Protecting Our Diplomats...Revisited

It just keeps getting worse.  And for some reason the folks in charge don't seem to get it.  I posted about this last week here.  When it happened, there was confusion from the White House and State Dept.  We've all heard the sound bites.  "There was too much confusion to assess what was going on" or "A video was to blame" or "We had to assess what was going on before we could tell the American people".  And on and on.  Meanwhile, they trot out the UN Ambassador (who isn't even in the chain of command...but wants Hilary's job) to try out the video spin.  As it turns out...not a good idea.  This whole thing has spriraled down and down (as they usually do...ask Nixon) until now Hiliary is falling on her sword like a good soldier.  The buck stops with her I guess.  The buck certainly hasn't gotten close to the Oval Office.  It will be interesting to see how this unfolds because it's not over.  Many in the media would like to let the story die and have it not impact the chances for their guy to get reelected, but there are a few out there who will persist.

But I think the larger story is getting lost.  Think about the place called Libya.  They had a war last year.  It is ruled by armed militia.  It is filled with radical Muslims.  You can't tell the bad guys from the worse guys.  And above all, it is very, very dangerous.  Especially for Americans.  And so the guys on the ground responsible for security ask for some help.  They are concerned about the safety of the diplomatic mission and ask for the continued use of an airplane and some beefed up security.  BTW, the plane is a DC-3.  Go rent the movie Casablanca which was filmed in the 1940s.  The airplane in the final scenes was a DC-3.  Now, it is a fine plane.  And I'm sure the State Dept air force has maintained it well.  But security forces and diplomats representing the United States of America are scrounging for a DC-3 for transportation in 2012.  Are you kidding me?  But back to the point.  These guys needed help.  They saw a bad situation that could go down sideways and asked for help.  And the bureaucrats at Foggy Bottom said no.  Reminds me of the letter from Lord Wellington to Whitehall, only deadlier.  I'll repeat what I said previously, that is shameful.  I don't care about who takes the blame for screwing up the PR spin from the attack.  But someone needs to be held accountable for the disgraceful actions that resulted in the deaths of 4 Americans in a dangerous place a long way from home.