Susan Rice Deserves An Apology

On Wednesday the Obama administration released 100  pages of emails that detail the process in which the Benghazi talking points were shaped. Those same talking points were the ones that U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice used on the September 16 Sunday talk shows after the attacks.

For weeks after the attack in Benghazi, Libya the Obama administration as well as State Department officials insisted that the incident was due to a anti-Muslim film posted to YouTube which had sparked outrage and violent protests across the middle east. While President Barack Obama did in fact call the attack an "act of terror" on September 12th, the day after, Press Secretary Jay Carney didn't use either "act of terror" or "terrorism" to define the Benghazi incident until late September. The emails released Wednesday highlight the strong belief by State Department officials as well as the CIA that the anti-Muslim video responsible for protests in Cairo among other locations was also to blame for the Benghazi attack that killed four Americans including the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens.

Last fall Ambassador Rice was grilled by congressional Republicans for her part in the now erroneous talking points that were released the Sunday after the Sept. 11 attacks. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsay Graham (R-SC) pointed to her recital of those same talking points as justification for revoking her nomination to succeed Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. After weeks of pushback between the White House and Congressional Republicans Rice withdrew her candidacy for the post. The position was later filled by then Senator John Kerry with support from Senate Republicans.

Contained within the emails released on Wednesday was the revelation that despite being critiqued for her part in the production of the Sept. 16 talking points, Ambassador Rice had no part. Rather the formation of them was between the State Department and the CIA, with minor involvement from the White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes. If anything the emails highlight inter-department  consternation over their public appearance and how it would be affected. However what is even more of interest is that these emails were released months ago to Congressional Republicans and, despite being in receipt of these, they insisted that Susan Rice should be held accountable. Her part in this, if anything, was merely to relay the pre-drafted talking points.

It remains to be seen if Senate Republicans, who were largely responsible for blocking her from the Secretary of State post, will issue a formal apology to Ms. Rice now that the public knows they had knowledge from the beginning of her confirmation process just how far she was involved. So the saying goes: "Don't shoot the messenger." Unfortunately for Ambassador Rice that was not the case.

The Morning Report -- Monday February 11 2013

Thousands Stranded After Storm -- Senator To Stall Nominations -- Drones To Be Used By LAPD -- Apple's Latest Invention -- Gen. Dunford Becomes US Commander -- Phillipine Town Mourns Crocodile -- Tornado Strikes Southern Mississipi -- Obama Girds For State Of The Union -- Budget Cuts Certain -- CISPA Returns

THOUSANDS STRANDED AND IN DARK AFTER 'NEMO'

Associated Press

Grabbing shovels large and small, residents and emergency workers across the Northeast struggled to dig out on Sunday after a gigantic midwinter storm left much of the region buried under drifting snow.

City streets resembled ski slopes or mountain passes, with cars and even some houses obscured by a thick blanket of white. More than three feet of snow fell in parts of Connecticut, and more than two feet accumulated on Long Island and in Massachusetts, where the storm caused coastal flooding that forced evacuations.

SENATOR GRAHAM VOWS TO STALL NOMINATIONS UNTIL MORE INFORMATION COMES ON BENGHAZI

Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- A leading Republican senator said Sunday that he will hold up Senate confirmation of President Barack Obama's nominees to head the Pentagon and the CIA until the White House provides more answers about the Sept. 11 attack against a U.S. installation in Benghazi, Libya.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina accused the White House of "stonewalling" requests to release more information about the attack, which killed four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya. "We're going to get to the bottom of Benghazi," he told CBS' Face the Nation.

US TO USE DRONES IN CHRIS DORNER MANHUNT

Yesterday, as a task force of 125 officers, some riding Snowcats in the rugged terrain, continued their search, it was revealed that Dorner has become the first human target for remotely-controlled airborne drones on US soil.

A senior police source said: “The thermal imaging cameras the drones use may be our only hope of finding him. On the ground, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

Asked directly if drones have already been deployed, Riverside Police Chief Sergio Diaz, who is jointly leading the task force, said: “We are using all the tools at our disposal.”

