Taliban 2.0 - Made possible by POTUS & Hillary

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

These are the three kindest words I can use in conjunction with the dunderhead that sits in the White House and the failure that was his Secretary of State.

Obama & Hillary caused this issue in Iraq to become reality by emboldening the Jihhadists, arming them in Libya, failing in Benghazi and showing them that our WH would be unwilling to do anything to save our own people.

Take a good look at this HUMVEE as you and I paid for it.  It sits abandoned in Tikrit as Iraq's military was unable to defend themselves. Obama allowed this to happen with his cowardly cut & run.

Experts said so in 2008-2010.  Iraq was not ready to defend themselves.  They needed more time.  But President Stompy Foot decided in his infinite wisdom to withdraw our forces.

What an idiot.  Now, all we fought for and all we did to help Iraq will go to waste due to one imbicile who should never have been allowed to be POTUS.

I'd go on further but all it's doing is making me angrier.  I was in Fallujah from 2004-2005 and I saw the suffering of the Iraqis.  That will be nothing compared to what ISIS will do to them.

Taliban 2.0 - The shitstorm has yet to begin and it all falls on the idiot that fools elected President.

He owns this.

Benghazi witness gets last message from Ambassador Stevens

The truth is coming out.  Benghazi hearings will be held this week and the cover-up by Obama and Hillary Clinton will be proven.

#Benghazi witness -Ambassador Steven's last message to Greg Hicks, " Greg, we are under attack..." ijreview.com/2013/05/50193-… WH & #Hillary LIED
— Middleboro Jones (@Leadership_One) May 6, 2013

President Obama & Hillary Clinton - Guilty of Dereliction of Duty and Cowardice in the face of the enemy on Benghazi

As previously stated, I use the definitions of words to clarify a statement, such as today

Dereliction of duty generally refers a failure by a President or Senior Official to abide by the standing rules of the constitution or by-laws or perform the duties of the position appointed to.

Likewise, based on their actions, they have displayed cowardice in the face of the enemy.  No words can express the contempt all decent people feel for such abject cowardice.

By any reasonable standard of conduct as officers of our government, the President and Secretary Clinton as guilty of both offenses based on their lies and inaction on Benghazi.

I leave it up to you to decide what you believe, but I feel that they have both committed actions which should require an impeachment for the President and charges against Hillary Clinton being responsible for the deaths of 4 men along with lying to Congress.

Enclosed is a great write up of the lies and Bullsh-t that has been put out by the White House.

It is a sad day when the American People allow these two incompetents to stonewall us about what happened on that sad day in our country's history.

Published on The Weekly Standard (http://www.weeklystandard.com)

---

The Benghazi Talking Points

ADVANCE ARTICLE from the May 13, 2013 issue.

Stephen F. Hayes

May 13, 2013, Vol. 18, No. 33

Even as the White House strove last week to move beyond questions about the Benghazi attacks of Tuesday, September 11, 2012, fresh evidence emerged that senior Obama administration officials knowingly misled the country about what had happened in the days following the assaults. The Weekly Standard has obtained a timeline briefed by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence detailing the heavy substantive revisions made to the CIA’s talking points, just six weeks before the 2012 presidential election, and additional information about why the changes were made and by whom. 

As intelligence officials pieced together the puzzle of events unfolding in Libya, they concluded even before the assaults had ended that al Qaeda-linked terrorists were involved. Senior administration officials, however, sought to obscure the emerging picture and downplay the significance of attacks that killed a U.S. ambassador and three other Americans. The frantic process that produced the changes to the talking points took place over a 24-hour period just one day before Susan Rice, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, made her now-famous appearances on the Sunday television talk shows. The discussions involved senior officials from the State Department, the National Security Council, the CIA, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the White House.  

The exchange of emails is laid out in a 43-page report from the chairmen of five committees in the House of Representatives. Although the investigation was conducted by Republicans, leading some reporters and commentators to dismiss it, the report quotes directly from emails between top administration and intelligence officials, and it includes footnotes indicating the times the messages were sent. In some cases, the report did not provide the names of the senders, but The Weekly Standard has confirmed the identities of the authors of two critical emails—one indicating the main reason for the changes and the other announcing that the talking points would receive their final substantive rewrite at a meeting of top administration officials on Saturday, September 15.

The White House provided the emails to members of the House and Senate intelligence committees for a limited time and with the stipulation that the documents were available for review only and would not be turned over to the committees. The White House and committee leadership agreed to that arrangement as part of a deal that would keep Republican senators from blocking the confirmation of John Brennan, the president’s choice to run the CIA. If the House report provides an accurate and complete depiction of the emails, it is clear that senior administration officials engaged in a wholesale rewriting of intelligence assessments about Benghazi in order to mislead the public.

The Weekly Standard sought comment  from officials at the White House, the State Department, and the CIA, but received none by press time. Within hours of the initial attack on the U.S. facility, the State Department Operations Center sent out two alerts. The first, at 4:05 p.m. (all times are Eastern Standard Time), indicated that the compound was under attack; the second, at 6:08 p.m., indicated that Ansar al Sharia, an al Qaeda-linked terrorist group operating in Libya, had claimed credit for the attack. According to the House report, these alerts were circulated widely inside the government, including at the highest levels. The fighting in Benghazi continued for another several hours, so top Obama administration officials were told even as the fighting was taking place that U.S. diplomats and intelligence operatives were likely being attacked by al Qaeda-affiliated terrorists. A cable sent the following day, September 12, by the CIA station chief in Libya, reported that eyewitnesses confirmed the participation of Islamic militants and made clear that U.S. facilities in Benghazi had come under terrorist attack. It was this fact, along with several others, that top Obama officials would work so hard to obscure.

After a briefing on Capitol Hill by CIA director David Petraeus, Democrat Dutch Ruppersburger, the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, asked the intelligence community for unclassified guidance on what members of Congress could say in their public comments on the attacks. The CIA’s Office of Terrorism Analysis prepared the first draft of a response to the congressman, which was distributed internally for comment at 11:15 a.m. on Friday, September 14 (Version 1 at right). This initial CIA draft included the assertion that the U.S. government “know[s] that Islamic extremists with ties to al Qaeda participated in the attack.” That draft also noted that press reports “linked the attack to Ansar al Sharia. The group has since released a statement that its leadership did not order the attacks, but did not deny that some of its members were involved.” Ansar al Sharia, the CIA draft continued, aims to spread sharia law in Libya and “emphasizes the need for jihad.” The agency draft also raised the prospect that the facilities had been the subject of jihadist surveillance and offered a reminder that in the previous six months there had been “at least five other attacks against foreign interests in Benghazi by unidentified assailants, including the June attack against the British Ambassador’s convoy.”

After the internal distribution, CIA officials amended that draft to include more information about the jihadist threat in both Egypt and Libya. “On 10 September we warned of social media reports calling for a demonstration in front of the [Cairo] Embassy and that jihadists were threatening to break into the Embassy,” the agency had added by late afternoon. And: “The Agency has produced numerous pieces on the threat of extremists linked to al Qaeda in Benghazi and Libya.” But elsewhere, CIA officials pulled back. The reference to “Islamic extremists” no longer specified “Islamic extremists with ties to al Qaeda,” and the initial reference to “attacks” in Benghazi was changed to “demonstrations.”

The talking points were first distributed to officials in the interagency vetting process at 6:52 p.m. on Friday. Less than an hour later, at 7:39 p.m., an individual identified in the House report only as a “senior State Department official” responded to raise “serious concerns” about the draft. That official, whom The Weekly Standard has confirmed was State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland, worried that members of Congress would use the talking points to criticize the State Department for “not paying attention to Agency warnings.”

