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SSCI Benghazi report details how "demonstration" incl. in CIA talking points
Posted on 1/15/14 at 2:04 pm
Posted on 1/15/14 at 2:04 pm
quote:
In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, the IC received numerous reports, both classified and unclassified, which provided contradictory accounts that there were demonstrations at the Temporary Mission Facility. In some cases, these intelligence reports-which were disseminated widely in the Intelligence Community--contained references to press reports on protests that were simply copied into intelligence products. Other reporting indicated there were no protests. For example, the IC obtained closed circuit television video from the Mission facility [][][][], and there were credible eyewitness statements of U.S. personnel on the ground that night, which the FBI began to collect from interviewing survivors starting on September 15, 2012, in Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
The IC also had information that there were no protests outside the Temporary Mission Facility prior to the attacks, but did not incorporate that information into its widely circulated assessments in a timely manner. Contrary to many press reports at the time, eyewitness statements by U.S. personnel indicate that there were no protests at the start of the attacks. For example, on September 15, 2012,. the CIA's Chief of Station in Tripoli sent to the then-Deputy Director of the CIA and others at the CIA an email that reported the attacks were "not/not an
escalation of protests."116 Yet, the CIA's January 4, 2013, Analytic Line Review downplays the importance of this email, noting, " ... as a standard practice, we do not base analysis on e-mails and other informal communications from the field because such accounts often change when formalized as disseminated intelligence reports." 117
Moreover, it appears this reporting from those present during the attacks did not make its way into assessments at CIA Headquarters, as the Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Analysis Office at CIA wrote an internal email, dated September 16, 2012, that rnentioned "protestors that preceded the violence."118 On September 18, 2012, the FBI and CIA reviewed the closed circuit television video from the Mission facility that showed there were no protests prior to the attacks. Although information gathered from interviews with U.S. personnel
who were on the ground during the attacks was shared informally between the FBI and CIA, it was not until two days later, on September 20, 2012, that the FBI disseminated its intelligence reports detailing such interviews.119
A dearth of clear and definitive HUMINT or eyewitness reporting led IC analysts to rely on open press reports and limited SIGINT reporting that incorrectly attributed the origins of the Benghazi attacks to "protests," over first-hand accounts from U.S. officials on the ground. CIA's January 4, 2013, Analytic Line Review found that "[a ]pproximately a dozen reports that included press accounts, public statements by AAS members, HUMINT reporting, DOD reporting, and signals
intelligence all stated or strongly suggested that a protest occurred outside of the Mission facility just prior to the attacks."120
Of the 11 reports cited by the CIA's Analytic Line Review, six were press articles, two were the public statements of Ansar al-Sharia, and the three others were intelligence reports. Specific open source reports and intelligence on which analysts appear to have based their judgments include the public statements by Ansar al-Sharia that the attacks were a "spontaneous and popular uprising."121 Also, there was protest activity in Egypt and approximately 40 other cities around the world and violent attacks against U.S. diplomatic facilities in Tunisia, Yemen, and Egypt from September 11-20, 2012. In addition, there were intelligence reports in the days following the Benghazi attacks that al-Qa'ida-associated terrorists hoped to take advantage of global protests for further attacks.122
As a result of evidence from closed circuit videos and other reports, the IC changed its assessment about a protest in classified intelligence reports on September 24, 2012, to state there were no demonstrations or protests at the Temporary Mission Facility prior to the attacks. This slow change in the official assessment affected the public statements of government officials, who continued to state in press interviews that there were protests outside the Mission compound. The IC continues to assess that although they do not think the first attack came out
of protests, the lethality and efficacy of the attack "did not require significant amounts of preplanning." 123 The IC continues to review the amount and nature of any preplanning that went into the attack.
LINK
So the SSCI talking points were given to members of Congress and Administration officials on Sept. 15 and they appear to draw from the open source info above re demonstrations/protests. These talking points appear not to have reflected info gathered from the Benghazi survivors starting on the same day, which would ultimately serve to dispel the bad info that a protest/demonstration had preceded the attack. The CCTV footage was not reviewed until Sept. 18, further supporting a lack of demonstrations/protests prior. The FBI then disseminated its new intel reports on Sept. 20.
Must be why Rice was sure to repeat:
quote:
RICE: Well, Jake, first of all, it's important to know that there's an FBI investigation that has begun and will take some time to be completed. That will tell us with certainty what transpired.
I think the CIA initial assessment was made in good faith based on the info they had at the time. A lot of this initial info came from local Libyan sources, including briefings from Libyan authorities. Turns out a lot of the info being provided by the Libyan authorities was not accurate or just flat wrong. But it took us longer to figure that out.
Certainly, the people who relied on those SSCI talking points relied on them in good faith, certainly those who used the talking points to discuss the matter on the Sunday talk shows on Sept. 16. I just don't see the scandal in this.
Posted on 1/15/14 at 2:08 pm to Decatur
Seems to be a more current assessment:
quote:
Individuals affiliated with terrorist groups, including AQIM, Ansar al-Sharia, AQAP, and the Mohammad Jamal Network, participated in the September 11, 2012, attacks. Intelligence suggests that the attack was not a highly coordinated plot, but was opportunistic; however, well-armed attackers easily overwhelmed the Libyan security guards and the five U.S. Diplomatic Security agents present at the Temporary Mission Facility. It remains unclear if any group or person exercised overall command and control of the attacks or whether extremist group leaders directed their members to participate. Some intelligence suggests the attacks were likely put together in short order, following that day's violent protests in Cairo against an inflammatory video, suggesting that these and other terrorist groups could conduct similar attacks with little advance warning.