APPLE WORKING ON 'SMART' WATCH

Apple Insider

Dick Tracy had one. As did Inspector Gadget and James Bond. A watch that doubled as a computer, two-way radio, mapping device or television.

Though such a device has been lost to science fiction comics and spy movies of the era before smartphones, the smart watch might soon become a reality, in the form of a curved glass device made by Apple.

In its headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., Apple is experimenting with wristwatch-like devices made of curved glass, according to people familiar with the company’s explorations, who spoke on the condition that they not be named because they are not allowed to publicly discuss unreleased products. Such a watch would operate on Apple’s iOS platform, two people said, and stand apart from competitors based on the company’s understanding of how such glass can curve around the human body.

GEN. JOSEPH DUNFORD BECOMES U.S. COMMANDER IN AFGHANISTAN

Getty Images

KABUL, Afghanistan — Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. took over Sunday as the newest and probably last U.S. commander in Afghanistan, charged with ending America's longest war even as insurgents continue to challenge the U.S.-backed Afghan government.

Dunford, a four-star Marine officer, arrives as the U.S.-ledNATO coalition has closed three-quarters of its 800 bases and as it watches to see whether the Afghan security forces it trained can keep the Taliban insurgency at bay.

PHILLIPINE TOWN MOURNS DEATH OF LARGEST CAPTIVE CROCODILE

Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The world's largest saltwater crocodile in captivity has died, sending villagers to tears in the backwater southern Philippine town that had started to draw tourists, revenue and development because of the immense reptile.

The crocodile had been blamed for deadly attacks on people before it was captured in 2011 and sent to live at an eco-tourism park that was built to house the giant. The reptile quickly became a star attraction of marshy Bunawan, a far-flung town of 37,000 people in Agusan del Sur province about 515 miles southeast of Manila.

TORNADO RAKES ACROSS SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI

Reuters

(Reuters) - A swarm of tornadoes tore through several counties in southern Mississippi and Alabama on Sunday, injuring at least 10 people and ripping apart hundreds of homes and other buildings, including parts of the University of Southern Mississippi, authorities said.

The Forrest County seat of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and the adjacent town of Petal, both about 100 miles southeast of Jackson, the state capital, bore the brunt of storms that struck less than an hour before dark.

OBAMA GIRDS FOR STATE OF THE UNION, REPUBLICANS DO TOO

Associated Press

It’s unlikely that anybody will shout “You lie!” at President Obama as he delivers his State of the Union speech this week (unless it’s at home in front of the TV). Rep. Joe Wilson (R) of South Carolina had to apologize and he was formally reprimanded by the House of Representativeswhen he did that during a joint session of Congress the President was addressing in 2009.

But Mr. Obama will face a tough crowd Tuesday night – at least among Republicans, who still control the House and have filibuster power in the Senate – as he lays out his plans for job creation and economic growth at a time when unemployment remains high.

AUTOMATIC BUDGET CUTS ARE ALMOST CERTAIN

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — In less than a month, a budget ax is set to fall on the federal government, indiscriminately chopping funding for the military and slicing money for various programs, including preschools and national parks.

The $85 billion in cuts that would take effect from March 1 through September — the first installment of $1.2 trillion in reductions over the next decade — would strike just about every agency and service in an attempt to ease the budget deficit.

PRESIDENT OBAMA SET TO ENACT CYBER SECURITY ORDER AS CONGRESS REVIVES CISPA

Bloomberg is reporting that the White House plans to introduce an executive order on cybersecurity sometime after next week's State of the Union address. The order, which has been in the works for months at this point, would arrive after several high-profile attacks have highlighted the danger posed by online threats. Just last week, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times revealed they'd been the victims of attacks — thought to have originated in China — while Twitter announced it could have had as many as 250,000 user accounts compromised.