In an attempt to address those concerns, CIA officials cut all references to Ansar al Sharia and made minor tweaks. But in a follow-up email at 9:24 p.m., Nuland wrote that the problem remained and that her superiors—she did not say which ones—were unhappy. The changes, she wrote, did not “resolve all my issues or those of my building leadership,” and State Department leadership was contacting National Security Council officials directly. Moments later, according to the House report, “White House officials responded by stating that the State Department’s concerns would have to be taken into account.” One official—Ben Rhodes, The Weekly Standard is told, a top adviser to President Obama on national security and foreign policy—further advised the group that the issues would be resolved in a meeting of top administration officials the following morning at the White House.

There is little information about what happened at that meeting of the Deputies Committee. But according to two officials with knowledge of the process, Mike Morrell, deputy director of the CIA, made broad changes to the draft afterwards. Morrell cut all or parts of four paragraphs of the six-paragraph talking points—148 of its 248 words (see Version 2 above). Gone were the reference to “Islamic extremists,” the reminders of agency warnings about al Qaeda in Libya, the reference to “jihadists” in Cairo, the mention of possible surveillance of the facility in Benghazi, and the report of five previous attacks on foreign interests. 

What remained—and would be included in the final version of the talking points—was mostly boilerplate about ongoing investigations and working with the Libyan government, together with bland language suggesting that the “violent demonstrations”—no longer “attacks”—were spontaneous responses to protests in Egypt and may have included generic “extremists” (see Version 3 above).

If the story of what happened in Benghazi was dramatically stripped down from the first draft of the CIA’s talking points to the version that emerged after the Deputies Committee meeting, the narrative would soon be built up again. In ensuing days, administration officials emphasized a “demonstration” in front of the U.S. facility in Benghazi and claimed that the demonstrators were provoked by a YouTube video. The CIA had softened “attack” to “demonstration.” But as soon became clear, there had been no demonstration in Benghazi.

More troubling was the YouTube video. Rice would spend much time on the Sunday talk shows pointing to this video as the trigger of the chaos in Benghazi. “What sparked the violence was a very hateful video on the Internet. It was a reaction to a video that had nothing to do with the United States.” There is no mention of any “video” in any of the many drafts of the talking points.
Still, top Obama officials would point to the video to explain Benghazi. President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton even denounced the video in a sort of diplomatic public service announcement in Pakistan. In a speech at the United Nations on September 25, the president mentioned the video several times in connection with Benghazi.

On September 17, the day after Rice appeared on the Sunday shows, Nuland defended Rice’s performance during the daily briefing at the State Department. “What I will say, though, is that Ambassador Rice, in her comments on every network over the weekend, was very clear, very precise, about what our initial assessment of what happened is. And this was not just her assessment, it was also an assessment you’ve heard in comments coming from the intelligence community, in comments coming from the White House.”

It was a preview of the administration’s defense of its claims on Ben­ghazi. After pushing the intelligence community to revise its talking points to fit the administration’s preferred narrative, administration officials would point fingers at the intelligence community when parts of that narrative were shown to be misleading or simply untrue.

And at times, members of the intelligence community appeared eager to help. On September 28, a statement from ODNI seemed designed to quiet the growing furor over the administration’s explanations of Benghazi. “In the immediate aftermath, there was information that led us to assess that the attack began spontaneously following protests earlier that day at our embassy in Cairo. We provided that initial assessment to Executive Branch officials and members of Congress, who used that information to discuss the attack publicly and provide updates as they became available.”

The statement continued: “As we learned more about the attack, we revised our initial assessment to reflect new information indicating that it was a deliberate and organized attack carried out by extremists. It remains unclear if any group or person exercised overall command and control of the attack, and if extremist group leaders directed their members to participate. However, we do assess that some of those involved were linked to groups affiliated with, or sympathetic to al Qaeda.”
The statement strongly implies that the information about al Qaeda-linked terrorists was new, a revision of the initial assessment. But it wasn’t. Indeed, the original assessment stated, without qualification, “we do know that Islamic extremists with ties to al Qaeda participated in the attack.”
The statement from the ODNI came not from James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, but from his spokesman, Shawn Turner. When the statement was released, current and former intelligence officials told The Weekly Standard that they found the statement itself odd and the fact that it didn’t come from Clapper stranger still. Clapper was traveling when he was first shown a draft of the statement to go out under his name. It is not an accident that it didn’t.

The revelations about exactly how the talking points were written, revised, and then embellished come amid renewed scrutiny of the administration’s handling of Benghazi. Fox News spoke to a Special Ops soldier last week who raised new questions about what happened during the attack, and the State Department’s inspector general acknowledged that the office would be investigating the production of the Administrative Review Board report on the attacks because of concerns that investigators did not speak to a broad spectrum of individuals with knowledge of the attack and its aftermath. On May 8, the House Oversight and Government Reform committee will hold another hearing on the matter. And Republicans in Congress have asked the administration to release all of the emails, something that would further clarify how the changes came about.

Stephen F. Hayes is a senior writer at The Weekly Standard.

Open Letter to the U.S. House of Representatives on Benghazi - We owe the truth to the American people and the families of the fallen.

Agreed on all points with my shipmates - Bravo Zulu to them on pursuing this issue as it matters.

We owe the truth to the American people and the families of the fallen.

Honor, courage and commitment was these warriors credo.  President Obama and Hillary Clinton have participated in a cover-up larger than Watergate.  4 good men died and no one has been held responsible for the failure to protect our people.

From Special Operations Speaks -

http://specialoperationsspeaks.com/articles/open-letter-to-the-us-house-of-representatives

Open Letter to the U.S. House of Representatives

April 8, 2013

To: Members of The U.S. House of Representatives

Subject: The Benghazi attacks on 9/11/ 2012

The undersigned are a representative group of some 700 retired Military Special Operations professionals who spent the majority of their careers preparing for and executing myriad operations to rescue or recover detained or threatened fellow Americans. In fact, many of us participated in both the Vietnam era POW rescue effort, The Son Tay Raid, as well as Operation Eagle Claw, the failed rescue attempt in April of 1980 in Iran, so we have been at this for many years and have a deep passion for seeking the truth about what happened during the national tragedy in Benghazi.

The purpose of this letter is to encourage all members of the US House of Representatives to support H.Res. 36, which will create a House Select Committee on the Terrorist Attack in Benghazi. It is essential that a full accounting of the events of September 11, 2012, be provided and that the American public be fully informed regarding this egregious terrorist attack on US diplomatic personnel and facilities. We owe that truth to the American people and the families of the fallen.

It appears that many of the facts and details surrounding the terrorist attack which resulted in four American deaths and an undetermined number of American casualties have not yet been ascertained by previous hearings and inquiries. Additional information is now slowly surfacing in the media, which makes a comprehensive bipartisan inquiry an imperative. Many questions have not been answered thus far. The House Select Committee should address, at a minimum, the following questions:

1. Why was there no military response to the events in Benghazi?

a. Were military assets in the region available? If not, why not?

b. If so, were they alerted?

c. Were assets deployed to any location in preparation for a rescue or recovery attempt?

d. Was military assistance requested by the Department of State? If so, what type?

e. Were any US Army/Naval/USMC assets available to support the US diplomats in Benghazi during the attack?

f. What, if any, recommendations for military action were made by DOD and the US Africa Command?

2. What, if any, non-military assistance was provided during the attack?

3. How many US personnel were injured in Benghazi?

4. Why have the survivors of the attack not been questioned?

5. Where are the survivors?

6. Who was in the White House Situation Room (WHSR) during the entire 8-hour period of the attacks, and was a senior US military officer present?

7. Where were Leon Panetta and General Martin Dempsey during the crisis, and what inputs and recommendations did they make?

8. Where were Tom Donilon, the National Security Advisor, Denis McDonough, his deputy, Valerie Jarrett and John Brennan during the attacks, and what (if any) recommendations or decisions did any of them make?

9. Why were F-16 fighter aircraft based in Aviano, Italy (less than two hours away) never considered a viable option for disruption (if not dispersal) of the attackers until “boots on the ground” (troop support--General Dempsey’s words) arrived?

