# With trepidation, Benghazi **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 2, 2014, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535 "2014-05-02T20:30:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 19
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535/361 "2014-05-09T20:33:53Z")
> [@slash2k](#): > > Sure it’s a question. Is it a question that merits a congressional investigation? > > Such investigations are not “free.” The time, money, effort, and energy spent on an investigation is time/money/effort/energy not available for other investigations and other activities (such as bringing the bad guys to justice, or preventing similar incidents elsewhere). Is your question of sufficient importance that it needs or deserves an investigation to get the answer? If so, please explain this importance. It’s a personal question that I have. Therefore, it’s important to me. Is it important to the Benghazi investigation? That would depend on what Obama was actually doing. Since Obama doesn’t want to volunteer that information, maybe the committee investigation will discover the answer. Why do you object to questions being asked? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535/362 "2014-05-09T20:37:35Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > It’s a personal question that I have. Therefore, it’s important to me. Is it important to the Benghazi investigation? That would depend on what Obama was actually doing. Since Obama doesn’t want to volunteer that information, maybe the committee investigation will discover the answer. > > Why do you object to questions being asked? Oh dear god, no one objects to some deranged person in the internet “just asking questions.” It’s the ceaseless drumbeat of the unglued right “asking questions” for purely political purposes and then asking repeatedly, “where’s the outrage” because everyone with half a brain can see what they’re doing and doesn’t give a flying fuck, that’s what we’re objecting to. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535/363 "2014-05-09T20:39:28Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > It’s a personal question that I have. Therefore, it’s important to me. Is it important to the Benghazi investigation? That would depend on what Obama was actually doing. Since Obama doesn’t want to volunteer that information, maybe the committee investigation will discover the answer. > > Why do you object to questions being asked? Have you found it difficult to find work since getting out of rehab? Did you ever worry about getting spotted when you were disposing of your victims? What did you spend the money you stole on? Just asking questions, bro. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535/364 "2014-05-09T20:39:41Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Oh dear god, no one objects to some deranged person in the internet “just asking questions.” It’s the ceaseless drumbeat of the unglued right “asking questions” for purely political purposes and then asking repeatedly, “where’s the outrage” because everyone with half a brain can see what they’re doing and doesn’t give a flying fuck, that’s what we’re objecting to. If you don’t “give a flying fuck”, then why are you objecting to questions being asked? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535/365 "2014-05-09T20:44:48Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Have you found it difficult to find work since getting out of rehab? > > Did you ever worry about getting spotted when you were disposing of your victims? > > What did you spend the money you stole on? > > Just asking questions, bro. :rolleyes: HAHAHAHA. Interesting twist. Are you threadshitting or just trying to move this Great Debate thread off-topic? ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535/366 "2014-05-09T20:45:47Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > _Elections have consequences_. > > - Barack Obama > > The last I heard on the subject was that the Democrat party was planning on boycotting the investigation. > > 7 R’s and 0 D’s? > 7 R’s and 1 D? So Republicans want to call it a bipartisan investigation (what was it that Boehner said, “Should not, cannot, will not, might not, Hottentot, buckshot, who knows why not, be a bipartisan investigation?”) just as long as there is a partisan makeup of the committee? You can’t have it both ways, by stacking the deck with Republicans and then claiming it is going to be a totally bipartisan investigation. Plus, let’s get real – this committee’s membership isn’t known for their serious and sober positions on global affairs. Mr. Westmoreland’s reputation isn’t as much his knowledge of world affairs, but for calling Obama “uppity.” Mr. Pompeo’s contributions to the war on terrorism consist of telling Muslim-Americans who are insufficiently loud in denouncing terrorism may be complicit in terrorism themselves. Mr. Roskam is apparently under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for taking a trip that was improperly financed by the Taiwanese government. When Congress investigated Iran-Contra, at least respectable statesmen led that investigation – Medal of Honor winner Daniel Inouye, independent thinker Warren Rudman, later-Nobel Peace Prize nominee George Mitchell, and hell – even Dick Cheney back then was a respected defense expert. But this Benghazi panel? Half the Republican panel probably shouldn’t even hold elected office. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535/367 "2014-05-09T20:47:33Z")
we don’t “give a flying fuck” about whether Obama was in the pool room or the situation room, or whether he called it an attack by “armed extremists” or “terrorists,” or whether he waited 25 minutes or 25 hours to do something you think he should have done in five minutes. We are troubled that the consulate was attacked, and that peopled died. We hope that this time, at least, lessons can be learned by those who are providing security, that might reduce the risk of another attack. We know, however, the risk cannot be eliminated, and that the POTUS is not always at fault when bad things happen in the world. If the right wing wants to “just ask questions,” than they should ask honest questions that go to the issues that matter. They should refrain from exploiting four dead Americans for purely political motives. It’s shameful, and beneath contempt. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535/368 "2014-05-09T20:48:18Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > HAHAHAHA. Interesting twist. Are you threadshitting or just trying to move this Great Debate thread off-topic? I’m saying your question is nothing but an attempt at insinuation for partisan purpose. Hardly threadshitting. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535/369 "2014-05-09T21:34:27Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Has anyone been arrested or imprisoned for their participation in, or planning of, the attack? > Nope. (After all, what difference does it make?) That is a really despicable thing to write, especially since the context of HRC’s remarks has been made clear in this thread. Why anyone would waste his time on further debate with you is beyond me. ---
