For John, BLUF: . Nothing to see here; just move along.
Here is one of those Wall Street Journal items that is available this side of the paywall. It is an opinion piece by Mr. Gregory N Hicks, US Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli between 31 July 31 and 7 December, 2012. In it he explains the bureaucratic issues that impacted Ambassador Chris Stevens decisions regarding diplomatic security in the period leading up to the Benghazi attack.
Diplomatic Security is a bottomless pit. There isn't enough money to secure everyone and everything. As the article makes clear, we are not free to roam another nation, free from their laws and customs, except under the cloak of diplomatic immunity. That was a consideration in discussions before the attack. Another consideration is how we provide security to our diplomatic personnel and facilities. There is the Bureau of Diplomatic Security. That said, a lot of diplomatic security is provided by local police forces or contractors hired for the job. Look at who has died defending US Diplomats and Facilities. A lot of contractors in that list of some 100 people.
For those who say the Marines protect the Ambassador, that isn't quite true. The US Marines are there to provide security for the Embassy. From Wikipedia we have this sentence:
The primary mission of the MSG is to provide security, particularly the protection of classified information and equipment vital to the national security of the United States at American diplomatic posts.We live in a dangerous world. We should do the best we can to protect our Diplomatic Personnel and Facilities (to include classified information, which is classified so others don't read it). The importance of reviewing each untoward incident, the difference it makes, is so we can do better in the future and honor those who died or were wounded by trying to figure out what we might have done better. As a pilot I knew aircraft went down, but I counted on the Accident Board to figure out why and get a fix started. As an example, they didn't refer to the early F-16 as the "Lawn Dart" for nothing. But accident boards figured out the problem and worked to fix it—and did. That answers the question of what difference it makes.
Hat tip to Ann Althouse.
Regards — Cliff
2 comments:
The pursuit has become a circus, probably doing irreparable harm to any genuine effort at mitigation or redress. A congress who's top priority is to unseat the president is no place for objective conjecture and analysis.
State Department leadership denied, then they lied......4 innocent people died. THAT is what difference it makes......and that leadership continues to live their royal lives unfettered by the grief that their incompetence and lack of integrity caused. There is a special place in hell for them.
In response to Mr. Lynne, the President AND Hillary should be brought up on charges...he for dereliction of duty as CINC....she for murder.
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