10. Were any strike aircraft (such as an AC-130 gunship) in the area or possibly overhead that would cause former SEAL Tyrone Woods to laser-designate his attacker’s position and call for gunship fire support, thereby revealing his own location that led to his death?

11. Who gave the order to “STAND DOWN” that was heard repeatedly during the attacks?

12. What threat warnings existed before the attack, and what were the DOD and DOS responses to those warnings? What data (which will reveal exact timelines and command decisions) is contained within the various SITREPS, records, logs, videos and recordings maintained by the myriad of DOD, Intelligence Community and State Department Command Centers that were monitoring the events in Benghazi as they unfolded?

13. Why did the Commander-in Chief and Secretary of State never once check in during the night to find out the status of the crisis situation in Benghazi?

14. What was the nature of Ambassador Stevens’ business in Benghazi at the time of the attack?

15. What guidance has been provided to survivors and family members since the time of the attack, and who issued that guidance?

16. Why are so many agencies now requiring their personnel that were involved in or have access to information regarding the events that took place in Benghazi sign Non-Disclosure Agreements?

This was the most severe attack on American diplomatic facilities and personnel since the attacks on the US Embassies in Tanzania and Kenya in 1998. Thus far, it appears that there has been no serious effort to determine critical details of this attack. This is inexcusable and demands immediate attention by the Congress. Congress must show some leadership and provide answers to the public as to what actually occurred in Benghazi. Americans have a right to demand a full accounting on this issue.

A longstanding American ethos was breached during the terrorist attack in Benghazi. America failed to provide adequate security to personnel deployed into harm’s way and then failed to respond when they were viciously attacked. Clearly, this is unacceptable and requires accountability. America has always held to the notion that no American will be left behind and that every effort will be made to respond when US personnel are threatened. Given our backgrounds, we are concerned that this sends a very negative message to future military and diplomatic personnel who may be deployed into dangerous environments. That message is that they will be left to their own devices when attacked. That is an unacceptable message.

The House Select Committee should focus on getting a detailed account of the events in Benghazi as soon as possible. H. Res. 36 will provide a structure for the conduct of a thorough inquiry of Benghazi and should be convened immediately.

We ask that you fulfill your responsibilities to the American people and take appropriate action regarding Benghazi. With over sixty members of the US House of Representatives calling for this Select Committee already, it seems that the time is right to take appropriate action on Benghazi.

Sign the Petition - http://specialoperationsspeaks.com/petition/benghazigate-petition

Signed:

Lt Gen Leroy J. Manor, USAF (Ret)
Commanding General, Son Tay POW Raid

LTG William G. (Jerry) Boykin, USA (Ret)
Special Forces/Ranger

Larry W. Bailey, CAPT, USN (Ret.)
SOS Founder & SEAL Coordinator

Richard F. (Dick) Brauer, Col, USAF (Ret)
SOS Founder & Air Commando Coordinator

Michael Thornton, LT, USN SEAL (Ret.)
Medal of Honor

Thomas R. Norris, LT, USNR SEAL (Ret.)
Medal of Honor

LTG Bruce Fister, USAF (Ret) AFSOC Commanding General

LTG Michael F. Spigelmire, USA (Ret) Sp Forces, former CG USASOC

LTG Dell Dailey, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTG David P. Fridovich, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MG Robert Patterson, USAF (Ret) Air Commando, former CG, 23AF

MG James Guest, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MG Jim Hobson, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

MG John K. "Jack" Singlaub, USA (Ret), OSS and MACV-SOG

MG David A. Morris, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MG John M. McBroom, USAF (Ret) Fighter Pilot

MG Sid Shachnow, USA (Ret), Special Forces

MG Richard "Dick" Scholtes, USA (Ret) CG, JSOC

MG Joe Boyersmith, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

MG David Baratto, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MG Ed Scholes, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MG Paul E. Vallely , USA (Ret) Ranger/PSYOP/Commander SOF

BG Joe Stringham, USA (Ret) SF/Ranger

RADM George Worthington, USN SEAL (Ret.)

BG Samuel Thompson III, USA (Ret) Special Forces

BG George Gaspard Jr. USA (Ret) Special Forces

BG Stuart Pike, USA (Ret) Special Forces

Col Tom Bradley, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

Col Loren A. Rodway, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

Col Jim Kyle, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

Col George Ferkes USAF (Ret) Air Commando

Col John Harbison, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

Col Ken Poole, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

Col Mike Flynt, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

Col Don Panzenhagen, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

COL George R. Randy" Givens, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Jack Peevy, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Rodger Slaughter, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Darrell W. Katz, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Thomas Hoyt Davis III, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Robert W. Lockridge, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Wylie W. Johnson, USAR, (Ret) Special Forces

COL John P. McMullen, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Kevin B. Rue, USAR (Ret) Ranger

COL Lawrence Draper, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Clyde Wadsworth, USA (Ret) Special Forces

Col Steve (Mac) McIsaac, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

COL John P. Dolan, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Allen F. Fleming Jr., USA (Ret) Special Forces/MACV-SOG

COL John Corley, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Bill Duesberry, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Edward R. Ager Jr., USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Sully DeFontaine, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Jack Farr, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Aviation/PSYOP/CA

COL Allen L. Bucknell, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CAPT Ted Hammond, USNR/SEAL (Ret.)

CAPT Frank Butler, USN SEAL (Ret.)CAPT Ron Yeaw, USN/SEAL (Ret.)

Col John Gargus, USAF (Ret) Air Commando/Son Tay Raider

COL Bob Morris, USA (Ret) Ranger

COL Stan Shaneyfelt, USA (Ret) Ranger

Col Roland Guidry, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

Col Ron Jones, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

COL Nick Hubbell, USA (Ret) Special Forces

Col Forrest M. Kimsey, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

Col John Harbison, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

Col John Arnold, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

Col Phillip E. Glenn, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

Col J. Briggs Diuguid, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

Col John "Pappy" Gallagher, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

COL Lance E. Booth, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Hawk Holloway, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Donald W. Drasheff, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Gordon Arabian, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Max F. Newman, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Jack Farr, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Rodger Slaughter, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Tom Rendall, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

COL David E. Stark, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL James P. Nelson, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Michael Kershner, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Mark D. Boyatt, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Richard N. Helfer, USA (Ret) Special Forces

COL Lincoln (Linc) German, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

COL Carlos A. Burgos, USA (Ret) Special Forces

Col Robert "Bob" Brenci, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

Col Herman (Bubber) Youngblood, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

Col Lee Hess, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

COL James T. Laroe, USA (Ret) Special Forces

Col Ray Turczynski, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

COL Richard T. Dillon, USA (Ret), Aviation

COL Duncan M. "Pete" Thompson Sr, USA (Ret) Special Forces

Col Dave Blizzard, USMC (Ret) Force Recon

CAPT Joseph R. John, USN SEAL (Ret.)

CAPT Norman Olson, USN SEAL (Ret.)

CAPT Richard W. Hoff, USN SEAL (Ret.)

LTC Jim Horris, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Richard Pack, USA (Ret) Ranger

LTC Raymond Morris, USA Special Forces (Ret.)

LTC Ben Prater, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC S. "West" Summers Jr., USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Robert Kolpien, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Michael O'Byrne, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Harvey M. Johnson III, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Dreher Kinney III, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC C.R. "Rex" Crigger, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

LTC Michael Lyons, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Kevin Dragnett, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Bill Behrens, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Robert Closson, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Charles Zimmerman, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Robert L. Leites, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Charles Revie, USA (Ret) Ranger

LTC Donald L. Briere, USA (Ret) Special Forces/SFOD-D

LTC Brett A. Francis, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Jeffrey S. Prough, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC John Armstrong, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Civil Affairs

LTC Joseph Jacobowski, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

LTC Pete Cafaro, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Edward Wolcoff, USA (Ret), Special Forces

LTC Geoff Barker, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

LTC Stephen Muskett, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC David S. Keith, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Kevin Reece, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Mark Grdovic, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Richard A. Evans, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Phillip B. Wyllie, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Daniel M. Ward, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Michael A. Cruz, US ARMY Special Forces

Lt Col JVO Weaver, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

LTC Ben Morris, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Allen D. Butler, USA (Ret), Aviation

Lt Col Percy Dunagin, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

Lt Col John Anderson, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

LTC Arnold W. Peterman Jr, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Peter Marceau, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Michael D. "Mick" Colgan, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Mark A. Beattie, USA (Ret) Special Forces

Lt Col Emil "Max" Friedauer, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

CDR Paul Evancoe, USN SEAL (Ret.)

