Retired officer: Obama watched Benghazi attack happen, sources say
Military analyst says that sources told him Obama watched Benghazi attack in real time.
“This was in the middle of the business day in Washington, so everybody at the White House, CIA, Pentagon, everybody was watching this go down,” he said on Fox News’ “Justice with Judge Jeanine.”
“According to my sources, yes, [President Obama] was one of those in the White House Situation Room in real-time watching this,” he added.
Col. David Hunt, a Fox News military analyst, said the "entire U.S. government was paying attention," since this was the fourth embassy to have been attacked in a 24-hour period.
But President Obama said Friday that he was "not personally aware" of any requests for additional security.
"Ultimately, though, any time there is a death of an American overseas, I want to find out what happened because my most important job as president is keeping the American people safe, and we will get to the bottom of what happened," he said during an interview on "The Michael Smerconish Show."
Both military analysts said that only President Obama could have given the order to send military assets into Libya
“He, only he, could issue a directive to Secretary of Defense Panetta to do something. That’s the only place it could be done,” Lt. Col. Shaffer said.
According to Col. Hunt, the military could have had jets on the scene within 20 minutes and special forces on the ground, including a contingent of Delta Force, within two hours.
When asked why Obama wouldn't send help, Col. Hunt said it was "political."
“The issue is always political with the White House, but the secretary of defense gives the order, has to be approved by the White House, they wouldn’t pull the trigger, and it’s disgraceful,” he said.
“We’ve got guys dead,” he added.
Last Wednesday, CNN's Jack Cafferty wrote that politics was behind the administration's continued effort to blame an on-line video for the attack.
"Why did the president and his top lieutenants obfuscate and hem and haw for so long before telling us what really happened? Try politics," he wrote.
Obama, however, maintained that politics had nothing to do with his actions, and public statements made by the administration were based on intelligence available at the time.
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