The Players

Here are the major participants (so far) surrounding the September 11^th, 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya:

Christopher Stevens, Ambassador to Libya, was killed in the September 11th attack in Benghazi.  Was in Benghazi at the behest of Hillary Clinton although this fact was curiously omitted from the Accountability Revue Board’s findings … even though it was testified to there by Greg Hicks.

Tyrone Woods, Sean Smith, and Glen Doherty, three other American defenders who were killed in Benghazi  by Islamic terrorists.

President Obama, was informed of the Benghazi attack-in-progress at about 5 PM on 9/11/12.  Supposedly told Leon Panetta, to “do whatever can be done to assist and protect Americans in harm’s way.”  After this, he was not heard from again for over 12 hours.  That next day he flew to Las Vegas to attend a campaign fund raiser.

Leon Panetta, Defense Secretary, testified to the Senate Armed Services Committee that no military assets were deployed to assist those under attack in Benghazi and that he had had no further communication with President Obama about this matter that night.

General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, when asked by Senator John McCain why there was no military response to the Benghazi attack said, “We did what our posture and capabilities allowed.” McCain said that this was “one of the most bizarre statements I’ve ever seen in my years here at the [Armed Services] committee.”

Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State, testified in late January in front of the Senate and House (but not under oath) that she wasn’t aware of the security problems in Benghazi and that she believed for many days thereafter that the attack in Benghazi was as a result of the YOUTUBE video.  Was famous for saying at these hearings “What difference at this point does it make!?!”

David Petraeus, honored General in Iraq and Afghanistan and former CIA Director, expressed frustration at the scrubbing of the original CIA talking points … particularly since he had traveled to Libya shortly after the Benghazi attack to get first-hand information.  He eventually went along with the White House narrative … but this didn’t save him from being outed for having an extra-marital affair which then led him to lose his military commission and his post at the CIA.

General Carter Ham, head of the African Command, there is a strange story that Leon Panetta relieved General Ham of this command when he refused to order a “stand down” of troops being sent to Benghazi.  This story has been refuted and, effectively, buried.

Thomas Pickering, former Ambassador to the U.N., together with the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullin, lead a State-Department-sponsored panel investigating the Benghazi attack (Accountability Review Board). Although Secretary Clinton never testified to this panel, it did find that the State Department was at fault for not providing additional security to the Benghazi mission.  Hillary Clinton accepted responsibility for this failing.  This review supposedly led to the “resignation of four State Department employees” (a now-disputed point … as they might have just been reassigned.)

Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, an Egyptian Coptic Christian  wrote and produced of the controversial anti-Islam YOUTUBE video, "Innocence of Muslims" which was blamed by President Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Susan Rice as the reason for the attack on the diplomatic mission in Benghazi.  Shortly after the attack he was arrested on a parole violation and is still in prison.

Susan Rice, Ambassador to the U.N., went on five TV talk shows the Sunday after the attack to say that the YOUTUBE video was the reason for the attack and terrorists were not involved.

Darrell Issa, Republican Chairman of the House Government Oversight Committee has been pushing the Benghazi investigation ... and is often accused by the left of playing partisan politics.  Is currently seeking sworn depositions from Pickering and Mullin about their panel's investigation.

Elijah Cummings, ranking Democrat of the House Oversight Committee.  Made a very controversial comment in these Benghazi hearings, "death is part of life."

Greg Hicks, former deputy diplomatic chief of mission in Libya.  Testified at the House Oversight Committee that he called Hillary at 2:00 AM the night of the Benghazi attack and told her that it was terrorists.  Had a scathing phone call from Cheryl Mills after he questioned Susan Rice’s account of the Benghazi attacks as being the result of the YOUTUBE video.

Mark Thompson, acting deputy assistant secretary for counter-terrorism, testified in the Oversight Committee that special forces in Tripoli were told to “stand down” and not go to Benghazi to help quell the attack there.  These special forces were furious and their commander, Lt. Col. Gibson, said that it was “the first time in my career that a diplomat has more balls than somebody in the military.”

Eric Nordstrom, the former regional security officer in Libya, blamed, in testimony before the Oversight Committee, the Obama Administration for ignoring calls for more security in Benghazi.

Victoria Nuland, State Department spokesperson who directed the12 revisions to the talking points that Susan Rice then used to go on 5 talk shows the Sunday after the attack.

Beth Jones, Assistant Secretary to Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, called Greg Hicks to warn him to stop questioning the Administration's stance on the Benghazi attack.  Later at a meeting in Washington, she questioned Hick's management style in Libya and said his people were complaining.

Cheryl Mills, Hillary Clinton’s long-time chief of staff (and known hatchet person), called Greg Hicks to excoriate him for meeting with a congressman from Utah without a State Dept. lawyer present (due to lack of security clearance for the lawyer).  Hicks believes that this confrontation led to his demotion to a desk job at the State Department.

Philippe Reines, State Department spokesman, said that nobody tried to keep the Utah congressperson from speaking to anyone in Libya.