LTC Ken Benway, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Ray T. Oden, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Michael Babb, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Gary Danley, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Alex R. Lizardo, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Steven K. (Kelly) Snapp, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC A. Dwayne Aaron, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Larry Little, USA (Ret) Aviation

LTC Fred Lindsey, USA (Ret) Special Forces/MACV-SOG

LTC John F. Downey, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC Cecil Bailey, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LTC John L. "Dusty" Deryck, USA (Ret) Aviation

Lt Col Jim Lawrence, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

LtCol William Cowan, USMC Recon (Ret.)

LTC Jimmie D. Sullivan, USAR (Ret) Special Forces

MAJ Clifford Andersen, USAR (Ret) Special Forces

MAJ Daniel L. "Danny" Harrington, USA (Ret) Special Forces

Maj Steve James, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

Maj Bob Krueger, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

MAJ Gene R. Bacon, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MAJ Bill Patton, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MAJ Patrick Desmond,USA (Ret) Special Forces

MAJ Julian P. Turner, USA (Ret) Ranger

MAJ George Gaspard III, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MAJ R. V. Giroux, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MAJ Anthony M. Jones,USA (Ret) Special Forces

MAJ Robert A. Mathews, USMC (Ret) Force Recon

Maj Doug Ulery, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

MAJ James T. Soper, USA (Ret), Ranger

MAJ Joel Rieman, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CDR Kevin C. Walters, USN/SEAL (Ret.)

MAJ Roy Sayer, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MAJ Timothy Howle, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MAJ Nelson Bernard "Beny" Neff II, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MAJ Mark A. Smith, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

MAJ Kevin N. Knapp, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MAJ Kent M. Elliot, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MAJ Clifford Barber, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MAJ Jim Grimshaw, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

MAJ Chris Brewer, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MAJ Charles J. Watts, USA (Ret) Special Forces

Maj William "Bill" Morrell, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

MAJ Dave Morehouse, USA (Ret) Ranger

MAJ Charles Gallagher, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MAJ Thomas Humphus, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MAJ Jerry L. Cooper, USA, (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

MAJ Mike Linnane, USA Ret) Special Forces

MAJ Thomas A. Person, USA (Ret) Ranger

MAJ Fred Karnes, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MAJ Tom Greer, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MAJ Pat W. Mitchel, USA (Ret) Special Forces

LCDR Samuel Miess, USN/SEAL (Ret.)

LCDR Bill Langley, USN/SEAL (Ret.)

LCDR William T. "Bill" Davis, USN SEAL (Ret.)

LCDR Thomas R. Truxell, USN/SEAL (Ret.)

LCDR Bill Bentley, USN SEAL (Ret.)

LCDR Joe Hunt, USN/SEAL/USCG (Ret.)

LT James Tyrie, USN/SEAL (Ret.)

LT Keen Bradley, USN/SEAL (Ret.)

Capt James Brenci, USAFR, Air Commando

CPT Robert J. Fair, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPT Jeffrey C. Long, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPT Gary Honold, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPT Don Bendell, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPT Robert L. Woodfork,USA (Ret) Special Forces

Capt Paul D. Copher Jr., USAF (Ret) Air Commando

CPT "Cork" Motsett, USA (Hon Med Discharge), USA, Special Forces

CPT Brett Patron, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPT W. F. "Walt" Emerson, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPT Dale R. Simmons, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPT Charles Sands, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPT Stuart K. Weber, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPT Bryan L. Brooks, USA (Ret) Special Forces

Capt Rogers Stevens, USAF, (Ret) Air Commando

CPT Lewis Arnold, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPT Fred Iacobelli, USA (Veteran) Vietnam

CPT Dennis Murphy, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPT Michael Hawkeye, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPT Robert J. Van Hoof, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPT Garth S. Estadt, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPT John Hammack, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPT Richard Pait, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPT Robert D. Hickson Jr., USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPT Gregory Miller, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPT Russell E. Cummings, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPT J. "Jay" Paton Dellow, USAR (Ret) Special Forces

CPT Jon B. Wang, USA (Veteran), Special Forces

CPT Doug Mason, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

CPT Tommy Shook, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

CPT Richard L. Harvey, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPT Patrick M. Kinsey, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPT Robert L. Noe, USA (Ret) Special Forces/MACV-SOG

1LT Michael Ash, USA (Ret) Special Forces/MACV-SOG

1 Lt Mark Austin Byrd, USMC (Ret) Aviation/MACV-SOG

CMSgt Nicholas "Nick" Kiraly, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

SMSgt Johnny Pantages, USAF (Ret) Air Commando/Special Tactics

SMSgt Donald R. Williams, USAF (Ret) MACV-SOG

CSM GARY l. Baura, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Anthony J Doldo, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGT Dennis "Denny" Baum, USA, Recondo

SFC S. West Summers III, USA, KIA 2/8/09, Special Forces

SSG Craig J. Rutherford, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CW3 Michael Roth, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Ken Bradshaw, USAR (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Jon S. White, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Cuitahuac Weber, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGT Kenneth Potter, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Robert L. Selmer II, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Glenn O. Ulman, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Chris Crain, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG John D. Morris, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CSM Jorge Reyes, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Miles Lee White, USA (Veteran) Special Forces

SGT Stephen M. Goth, USA (Ret) Special Forces/MACV-SOG

SGT Alan N. Kelley, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Lanny Lucero, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Stephen M. Thayer, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SOC Douglas Norway, USN/SEAL (Ret.)

CW4 Jeffrey Mallette, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Robert K. "Bobby" Parker, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Lou Faulkner, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Carlos Westling, USA (Ret) Special Forces/SFOD-D

CW4 Jim (Hoverin Hud) Hudson, USA (Ret) Aviation/160SOAR

1SG James E. McDougal, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CSM Rex Crawford, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CW4 John "Chet" Hayward, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

1SG Clete Sinyard, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SSG Walter R. Anderson, USA (Veteran) Special Forces

MSG Ronnie L. Raikes, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Michael Birky, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Michael D. De Rosa, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Kevin R. C. O'Brien, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Jay M. Massey, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGT Theodore D. Aslund USA (Veteran) Special Forces

SFC Kerry Alzner, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGT Dennis M. Foy, USA (Ret) Special Forces

BM2 Wallace D. Whitley, USN/SEAL (Ret.)

SSgt Eric Roberts, USAF, (Ret) Aviation

MSG Larry M. Busbee, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG David J. Lamorte, USA (Ret) Special Forces/CIA

SGT Frank Maiorano, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Robert Allard, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CSM Thomas B. Jackson, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Bob Seifert, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Timothy A. Dedie, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Leo Joseph Van Deusen I, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGT Leo Van Deusen II, USA (Veteran) Special Forces

SGM Donald Weichold, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Adolph G. Reyes, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CSM Robert S. Domina, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SSG James Vaughn, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Mike Maricle, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Clarence Page, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SOCS David R. Havens II, USN/SEAL (Ret.)