According to the report, the order will set up a set of voluntary cybersecurity standards that companies operating important US infrastructure will be able to participate in. Federal agencies will be encouraged to adopt the new protocols into existing regulations, and as expected, the order will instruct the government itself to share information about potential threats with companies in the private sector.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/02/10/4612488/senator-vows-to-stall-nominations.html#storylink=cpy

Lindsey Graham: Hillary Clinton 'Got Away With Murder'

Senator Graham offered his harsh assessment of her performance.

“Hillary Clinton got away with murder in my view. She said they had a clear-eyed view of the threats. How could you have a clear-eyed view of the threats in Benghazi when you didn’t know about the ambassador’s cable coming back from Libya?” the South Carolina Republican told host Greta Van Susteren Monday on “On The Record”.

“Our guys tried to ask questions, she is very good on her feet, deflecting the questions. But she said two things that will come back to haunt her, they had a clear-eyed assessment of the threats in Libya, and they had close contact with the Libyan government. I don’t believe either one of them,” the lawmaker added.

Ron Johnson: I Shouldn't Have Speculated On Clinton's Emotions

Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) who we covered yesterday and was shown getting into a quite heated exchange with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has come under fire for suggesting that she used tears to dodge his questioning. During the three hour hearing Clinton spoke on a broad range of issues relating to Benghazi and the incident that took place on 9/11/12 . At one point during her response to a question asked by Sen. Johnson she broke down and began crying recounting attending the funerals of the fallen men. 

Following the hearings Johnson spoke to BuzzFeed stating that he felt she had used her emotions and "theatrics" to dodge the question. Today on CNN he retracted his statement saying: 

"I was responding to a question, Soledad. I probably speculated, and I shouldn't have."

The Morning Report -- Thursday January 24, 2013

North Korea Targets U.S. -- Women In Combat? -- CA School Gets High-Powered Rifles -- Debt Ceiling Raised; History Looms -- Charlie Brown Arrested -- Clinton Takes On Benghazi, GOP

NORTH KOREA TO TARGET U.S. WITH NUCLEAR, ROCKET TESTS

Credit: REUTERS/Bobby Yip/Files

(Reuters) - North Korea said on Thursday it would carry out further rocket launches and a nuclear test that would target the United States, dramatically stepping up its threats against a country it called its "sworn enemy".

The announcement by the country's top military body came a day after the U.N. Security Council agreed a U.S.-backed resolution to censure and sanction the country for a rocket launch in December that breached its bans.

PENTAGON SAYS YES TO WOMEN IN COMBAT

(Photo: Adek Berry, AFP/Getty Images)

The thought of women dodging bullets and bombs in combat may have seemed jarringly out of place in earlier eras of Doughboys and G.I. Joes and the wars of the previous century.

But for anyone familiar with today's troops and the missions they face — or who has paused to read the names of this nation's combat casualties — the historic move by the Pentagon to open up front-line roles to women is hardly a shock.

FONTANA, CALIFORNIA SCHOOL GETS HIGH POWERED RIFLES

DEBT CEILING RAISED BUT GOP FIGHTS HISTORY

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) — All right, so the fight over the U.S. debt ceiling has been put off until late May. Time to celebrate, right?

Photo Credit: AP

Well, no. Republicans are sure to try to force the White House to agree to more spending cuts when a short-term suspension of the debt ceiling expires on May 19. House Republicans passed the temporary extension on Wednesday, and the Senate and White House say they will go along. Read MarketWatch article on debt-ceiling compromise.

The problem for conservatives is, the White House doesn’t have much incentive to play ball. Sure, President Obama might agree to small spending cuts if Republicans pass a longer-term extension of the debt limit. Yet Obama won’t do anything to alienate his political base or put congressional Democrats in a political bind.

What’s more, history says the president doesn’t have to. The fact is, presidents of both parties have won every standoff with Congress over the debt limit since the first major tussle in the Kennedy administration in the early 1960s. Read about history of debt limit.

CHARLIE BROWN VOICE ACTOR ARRESTED OVER ALLEGED THREATS, STALKING

SAN DIEGO, CALIF. - The former child actor who was the voice of Charlie Brown in the 1960s “Peanuts” animated television specials pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to charges he threatened his girlfriend and a surgeon who carried out her breast enhancement surgery.

