:26pm update revealed the status of Ambassador Stevens as “Missing presumed Dead”. Damage control time…..

Denis McDonough jumped into action and provided the good cover story.
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The cover story already existed because earlier in the same day the State Dept was getting questioned about the attack in Cairo, Egypt. Again, at another embassy – and a story had already begun about a U-Tube video.
Just continue the same narrative story.

Which he did, effectively, the following day: [McDonough on Sept 12th]

“This work takes on added urgency given the truly abhorrent video that has offended so many people–Muslims, and non-Muslims alike—in our country and around the world.” (link)

After all, it was this same 41-year-old ”kid”, who was the key deflector between POTUS and the crisis that was “Fast and Furious“:

“Investigative journalists have provided details on McDonough’s background and work history in politics, but the information that makes McDonough relevant to the continually breaking news on the Fast and Furious scandal is his role in silencing complaints from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)…” (link)

“A Thousand Words” indeed:
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From the Conservative Treehouse
Benghazi – During Attack Denis McDonough and Tom Donilon Replace President Obama and VP Biden… | The Last Refuge

Obama's media hit man linked to Fast and Furious

• FAST AND FURIOUS SCANDAL
• JUNE 18, 2012
• BY: ANTHONY MARTIN

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D

A name that most Americans have probably never heard is Denis McDonough, who serves as Deputy National Security Adviser for the President. But McDonough is perhaps one of the two or three most influential advisers on the Obama team, and he is now directly linked to the Fast and Furious scandal.
According to an exclusive report published today, McDonough's relationship with the President goes far beyond the political and professional. The two are close friends. McDonough is Obama's basketball buddy. And it is McDonough who has interjected himself as Obama's protector, a "media hit man" of sorts who will dress down reporters in a heartbeat if they veer off of the official Administration spin.

Investigative journalists have provided details on McDonough's background and work history in politics, but the information that makes McDonough relevant to the continually breaking news on the Fast and Furious scandal is his role in silencing complaints from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) about the "gunwalking" activity of the ATF and the FBI.

As early as October of 2009 the CIA and the DEA had sent complaints about the Fast and Furious operation through their respective chains of command, eventually making their way directly to theNational Security Council (NSC) at the White House.

The NSC is the entity that has been previously established as the direct link between the Fast and Furious operation and the White House itself.
As members of the NSC, McDonough, Fast and Furious central figure Kevin O'Reilly, and O'Reilly's boss Dan Restrepo were all informed about the complaints lodged by the CIA and DEA.

A biographical sketch of McDonough at the time described him as Obama's most influential foreign policy adviser and a "tough guy."

Thus, when news reached the NSC concerning complaints about Fast and Furious from the CIA and the DEA, the word that was sent back to the agencies was a vehement "butt out," according to the report issued today.

Given that the President meets on a regular basis with the NSC, sometimes on a daily or weekly basis depending on current events, it would be a stretch to conclude that Obama knew nothing of the Fast and Furious operation from the start. And given that his most influential adviser on the NSC, McDonough, was a close friend and basketball buddy, the suggestion that the President was kept uninformed about the operation is virtually ludicrous.

Further, when it became clear that NSC member Kevin O'Reilly was being transferred to the State Department, where he was then assigned to Iraq to prevent the Darrell Issa committee in the House from questioning him about Fast and Furious, it was McDonough who became the NSC point man concerning the Gunwalker operation.

O'Reilly had begun to exchange emails in March of 2009 about the Fast and Furious operation with Phoenix ATF Field Division Special Agent in Charge William Newell. When the Issa committee began investigating the Fast and Furious scandal in 2011, O'Reilly was identified as a key witness that Issa wished to question.

But by that time O'Reilly had already been transferred to the State Department and shipped out of the country to Iraq, where he remained out of reach. The State Department has also been implicated in the Fast and Furious scandal.
Hillary Clinton is O'Reilly's boss at the State Department.

McDonough, however, filled the role previously held by O'Reilly on the NSC. McDonough's boss, Dan Restrepo, had also been fully briefed on all communication between O'Reilly and Newell.

Thus, the NSC was fully in on the scandal from the beginning, including Obama's close friend and top adviser Denis McDonough.

The vast significance of this revelation lies in the fact that it places the scandal ever closer toBarack Obama himself.

Obama's media hit man linked to Fast and Furious - National Conservative | Examiner.com