SGT Keith Hendricks, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CW3 William Arrot Jr. USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Bradley Adair, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Kirk A. Pope Jr. USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Scott K. Fagan, USA (Ret) Special Forces

1SG Ronald C. Wilson, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Robert W. Ramsey, USA (Ret) Special Forces/MACV-SOG

SFC David Diaz, USA (Ret) Special Forces

TSgt David P. Jones, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

SFC Harry B. Whidden, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Dave Noyes, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CW2 Kevin A. Marnell, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SSG Jim Stoddard, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG John McCort, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Terry J. Dagnon, USA (Ret) Special Forces

1SG Dean M. McBride, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGT Robert D. Leonard, USA (Ret) Special Forces

1SG Tracy R. Hickman, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

MSG Thomas Olden, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC John Bash, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Steven M. Williams, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

SFC Stephen Aden (Veteran) Special Forces

SFC Andrew G. Wilbur, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Nick Freitas, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM William F. Cronin III, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CSM Melvin L. Wick, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Gary L. Melchi, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SP5 Roger F. Lockshier, USA (Veteran) Aviation

MSG Gerald Mierle, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Danny Fowler, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Edwin L. Simons Jr., USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Frank G. Duran, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

SGM Harold (Jake) Jacobson, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Walter J. Hooper, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

SFC Phillip Carter, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CSM Robert E. Hand, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CW3 Malcolm A. Howard, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC H. Deatherage, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Ernest Hartwig, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Mark T. Smith, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

1SG James B. Rawlinson, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

MSG Clyde N. McMillan, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Michael w. Clark, USA (Veteran) Special Forces

SFC John Lemke, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Harold Johnson, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CW4 Shaun P. Driscoll, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

SGT Alex Saunders, USA (Veteran), Special Forces/Recon

CW2 Ronald B. Piper, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CW3 Scott Herbert, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Brian Scott La Morte, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Robert S. Cox, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CSM Selmer R. "Dick" Hyde, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

MSG Allen W. Elks Jr, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SSG R. Jones, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

SSG Nelson M. Parrish, USA (Ret) Special Forces

AOCS Paul Johnston, USNR (Ret.) EOD/ NAVSPECWAR

MSG W. N. "Nick" Ward, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Casey Standidge, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGT Benjamin Stochmal, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Rick Hodges, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Roderick Knight, USA (Ret) Special Forces

PRC Michael Morgan, USN/SVD (Ret.)

SSG David J. Hall, USA (Veteran) Ranger

MSgt Justin D. Hughes, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

SGM Ronald C. Knight, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Mark Popelka, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Scott Marbut, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Shawn Datres, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SSG Bernard Goggins, USA (Veteran) Special Forces

SGT Barry R. Crossfield, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Robert King, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CSM Glenn Nickel, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC James D. Maxwell, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Clarence Brangard, USA (Ret) Ranger

SGM Kevin Riley, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Jeffrey T. Oates, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

MSG Peter N. Spagnalo, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Tony Cleveland, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SSG Arnold Ring, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Russ Baker, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC John D. Johnson, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SSG Michael E. Benish, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Gary M. Moston, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Kurt Weber, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Harry L. Coker, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Kenneth Wortman, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Barry Hotle, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SP5 M.E. Jackson, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Angel "Candy" Candelaria, USA (Ret) Spec Forces/Ranger/ SFOD-D

MSG Brian E. Gould, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Bruce V. Hanley, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC John P. Mouyos, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CSM Al Hunt Jr., USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Doug Fuhrmann, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CW3 Dan Farmer, USA (Ret) Special Forces

1SG Gary Myers, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGT Ted Aslund, USA (Veteran) Special Forces

1SG Wedell J. (Joe) Waters, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGT Dennis Foy, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CMSgt Gene Eller, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

CORP Harry Clafin, USMC (Veteran) Force Recon

CW4 Richard F. Balwanz, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SP4 Steve Costa, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Howard Massingill, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Lawrence A. Jordan, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

SFC Phil Melcher, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGT Tim Guth, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CSM Rocklyn (Rock) Shiffer, USA (Ret) Ranger

CW3 Todd D. Rinehart, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Phillip Stone, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Charles S. (Chuck) Simpson, USA (Ret) Special Forces

1SG Steven Mattoon, USA (Ret) Ranger

MSG Robert (Bob) James, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Timothy Mabe, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SP5 Harvey Cox, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CSM Tim Ward, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Brian Rodriguez, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC John Stepan, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Joseph S. Glazewski, Jr. USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG William E. Strobel, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Billy VanValkenburgh, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Arthur C. Tucker, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Juan A. Calderon, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSgt James H. Shorten Jr., USAF (Ret) Air Commando

SFC Dennis Holloway, Medic USN/USA Spec Forces/USAF Pararescue

SGT Grant M. "Marc" King, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Merritt H. Powell, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Richard H. Garvey, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Larry R. Darras, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Herman "Chris" Reeves, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Anthony S. Altano, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

MSG Laverne "Bing" Allar, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGT Jeffrey a. Yaro, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Tom Holschuh, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC David S. Surman, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Joseph Tetreault, USA (Ret) Special Forces/SFOD-D

SFC Gerald Holt, USA (Ret) Ranger

SFC Jerald L. Petersen, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Rodolfo "Rudy" D. Rodrigues, USA (Ret) Special Forces/SFOD-D

MSG William "Todd" Black, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Larry L. Trimble, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

SGM Kenneth C. Baschke, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Lawrence Cardassi, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CSM Hank Luthy, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CW3 Willy Welsch, USA (Ret) Special Forces/SFOD-D

SFC Phillip Schulz, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC John L. Leffler, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Pete B. Estrada, USA (Ret) Special Forces

A1C David "Mac" McLay, USAF (Veteran) Air Commando

CSM Selmer R. "Dick" Hyde, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

SSG Nick Walton, USA (Veteran) Special Forces

MSG Daniel E. Deck, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG James Blakelee, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG John M. Trantanella, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Brian Shives, USA (Ret) Special Forces

Sgt Martin T. Bennet, USAF (Ret) MACV-SOG

CW4 Greg Coker, USA (Ret) Aviation/160thSOAR

SFC Terry Grant Winkley, USA, (Ret) Special Forces

MSG George Torrealba, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Johnnie King, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CW3 Charles Garland, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC James E. King, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Jay McGinness, USA (Ret) Special Forces

1 SG Jim "Ringo" Ringland, USA, (Ret) Special Forces

MSG John D. Tippy, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CW3 James H. Thackaberry, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM John Shimkoski, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGT James D. Thacker, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CSM Thomas A. Reesman, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CSM Gail R. Ernst, USA (Ret) Ranger

CSM David L. Clark, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Edward Laminack, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC John A. Hughes, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Kenneth Chapman, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CW4 Akira Wayne Kim, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG David L. Rotner, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Jerry "Fonz" Fontana, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM William F. Hux, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Billy Cason, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Anthony Ruddeen, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CSM Joe Lupyak, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Samuel Wright, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG William A. Easterling, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG David C. Goodwin, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CW3 Todd B. Girdner, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Jeff Hinton, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CSM Patrick R. Ballogg, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CW4 John "Chet" Hayward, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

SGT Clifford N. Alford, USA (Ret) Special Forces/CIA

SGT Richard E. Gross, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM George Davenport, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Lee "Tony" Douglas, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Robert Rogers, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CW2 Thomas Leslie Tannahill, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Daniel Zahody, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CSM Gerald Hamm Jr, USA, (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

SFC Lloyd Carpenter, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CW2 Michael Flick, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Donald M. Feeney Jr, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Henry S. Moran, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CW2 David S. Chacon, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

SFC Chris Mottler, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Phillip Crowley, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CW3 Joseph Lloyd, USA, (ret) Special Forces

MSG Timothy F. Wynne, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC David A. Anderson, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Jesse Boyd, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

SFC Stephan Harrell, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Lanny Lucero, USA Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

MSG Russell Justice, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGT Lou Campbell, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CW4 Eric Crum, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SSG Blake Mills, USA (Veteran) Special Forces

SGT Mark Miller, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Robert F. Finke, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC John Jones, USA (Ret) (Special Forces