Peter Robbins, 56, from Oceanside, California, pleaded not guilty in San Diego Superior Court to two counts of stalking and 10 counts of criminal threats. If convicted, he could face up to nine years in prison, Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth McClutchey said.

SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON'S BENGHAZI HEARINGS: FIVE THINGS LEARNED

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday took on Republican congressional critics of her department's handling of the deadly September terrorist attack in Libya.

Conservative GOP members challenged Clinton on the lack of security at the diplomatic compound in Benghazi as well as the erroneous account that the attack grew spontaneously from a protest over an anti-Islam film produced in the United States.

At two hearings, which together totaled more than five hours, Clinton acknowledged a "systemic breakdown" cited by an independent review of issues leading up to the armed assault and said her department was taking additional steps to increase security at U.S. diplomatic facilities.

Here are five things we learned from the hearings before the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs committees.

UPDATED: Secretary Clinton Testifies on Benghazi Incident

On September 11, 2012 a group of armed Libyans stormed the United States Embassy.  Their violent attacks resulted in four deaths and the start of a huge investigation by Washington republicans into why there was not adequate security at the embassy. From here the narrative of the story becomes largely partisan. The right wing of the country claims that the Obama administration, in a stunning display of incompetence, knew and did not act as the events were unfolding. The left of the country would have you believe the Obama administration did everything they could and that the reason security was not as tight as it perhaps should have been is funding from Washington. The truth will probably lie somewhere in between. Today however Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testified on what she knew about the Benghazi attack in Libya. The exchange between herself and Republicans started off nice enough but soon escalated to a heated exchange.

Here is the beginning of the hearings that displays a part  at the end where Clinton "goes off" on Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI).

After the hearings Senator Johnson suggested that Clinton's angry outburst was just a dodge. Johnson said 

"I'm not sure she had rehearsed for that type of questioning." 

 "I think she just decided before she was going to describe emotionally the four dead Americans, the heroes, and use that as her trump card to get out of the questions. It was a good way of getting out of really having to respond to me." 

Johnson went on to criticize Clinton for having taken "full responsibility" for the attacks in Libya but then having dodged the question using "theatrics."

"She allowed politics to trump getting to the facts." Johnson said. 

Later on Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) mentioned the fact that as of today nobody but the filmmaker of the controversial anti-Islam film that was initially blamed for the outbreak had been arreseted. The filmmaker was arrested in California for allegedly violating his parole.

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Towards the end of her testimony Secretary Clinton warned that there was a growing threat from Al Qaeda and its affiliates in North Africa. 

“The fact is they’re terrorists, they’re extremists, they have designs on overthrowing existing governments, even these new Islamist governments.”

Below are some further images of Secretary Clinton during her testimony.

Clinton's toughest critic, Senator John McCain, levied a harsh line of attack on Clinton demanding answers for the attacks and stating that "The people deserve to know."

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) bluntly told Secretary Clinton that he would have fired her over the events in Libya and how she handled them.

In a lengthy attack on the potential 2016 presidential foe Paul repeatedly hammered Clinton and the Obama administration.

"One of the things that disappointed me most about the original 9/11 was that no one was fired," Paul said, calling the 2012 attack the worst act of terrorism since 2001.

Later on in the questioning Paul aluded to the popular conservative conspiracy theory that the late ambassador to Libya was inolved in a CIA effort to ship guns to Turkey.

View the video here: http://on.aol.com/video/rand-paul-to-hillary-clinton--i-would-have-fired-you-517651092

Clinton did acknowledge that she ultimately takes repsonsibility for the attacks in Libya.



Amid the questioning Clinton teared up, an example of the type of "theatrics" Sen. Johnson referenced earlier.

Later on after the hearings in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer Rand Paul noted that Clinton had a "valid point" on Benghazi. 

Post hearing Fox News' "The Five" mocked Secretary Clinton for her answers.

Earlier in the hearing Representative Jeff Duncan (R-SC) accused Secretary Clinton "You let the consulate become a death trap." 

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