The FBI's investigation into the individuals responsible for the Benghazi attacks has been hampered by inadequate cooperation and a lack of capacity by foreign governments to hold these perpetrators accountable, making the pursuit of justice for the attacks slow and insufficient. As a result, key information gaps remain about the potential foreknowledge and complicity of Libyan militia groups and security forces, the level of pre-planning for the attacks, the perpetrators and their involvement in other terrorist activities and the motivation for the attacks.
Posted on 1/15/14 at 2:08 pm to Decatur
You would fall on your sword for this administration. You getting paid by them?
Posted on 1/15/14 at 2:09 pm to DonChowder
No what a joke
This post was edited on 1/15/14 at 2:10 pm
Posted on 1/15/14 at 2:15 pm to Decatur
So you are saying that Congressional Intelligence committees did not get the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth in their briefings over Benghazi when they published their findings? You have to appear in a dictionary under the heading of hackery and hacks. Wasn't it Diane Fienstien that said the NYT article and their denial of Al queda involvement on the matter was prime Bull shite just a few days ago?
Posted on 1/15/14 at 2:15 pm to Decatur
quote:
Decatur
So which lie told by the administration is correct?
You've yet to answer this.
Obama first came out and called it a protest.
Then he came out and said it was a terrorist attack.
Which lie are you going with Decatur, just so we are all clear?
Posted on 1/15/14 at 2:16 pm to Decatur
quote:
Decatur
I literally laughed out loud.
Keep up the good fight.
Posted on 1/15/14 at 2:16 pm to Decatur
quote:
Decatur
Right on time! You are quite diligent.
Posted on 1/15/14 at 2:17 pm to Decatur
You're a good and loyal soldier. That's to your credit.
Even trying to give this administration every benefit of the doubt, running Rice out there with the video story was a mistake.
No comment until the facts are assessed would have served them better. Now that we know Panetta and Dempsey briefed Obama its damning to say the least.
Even trying to give this administration every benefit of the doubt, running Rice out there with the video story was a mistake.
No comment until the facts are assessed would have served them better. Now that we know Panetta and Dempsey briefed Obama its damning to say the least.
Posted on 1/15/14 at 2:19 pm to Decatur
quote:
, the FBI and CIA reviewed the closed circuit television video from the Mission facility that showed there were no protests prior to the attacks
Well, duh. New documents released said that the intel that was reported to the White house through the Military channels was of a terrorist attack, nothing else. They had all the video, and knew it. The problem was blaming it on that Coptic Christian video, when THEY KNEW what it was, and they did it for 2weeks, until they got caught in the web of lies...
Posted on 1/15/14 at 2:21 pm to CamdenTiger
I wonder where the initial blaming of the video came from, how it was fostered within the White House and why direct information to the contrary was so quickly discounted.
Election year yammereing by Obama "Bin Laden is dead and AQ is on the run", this would hurt him politically and let's face it that's all that mattered.
Election year yammereing by Obama "Bin Laden is dead and AQ is on the run", this would hurt him politically and let's face it that's all that mattered.
Posted on 1/15/14 at 2:23 pm to Jbird
can someone remind me why it took a week to look at the CCTV footage?
Posted on 1/15/14 at 2:24 pm to CITWTT
quote:
So you are saying that Congressional Intelligence committees did not get the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth in their briefings over Benghazi when they published their findings?
No. I'd say this report reflects what they can disclose in an unclassified format.
quote:
Wasn't it Diane Fienstien that said the NYT article and their denial of Al queda involvement on the matter was prime Bull shite just a few days ago?
I posted on this yesterday LINK
Posted on 1/15/14 at 2:29 pm to Decatur
quote:It's disappointing to find out an opportunistic mob is more capable of responding to events than our military costing hundreds of billions annually. Our paid professionals were incapable of responding to an emergency that the people on the ground had warned about.
Intelligence suggests that the attack was not a highly coordinated plot, but was opportunistic; however, well-armed attackers easily overwhelmed the Libyan security guards and the five U.S. Diplomatic Security agents present at the Temporary Mission Facility.
How do you spin that one?
Posted on 1/15/14 at 2:29 pm to Decatur
Is the video director still in jail, Decatur?
Posted on 1/15/14 at 2:31 pm to PuntBamaPunt
quote:
can someone remind me why it took a week to look at the CCTV footage?
It's not uncommon that it takes a couple of days to actually get a look at it. A lot of times the video needs to go through editing to see which parts you can exclude to further support your agenda when you distribute it to the media.
Posted on 1/15/14 at 2:33 pm to BugAC
quote:Bump for Decatur.
So which lie told by the administration is correct?
You've yet to answer this.
Obama first came out and called it a protest.
Then he came out and said it was a terrorist attack.
Which lie are you going with Decatur, just so we are all clear?
Posted on 1/15/14 at 2:36 pm to BugAC
Posted on 1/15/14 at 2:38 pm to Decatur
So did he lie right away or lie later.
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