**Author:** ![Donald\_Rump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Donald\_Rump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donald_Rump)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535/370 "2014-05-09T21:41:01Z")
This aspect of the debate has been dormant for a couple pages, but to revisit the controversy over what reason we had initially to believe this was spontaneous vs preplanned (I’m looking at you **Debaser** )… This is from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence [report](http://www.intelligence.senate.gov/benghazi2014/benghazi.pdf) on Benghazi (page 35): > [@](#): > > 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.” > > 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.”** > 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.** Based on the above, Susan Rice’s statements appear unassailably consistent with the intelligence available at the time. ---
**Author:** ![slash2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535/371 "2014-05-09T22:17:05Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > It’s a personal question that I have. Therefore, it’s important to me. Is it important to the Benghazi investigation? That would depend on what Obama was actually doing. Since Obama doesn’t want to volunteer that information, maybe the committee investigation will discover the answer. Under what circumstances would it be important to the Benghazi investigation? What possible answers to what Obama was actually doing would make a difference? If the guy says, “Hey, I was playing catch with Bo and Sunny while my staff monitored the situation and gave me updates,” would that be okay or damning? In general, what answers could he give that you would regard as okay or damning? What possible answers could he give that would in any way change what happened and why it happened? > [@](#): > > Why do you object to questions being asked? I don’t object to the question being asked. I object to anybody spending tax dollars and national resources trying to get an answer to personal questions of mere curiosity, and nothing you’ve said thus far has moved your question out of this category. A competent Benghazi investigation would be about what when wrong and how to prevent a repeat. How does satisfying curiosity fit into that? It doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535/372 "2014-05-09T22:26:04Z")
**doorhinge** , I know that there are people who believe NASA and the Gov’t faked the moon landings. I’m sure those people have plenty of questions. Should we open a congressional investigation to answer those questions? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2014, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535/373 "2014-05-09T23:47:44Z")
> [@rsa](#): > > **doorhinge** , I know that there are people who believe NASA and the Gov’t faked the moon landings. I’m sure those people have plenty of questions. Should we open a congressional investigation to answer those questions? Don’t give FOX news more ideas. [And don’t think they would not try that.](http://video.foxnews.com/v/3936056/moon-landing-hoax/#sp=show-clips) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2014, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535/374 "2014-05-10T00:05:58Z")
[CNN’s Jake Tapper to Trey Gowdy:](http://www.forwardprogressives.com/jake-tapper-gop-congressman-didnt-republicans-care-much-4500-deaths-iraq/) > [@](#): > > Well, CNN’s Jake Tapper hit Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy, the chairman for the select committee for another Benghazi “investigation,” with the question many liberals have been asking conservatives. > > “Republicans in general did not seem to have this appetite to find out what went wrong when incorrect intelligence was used to push the war in Iraq,” Tapper asked. “Do you see why some people might say, ‘Why is this more important than that war which resulted in the deaths of more than 4,500 American soldiers and countless innocent Iraqis?” > > \*\*\*Exactly! \*\*\* > > Shockingly, Gowdy didn’t answer the question. > > This is the kind of nonsense that makes it impossible for me to take Republicans seriously. We have a previous administration that admitted to war crimes, ignored warnings prior to 9/11 and started a war based on lies – yet Republicans essentially gave it all the proverbial shrug of the shoulders. > > Yet here we are, nearly two years after the fact, and Republicans are still holding hearings about Benghazi. > > This is the scenario I think we should go by. Once we see George W. Bush and Dick Cheney put on trial for war crimes, willfully misleading the American people into war and for the deaths of over 4,400 American soldiers in Iraq - then we’ll talk about what **talking points** were used immediately following Benghazi. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2014, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535/375 "2014-05-10T00:07:34Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > If you don’t “give a flying fuck”, then why are you objecting to questions being asked? :smack: For one thing, because these nonsensical hearings divert the House’s time and attention from countless things more important and urgent. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2014, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535/376 "2014-05-10T00:28:38Z")
Like what? Overturning Obamacare so millions of people lose their newfound health insurance? That’s an election winner if I ever saw one. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2014, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535/377 "2014-05-10T00:42:52Z")
> [@rsa](#): > > **doorhinge** , I know that there are people who believe NASA and the Gov’t faked the moon landings. I’m sure those people have plenty of questions. Should we open a congressional investigation to answer those questions? If the WH cooperated in the first place it would have been over with a long time ago. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2014, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535/378 "2014-05-10T00:44:02Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > If the WH cooperated in the first place it would have been over with a long time ago. It’s hilarious that you actually believe this. ---
**Author:** ![Donald\_Rump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Donald\_Rump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donald_Rump)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2014, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535/379 "2014-05-10T01:01:22Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > It’s hilarious that you actually believe this. I’m not sure **Magiver** is wrong though. Among die hard partisans this will remain a rallying cry for years to come. But more broadly the issue was basically in remission until the Rhodes email turned up. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2014, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535/380 "2014-05-10T01:05:29Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > If the WH cooperated in the first place it would have been over with a long time ago. > [@iiandyiiii](#): > > It’s hilarious that you actually believe this. Or sad. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535.md?page=18) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/with-trepidation-benghazi/687535.md?page=20)