MSG Leamon L. Ratte, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG James "Mel" Banks, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CSM Leandro Sanfeliz Jr. USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Joseph H Socie, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Charles E. Smith, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

SGM Alan F. Farrell, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC James Plannette, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Randall Long, USA (Ret) Ranger JTAC

MSG Charles S. Spence, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Carl A. Fuller, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Patrick T. Quinn, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

SFC David Kauffman, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Thomas Collins, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CSM Earnie Holifield, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Donald R. Doering, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CSM Rick Lavoie, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Cecil A. Sager Jr, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

MSG Randy Earp, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Perry Turpin, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG John M. Ailello, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC John Bartsow, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG David Mullins, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CW5 Lawrence Plesser, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CSM Robert T. Hill, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Joe Back, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Joe Burt, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Serafin Antonio Panigua, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Jack Pope, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM David L. Tope Jr, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Henry F. Wilson III, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Kenneth J. Garcy, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SSgt Patrick Walker, USAF (Ret) Air Commando/SOWT

MSG Eddie Licon, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Thomas F. Schultz, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC John Thomas Leggat, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Ernest Hartwig, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Dennis Cherup, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Manuel Beck, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Jeff Ruble, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Scott Randol, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CW5 Walt Edwards, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CWO (R) Miguel (Ponch) Ruiz-Pattzi, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Danny Cartwright, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG James Weatherford, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Don W. Benesh, USA (Ret) Special Forces/MACV-SOG

CSM Bobby Pruett, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC George Armstrong Menor, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Curtis Earle Edwards, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SSG Michael Duffy Jr., USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Lloyd O'Daniel, USA (Ret) Special Forces/MACV-SOG

CSM Roger George, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CSM Gerald E. Klein, USA (Ret) Ranger

SFC James Hull, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Durwin Dengerud, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Ronnie Medini,USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Cecil W. "Bud" Morgan, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

CW2 Albert Matos, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Bruce Kuhlman, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Michael K. Aleen, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SSGT Danny J. Perry, USA (Vet) Special Forces

MSG James D. McHenry, USAR (Ret) Special Forces

SGT James "Ernie" Acre, USA (Ret) Special Forces/MACV-SOG

SFC Charles Roberts, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Tim Louys, USA (Ret) Special Forces

QMCS Richard R Powers Jr., USN SEAL (Ret.)

MSG Timothy M. Ferris, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM Jon F. Ridolfo, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGM James Kilcoyne, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CW3 Bobby D. Shireman, USA (Ret) Special Forces

1SG Joseph M. Crane, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SGT Ward "Buddy" Gilbert, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Terry Huffman, USA (Ret) Special Forces

Jerry Kleive, USN SEAL

LCDR Cade Courtley, USN SEAL

LT H.S. (Bud) Thrift, USN SEAL (Ret.)

BMC Richard L. Arnold, USN SEAL (Ret.)

CDR Rick Bernard, USN SEAL (Ret.)

LCDR Steve Elson, USN SEAL (Ret.)

LT William J. Blackmon, USNR SEAL

CAPT Ronald K. Bell, USN SEAL (Ret.)

LT Philip A. Black, USN SEAL

Richard Cyrus, USN SEAL

LTJG James M. Hawes, USN SEAL

MCPO Jerome D. Cozart, USN SEAL (Ret.)

Captain Steve Ahlberg, US Navy (Ret.) SEAL

CPO Carl T. Zellers, USN SEAL (Ret.)

LCDR David L. Tash, US Navy (Ret.) SEAL

Jim Seidel, USN SEAL

HMC Richard Bryan Willis, USN SEAL (Ret.)

CDR R.J. Thomas, USN SEAL (Ret.)

LT Roland Samuelson, USNR SEAL

QMCM Tom Shoulders, USN SEAL (Ret.)

SCPO Dan Yowell, USN SEAL (Ret.)

CAPT Ron Seiple, USNR SEAL (Ret.)

SN Wayne Gough, USN SEAL

Paul A Tamosunas, USN SEAL

MSG Keith Laub, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPT Robert S. Crenshaw, USA, RANGER

BMCS Frank Odermann, USN SEAL (Ret.)

CAPT Steve Ahlberg, USN SEAL (Ret.)

Rick Worthen, USN PBR

Hunter Grimes II USN SEAL

Maj William "Bill" Diggins, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

LT John R. Dew, USNR SEAL

CWO4 Gary Jackson USN SEAL (Ret.)

CDR Alan G Morris, USN SEAL (Ret.)

CDR Mark Divine, USN SEAL (Ret.)

MAJ Logan Fitch, USA Ret) Special Forces

Glenn Heidenreich, USN SEAL

Col. Michael Haas, USAF/USA, (Ret) Sp Forces/Ranger/Pararescue

MCPO Mark Kauber, USN SEAL (Ret.)

COL John D. Blair IV, USA SF (Ret.)

COL J. H. ("Scotty") Crerar, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CAPT Martin McNair, USNR SEAL (Ret.)

MCPO Tom Keith, USN SEAL (Ret.)

MAJ Charles Odorizzi, USA SF (Ret.)

LT John Rottger, USNR SEAL (Ret.)

LT Christopher O. Bent, USN SEAL

LT Martin Every, USN SEAL

COL Marshall Helena, USA (Ret) Special Forces/Ranger

COL Wayne Long, USA (Ret) Special Forces

Lt. Col. Tim Penley, USAF (Ret)

Lt. Col. Joseph W. Cook, III, USAF (Ret)

CAPT Edward Lyon, USN SEAL (Ret.)

CDR Tom Deitz, USN SEAL (Ret.)

CAPT Roger Crossland, USN SEAL (Ret.)

MAJ Andy Messing, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MSG Randy Lykens, USA (Ret) Special Forces

1SG Gordon V. Stinson, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPO Brandon Webb, USN SEAL

LT Francis B. Cleary, USNR SEAL

LCDR Joe Fuller, USN SEAL

MSgt. Bob La Rosa, USAF (Ret) Air Commando

HTCS Steven Granger, USN SEAL (Ret.)

BMC Henry R. Kawecki , USN SEAL (Ret.)

Lt Col Dennis B. Haney, USAF (Ret) Wild Weasel

CDR Marshall D. Daugherty, USN SEAL (Ret.)

CWO4 Mike USN SEAL (Ret.)

QMCM Tom Shoulders, USN SEAL (Ret.)

SOCM Mike Bloom SEAL (Ret.)

Larry Reams, USA (Ret) Ranger

SCPO Robert J. Guzzo, USN SEAL (Ret.)

LCDR Thomas Kleehammer, USN SEAL (Ret.)

SOCS John Westfall, USN SEAL (Ret.)

CPO John Westfall, USN SEAL (Ret.)

SSG Chester Howard, USA (Ret) Special Forces

BMC Ted L. Traver, USN SEAL (Ret.)

Dennis H. Johnson, USN (Ret.) Command Master Chief Seal Team 6

LT Alan R. Horner, USN SEAL

CDR Bruce Willhite USN/SEAL (Ret.)

PO1 Don Tinnin (Medical Ret), SEAL

MSG John Nettles, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Allen Berberick, USA (Ret) Special Forces

SFC Kelly A. Stewart, USA (Ret) Special Forces

CPO John J. Ballis, USN/SEAL (Ret.)

CPO Tom McCutchan, USN SEAL (Ret.)

LTC Raymond "Ray" Morris, USA (Ret) Special Forces

MMCM Kirk Scarboro, USN/SEAL (Ret.)

Philip Williams, USN Beach Jumper

Mike Macready, USN SEAL

HMC Manny Perez, USN SEAL (Ret.)

CDR Mike Wilkinson, USN SEAL (Ret.)

MCPO Thomas D. Vawter , USN SEAL (Ret.)

MCPO James Madison, USN SEAL (Ret.)

MCPO Bill Bruhmuller, SEAL USN (Ret.)

GM2 Benjamin Smith USN SEAL

BM1 Thomas E. Black, USN SEAL (Ret.)

