Sen. Graham seeking answers on Benghazi attack

[gongoozler]

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C, and two other senators are demanding answers from the White House on terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, before the presidential election.

Graham admitted, though, that concrete answers will not likely come before the Nov. 6 election unless presidential candidate Gov. Mitt Romney or his running mate, Congressman Paul Ryan, implore President Barack Obama to provide “basic answers to simple questions” on the consulate attack that left four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, dead.

Graham said that Obama and top level military advisers knew within two hours of the attack that it was a terrorist act and that those with links to al-Qaida had claimed responsibility, although Obama and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice consistently described the attack for days as a spontaneous response to an anti-Islam YouTube video.

The Obama administration has said that they articulated the information they were being given at the time and that the president said in the Rose Garden the day after the attacks that terrorists were responsible for the incident.

Obama has said that he would not play politics on national security issues — a statement Graham said was a lie.

Graham spoke to the Herald-Journal briefly Monday afternoon during a visit to Spartanburg.

“When it's convenient for this administration, they leak reams of classified information when it makes them look good,” said Graham, who serves on the congressional armed services committee. “When you look at what they leaked after bin Laden's raid, the underwear bomber in Yemen — they did all of that on purpose since the were successful operations.”

Graham, who visited the consulate in Benghazi in September 2011, called it a “death trap” and said he petitioned then to have it closed. The British closed their consulate and the American Red Cross closed their offices after attacks in April and June. Americans should have done the same, he said.

“President Obama had ordered security for the consulate, yet there was no help for seven hours,” Graham said. “Why? Why order security if they aren't allowed to provide it? Finally, President Obama and others — up to 10 days after the fact — called it a riot by a mob spurred by a video when there was no evidence of that.”

Graham and Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., have asked Obama to declassify video surveillance of the consulate so the “American people can make informed choices” on how to vote in November.

“Killing bin Laden was not the end of al-Qaida,” Graham said. “In fact, al-Qaida has more than doubled since we left. ... The Middle East is about to blow up. We need someone in leadership who can lead a path to economic prosperity and make us a leader in the global economy.”

Although the Nov. 6 election looms, Graham said this year could be reminiscent of the 2000 election when it was December before it was determined that President George W. Bush had won.

“It could be an election 2000 scenario,” Graham said. “If President Obama wins in Ohio, it will be tough for Gov. Romney. I think Gov. Romney has the right momentum at the right time. It will come down to Ohio, Colorado, New Hampshire and Nevada. Those states will decide the election.”

Graham said he will return to Washington on Nov. 13 to deal with expiring Bush-era tax cuts, the debt ceiling, a simplified tax code and reform entitlements.

“I'm concerned. If we don't have a change in strategy, we will run off a fiscal cliff in December,” Graham said. “We have a lot to do.”

http://www.goupstate.com/article/201210 ... ?p=2&tc=pg

[nobody]

Graham is a good one. We need more like him. No hype just reason. That is when you know the truth.