Benghazi -- Like the Alamo, Pearl Harbor and 9/11 -- Will Live in the Hearts of Americans Forever

Saturday Politics this week is about the Supplement to the House Select Committee on Benghazi final report. In the bluntly critical Supplement, Representatives Jim Jordan and Mike Pompeo, Committee Republicans, present conclusions to explain what they see as the motivations behind the inactions and misdirections by the Obama administration. Here are the Supplement's conclusions. ~~~~~ (1). The First Victim of War is Truth : The Obama administration misled the public about events in Benghazi. State Department officials, including Secretary Clinton, learned almost in real time the Benghazi attack was terrorist. With the presidential election 56 days away, rather than tell the American people the truth and increase the risk of losing an election, the administration told one story privately and a different story publicly. They publicly blamed the deaths on a video-inspired protest that they knew had never occurred. (2). Last Clear Chance : Benghazi security was grossly inadequate and Secretary Clinton failed to lead in correcting it. After Qaddafi, the US knew it couldn't count on host nation security in Libya, where militias held great power. The American people expect that when their government sends representatives into such dangerous places, they will receive adequate protection. Secretary Clinton paid special attention to Libya. She sent Ambassador Stevens there. Yet, in August 2012, she did not take the last, clear chance to protect her own State Department people in Libya. (3). Failure of Will : America did not move heaven and earth to rescue her citizens. The American people expect their government to make every effort to help those it puts in harm’s way when trouble occurs. The US military never sent assets to rescue the Americans fighting in Benghazi and never got military personnel into Libya during the attack. Contrary to Obama administration claims that it could not have landed in Benghazi in time to help, the administration never directed men or machines into Benghazi. (4). Justice Denied : The Obama administration broke its promise to bring the terrorists to justice. After the attacks, President Obama promised “justice will be done.” There is no doubt America could keep that commitment. But, four years later, only one terrorist has been captured and brought to the US to face criminal charges, and he will not receive the full measure of justice because the Obama administration chose not to seek the death penalty. The American people are owed an explanation, but President Obama has offered nothing. (5). Unanswered Questions : The Obama administration did not cooperate with the investigation by the Gowdy committee. Despite White House claims, Jordan and Pompeo saw no evidence the administration had a sincere interest in helping the committee : "There is a time for politics and a time to set politics aside. A national tragedy is one of those times when as a nation we should join together to find the truth. That did not happen here. So while the investigation uncovered new information, we nonetheless end the Committee’s investigation without many of the facts, especially those involving the President and the White House, we were chartered to obtain." ~~~~~ Dear readers, here is the final paragraph of the Supplement : "In the end, the administration’s efforts to impede the investigation succeeded, but only in part. The minority members’ and their staff’s efforts to impede the investigation succeeded also, but again only in part. And although we answered many questions, we could not do so completely. What we did find was a tragic failure of leadership—in the run up to the attack and the night of—and an administration that, so blinded by politics and its desire to win an election, disregarded a basic duty of government: Tell the people the truth. And for those reasons Benghazi is, and always will be, an American tragedy." It is an Obama indictment. Stevens, Woods, Smith, Doherty. Their deaths are the tragedy -- the reason Benghazi, like the Alamo, Pearl Harbor and 9/11 -- will live in the hearts of Americans forever.