Captain David Del Giudice, USN SEAL (Ret)

Chris Wilhelm, USN SEAL

MCPO Arturo Farias, USN SEAL (Ret.)

Joe Murray, USN SEAL

Chris Berman, USN SEAL

MCPO William A. Garnett, USN SEAL (Ret.)

Carlton. J. Poulnot, USN SEAL

Eric L. Hansen, USA (Ret.) Special Forces 18D

LCDR Robert S. Hayman, USN SEAL (Ret.)

William R. Rosencrans, USN SEAL

CPO Terrence Flynn, USN SEAL (Ret.)

Roger Guerra, USN SEAL

James Seidel, USN SEAL

CPO Robert Willingham, USN SEAL (Ret.)

Rick March, USN SEAL

Forrest Hedden, USNR SEAL

Michael J. Baumgart, USN SEAL

Gordon Boyce, USN SEAL

Benghazi - Lies, Lies and more Damned Lies

I watched the hearing yesterday where Senators tried to get answers from Hillary Clinton.

 

Thanks to Senator John McCain and Senator Rand Paul.  They did a good job of trying to get to the truth.  The rest of those charged with investigating this tragedy were woefully inadequate.

 

4 good men died - Hillary Clinton and Obama lied.  That is the truth.

 

 

Mother of American killed in Benghazi to President Obama, " you screwed up, you didn't do a good job, I lost my son."

Please read the enclosed transcript from a CNN interview with Fran Smith, Mother of one of the men slain in Benghazi.  She deserves answers about what happened there as do the American people.

Read the whole thing.....  She lays it out bare to those responsible for the deaths of 4 fine US citizens -  The Administration and State Department is more worried about the re-election campaign than telling the Mother of Sean Smith the truth about how they failed to protect the US Ambassador and his staff. 

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Erin, thanks. Good evening, everyone. We begin tonight "Keeping Them Honest," with a mother who is now asking the toughest question any mom ever can. Why is my son dead? 

That is all Pat Smith wants to know. Her son, Sean Smith, was one of the four Americans killed on September 11th in that terror attack on American facilities in Benghazi, Libya. Sean Smith, who is one of the computer specialists at the American consulate there. A month later -- a month after she watched her son's casket come off a cargo plane, a month after she says everyone promised her answers, everyone all the way up to the president of the United States. She says she is still waiting to hear. Still waiting for answers. Waiting for a call. 

Congress held hearings today. We'll talk about that shortly, but first, my conversation with Sean Smith's mom, Pat. 

 

COOPER: Pat, I appreciate you being with us. And I'm just so sorry for your loss. What do you want people to know about your son, about Sean? 

PAT SMITH, SON KILLED IN BENGHAZI ATTACK: Well, god. He was my only child. And he was good, he was good at what he did, he'd loved it. 

COOPER: He loved working with computers? 

SMITH: Computers, radios. He was good at what he did. 

COOPER: Was that something he had done as a kid? I mean how did -- did he always -- was he always good with computer? 

SMITH: Well, when he was a kid, computers weren't out yet. And -- 

(LAUGHTER)

And then they were out and he -- I got a computer and he started playing with them and he started showing me how you could build a flame thrower and -- by just watching a computer and then told you how to do it. So that's how it started. 

COOPER: He lived in the Netherlands. Were you able to communicate a lot? I mean he'd served in a lot of very dangerous places. Did you always know where he was? 

SMITH: I always knew where he was when he told me. For example, this time he was in the Hague and that is where he was stationed. He was supposed to be there for about two years. And then he would transfer some place else. I did not know he was going to be in Libya. 

COOPER: Did he ever talk about the dangers that came along with his job? I mean he -- he serve d in Iraq as well. 

SMITH: Yes, in fact, he sent me -- I still have it on my computer where he sent me this thing. He was in working in the palace over there. 

COOPER: In Baghdad. 

SMITH: And they -- yes, in Baghdad, and he says, got to go, and suddenly he just disappeared and I said, well, what's happening over there. And he said listen. And I was listening, and suddenly I heard boom. Where they were shooting at him. 

COOPER: You must have worried a lot. 

SMITH: When that was over. I can't spend my life worrying about it. I accepted what he wanted to do. 

COOPER: I want to play for our viewers some of what President Obama said about your son when he returned home. Let's watch. 

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Sean Smith, it seems, lived to serve. First in the Air Force, then with you at the State Department. He knew the perils of this calling, from his time in Baghdad. There in Benghazi, far from home, he surely thought of Heather and Samantha and Nathan, and he laid down his life in service to us all. 

Today, Sean is home. 

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: He's mentioning his wife and his children. When you heard the president say that, what did you think? 

SMITH: This is the first time I heard the president say that. 

COOPER: It is really? 

SMITH: Yes, he never told -- didn't tell me that. Sean knew he was in a bunch of scary places. I knew he was in security places. I didn't expect him to get blown up. I didn't expect him to die. COOPER: Do you feel that you know what happened or are you still searching for answers? Have you been in contact with the State Department? Have they reached out to you and given you details of what happened? 

SMITH: That's a funny subject. I begged them to tell me what was -- what happened. I said I want to know all the details, all of the details no matter what it is, and I'll make up my own mind on it. And everyone of them, all the big shots over there told me that -- they promised me, they promised me that they would tell me what happened. As soon as they figure it out. 

No one, not one person has ever, ever gotten back to me other than media people and the gaming people. 

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Her son was a big video gamer. 

We are going to have more of my conversation with Pat Smith after a quick break. She has some very tough words for this administration who she says has forgotten the promises they made to her the day Sean's body was returned. 

Also tonight, the latest on today's congressional hearings into the attacks. Jill Dougherty and Fran Townsend join us next. 

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: We're talking tonight with Pat Smith whose son Sean Smith was killed in the Libya terror attack. Former Navy SEAL Glen Doherty was also killed. Today his mother Barbara asked Mitt Romney to stop invoking her son's name on the campaign stump, quote, "I don't trust Romney," she says. "He shouldn't make my son's death part of his political agenda." 

Pat Smith did not speak about anyone's political agenda tonight. She is, however, bitterly, bitterly disappointed with the State Department, the Defense Department and the White House tonight. You're going to hear shortly about how the State Department is going to respond to her charges. 

But first, though, more of my conversation with Pat Smith starting with her as yet unfulfilled search for answers. 

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Who told you that they would give you information? 

SMITH: You'll love this. Obama told me. Hillary promised me. Joe Biden -- Joe Biden is a pressure. He was a real sweetheart. But he also told -- they all told me that -- they promised me. And I told them please, tell me what happened. Just tell me what happened. 

COOPER: So you're still waiting to hear from somebody about what happened to your son? About what they know? Or even what they don't know. 

SMITH: Right. Right. Officially yes. I told them, please don't give me any baloney that comes through with this political stuff. I don't want political stuff. You can keep your political, just tell me the truth. What happened. And I still don't know. In fact, today I just heard something more that he died of smoke inhalation. 

COOPER: So you don't even know the cause of death? 

SMITH: I don't even know if that's true or not. No, I don't. I don't know where. I look at TV and I see bloody hand prints on walls, thinking, my god, is that my son's? I don't know if he was shot. I don't know -- I don't know. They haven't told me anything. They are still studying it. And the things that they are telling me are just outright lies. 

That Susan Rise, what -- she talked to me personally and she said, she said, this is the way it was. It was -- it was because of this film that came out. 

COOPER: So she told you personally that she thought it was a result of that video of the protest? 

SMITH: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. In fact all of them did. All of them did. Leon Panetta actually took my face in his hands like this and he said, trust me. I will tell you what happened. And so far, he's told me nothing. Nothing at all. And I want to know. 

COOPER: It's important for you to know all the details no matter how horrible. 

SMITH: Yes. 

COOPER: Or no matter how tough they are to hear. 

SMITH: Exactly. I told him, if it's such a secret thing, fine, take me in another room, whisper in my ear what happened so that I know, and we'll go from there. But no. No, they -- you know, they treat me like -- at first I was so proud because they were treating me so nice when I went to that reception. They all came up to me and talked to me and everything. I cried on Obama's shoulder. And he -- then he'd kind of looked off into the distance. 

So that was worthless to me. I want to know, for god's sakes. Or for Allah's sake or whoever's sake is there. 

COOPER: You deserve -- you deserve answers. 

SMITH: I think so. I believe I do. I believe it. It's my son. I had him for the first -- I told Obama personally, I said, look, I had him for his first 17 years and then he went into the service, then you got him. And -- I won't say it the way I said it. But I said you screwed up, you didn't do a good job, I lost my son. And they said, we'll get back to you. We -- I promise, I promise you. I will get back to you. COOPER: Some of the administration have said well, you know, we're investigating, we're still trying to find out answers. But you just want -- 

SMITH: They still are. 

COOPER: You would still want them to contact you and at least keep you apprised of the investigation, of where things are. You would think that they would at least do that. 

SMITH: That would be so nice. That would at least acknowledge that I have a right to know something, something other than, we're checking up on it, or trust me. I like that one the best of all. Trust me. I will let you know. 

Well, I don't trust you anymore. I don't trust you anymore. You -- I'm not going to say lied to me, but you didn't tell me and you knew. 

COOPER: Pat Smith, thank you. 

SMITH: OK. 

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: A grieving mother. We are joined now by two women who broke the news on the story right from the start. Former Bush homeland security adviser, Fran Townsend, and foreign affairs correspondent, Jill Dougherty. 

We should mention, Fran, as always -- as we always mention, serves on the CIA's external advisory committee. She recently traveled to Libya with her employer MacAndrews & Forbes. That was before the attack and actually had met with Ambassador Stevens. 

Obviously Mrs. Smith is very upset and we -- you know, it's very understandable why she would be. What is the procedure, though, for keeping a family informed? I mean she says, they said we will let you know what happened. Is it -- do they wait until the investigation is over? Or you would think somebody would be in contact with her. 

FRAN TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: Right. So there's actually an office in the Justice Department because this is now obviously a criminal investigation, that's responsible. The Office of Victim Witness Assistance. They are supposed to be the advocates inside the apparatus of the U.S. government to get updates, to make sure that the families are kept apprised. But you would -- you also expect and every department has this. If it's an employee that's lost, or it's a member of one of our law enforcement or intelligence services that agency takes ownership of making sure to shepherd the person through the system and around the system to get information. 

So in many respects, Anderson, it's sort of incomprehensible to me these are people, the family members were identified, they met with senior officials, including the president of the United States and the secretary of state. It's not as though they don't know where she is. She's got -- 

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: Right. Initially I thought, well, maybe it's -- you know, it's -- maybe they're in contact with Sean Smith's wife who is I guess in the Netherlands. But she was at this reception. They clearly talked to her. 

TOWNSEND: No, that's right. And the fact oftentimes, Anderson, with a family that's lost someone, there's more than one person, right? So you'll have the parents of the victim. 

COOPER: Right. 

TOWNSEND: You may have a spouse or an extended family. And it becomes the government's responsibility to care for that family and keep them informed. 

COOPER: Well, Jill, I know you reached out to the State Department tonight about the allegations that Pat Smith has made. What are they saying? 

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN FOREIGN AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's three things they said to me. They're saying they, since the beginning, have made it a priority to be in touched with the families, maintain regular contact, as they say. They say that in the last 24 hours before the congressional hearing they've reached out by phone to at least one member of the family and told them what would be reported at that -- at that congressional hearing. 

And then they also said we're going to make sure that the mother of Sean is contacted by us. So, they won't get into a lot of specifics but they maintain that they have been in contact with the families in some way or another since the beginning. 

COOPER: So you're saying that they are now saying that they will contact Mrs. Smith? 

DOUGHERTY: They'll make sure. Yes, they said, they will make sure that they are. 

COOPER: At this point, though, I mean, a family member, who's -- who are they supposed to believe? I mean there have been so many different stories out there, Fran, and so many different -- and others, you know, lots of political allegations. We had this hearing today and, you know, some saw it as a political hearing. And politics motivating it. 

What do you -- 

TOWNSEND: You know, look, this is really hard. In the first 48 to 72 hours, the first facts are often wrong. 

COOPER: Right. 

TOWNSEND: And so I think the media and the American people understand that and sort of allowed for that. The problem is, tomorrow is a month since the attack. It is hard to imagine that no one has talked to this woman. The autopsy in which -- was done at Dover Air Force base for all of the victims with FBI agents present is a well known fact. The results of that are understood by investigators and there is no excuse for not sharing that information with this victim's mother. 

COOPER: Right. Jill, the hearing -- let's talk about the hearing that happened today. Which the State Department defended the administration's handling the attack. You say it was highly political. Did it accomplish anything? Did it resolve anything? There's certainly a lot of allegations about the political -- 

(CROSSTALK)

DOUGHERTY: Anderson, you know, I didn't hear a lot of really new information at all. I mean I think, I and some others who were watching it at the time were really struck by the fact that it really turned into his sparring, and it was very, very personal between, you know, the Republicans and the Democrats. 

And so it -- I don't think that it accomplished very much when you get down to the nuts and bolts of what was learned. 

COOPER: One of the most contentious moments, Jill, was, I mean, the State Department said that they had -- I don't have the exact phrasing but basically the appropriate number of people on the ground, and there was -- there was a sharp rebuke from the panel saying, how can you say that when -- given four Americans are dead. 

DOUGHERTY: Right. And that's the essential thing. But I think what -- and not to explain away what the State Department is doing, but their view would be based on the information that they had at that particular point which -- was coming from intelligence agencies and others on the ground. They believe that they had the adequate amount of staffing. 

Now they also say that event was so extraordinary that basically nothing a few more people, a few more, let's say, protective measures could not have protected from something that they are describing, really, as combat -- military combat attack. 

COOPER: There is an investigation underway. I mean, a -- at this point, Fran, who is responsible for giving the definitive account of what happened and what cables were sent in doing this investigation? 

TOWNSEND: Well, as we've said and reported, Anderson, there are a number of -- there's accountability review board, there are these congressional hearings. In the end, the definitive version of the facts will come from the FBI who are responsible for putting together the investigation and a potential prosecution. They will be -- they will be the keepers of the evidence. But I must tell you ,you know, the answer on its face if we had adequate security kind of fails the common sense test. I mean, honestly, if you step back from the partisan politics of Washington, and you talk to average Americans who've got no dog in this fight, they sort of say, look, it's obvious we didn't have adequate security. This isn't -- if we're looking to assign blame, the terrorists are to blame for the death. But if we need -- we want accountability because we want to understand how can we make sure the State Department are working in dangerous places, we want to make sure, how do we assess threats, assign security, and -- 

COOPER: What the State Department has said today in this hearing was that no amount of sort of the usual security would have been able to deal with a -- dozens of attackers. They're saying, there were dozens of attackers who are heavily armed. You say? 

TOWNSEND: I say we have forward operating bases in Iraq and Afghanistan during the height of the war. And we protected -- 

COOPER: And certainly -- and the facility itself was not very secured in terms of the actual technological security devices over there. 

TOWNSEND: That's right. But if it's -- so if you're at a facility that you cannot protect, that it is not possible to protect from the threat that is present, then you shouldn't be there. If you are there and you believe you can protect, then you've got to give it adequate resources. It's -- this is less about to me about blame than it is about accountability. What we ought to care about is accountability to protect other diplomats. 

COOPER: Sure. Because you don't want this to happen again. 

TOWNSEND: Right. 

COOPER: And there are other facilities that we have that are like this consulate. That's the bottom line here. 

TOWNSEND: Right. 

COOPER: And also getting answers for the families. 

Jill Dougherty, I appreciate your reporting. Fran Townsend, as well