RT is covering USA demonstrations regaridng police shootings.

RT’s flagship, (click here) award-winning English-language channel airs 24/7 from the network’s Moscow offices and is available to more than 700 million viewers worldwide. It covers the most urgent domestic and international issues of our time for viewers wishing to question more and delivers stories often missed by the mainstream media to create news with an edge. RT provides an alternative perspective on major global events, and acquaints an international audience with the Russian viewpoint. 

I am quitting for the day.

Good Night.

The Kurdish Wolves. They have ever reason to be proud.

October 22, 2015
By Tom Bowman

American and Kurdish forces (click here) raided an Islamic State prison in northern Iraq on Thursday. About 70 captives were freed, and one U.S. service member died in the effort.

CO2 sequestration.

The results (click here) also indicated that CO₂ injection in fresh water saturated carbonate rock led to complete collapse of that rock. It is recommended that fluid assessment should be conducted to the different areas of the field.

There is chemical interaction between the CO2 and the rock with adverse effects. Collapsed rock may or may not yield more oil, but, the idea a gas such as CO2 can be contained in an injection to an oil well is invalid.

I am just cleaning up my open windows. 

In order to understand the extent CO2 is adverse to oil wells, there has to be more study articles read. However, the idea is a challenge from my understanding to believe the CO2 sequestration works to contain the CO2. That doesn't seem reasonable.

I don't know if there is more information about the raid in Iraq today. 

The current DOD and the current State Department need to stop worrying about lawyers and talk to each other.

Page 49 of GAO report. (click here)

Specifically, some posts may implement security measures that go above standards, but this type of information is not effectively captured in the triennial facility inspection process to document posts’ compliance with OSPB standards, and according to DS officials, does not inform the Security Environment Threat List threat-level decisions.

The lady left the room at 9:05 PM.

Check the transcripts for accurate and complete words and people. C-Span will probably publish them along with the video.

The reason the family email made into those sent to the committee is because everyone was using keywords to discern what to send and not send. 

The C-Span is no different than B Roll in relation to politics. 

Regardless of the statements of Kevin McCarthy, the former secretary is taking all the questions very seriously. Oh, I didn't know the Republicans were so smart as to prolong her testimony for the FBI to indict. The Democrats were gratuitous. Think so? I think the Democrats are tired of the mess and recognize the government processes involved.

I was looking through the information about the coal  CO2 sequestration facility. Gas components are not normally used in old oil wells. Usually water is pumped into the old well to FLOAT the oil to the top to be pumped out  I do not believe there will be a return from gas entering those old wells. The gas won't stay under the oil to push it to the surface. It is not dense/weigh enough to do the same thing as water. The theory needs to be tried in a lab setting if it hasn't been already.

Investigation of supercritical carbon dioxide, (click here) aspheltenic crude oil, and formation brine interactions in carbonate formations

The word "asphaltene" was coined by Boussingault in 1837 when he noticed that the distillation residue of some bitumens had asphalt-like properties.

That is fairly specific interaction.

Hillary Clinton: "...we worked closely with Libya and allies in the region...the volatile security environment compromised the mission...she never abandoned Libya after Gaddafi fell. I remember her even rejecting a picture of the dead Gaddifi because it was not an official document....chemical weapons were removed...humanitarian assistance...but, most of what was offered was difficult for the Libyans to understand how to accept. Yep. They didn't want anything from the USA immediately after the fall of Gaddafi. 

"He knows how to pull the levers." Somehow that is not important. Oh, Hillary Clinton has an inner circle.

The requests for additional security did not break through to the former Secretary. I think she stated that and why. 

"...weak Libyan government...maundering groups..." here we go with what the former Secretary should say...evidently, the State Department as performance under the former Secretary lost faith with the late Ambassador. Well, Hillary Clinton destroyed the organization of the State Department and then rebuilt it to her satisfaction. There was no time for that.

"Jersey barriers...

Such protections is to stop any suicide bombs via vehicle.  

6:46

Congresswoman: "...September 11th is coming...aircraft carriers are ready...what else is going on in light of Benghazi...what did you do in interagency cooperation..."

Hillary Clinton: "...25 of the 29 recommendations had been completed...I took the initiative to bring about...many numeral changes she states...up the interagency security teams...because of Benghazi DOD is much more focused on what needs to be done...closer coordinating capacity..the closest air support was too far away, so they (DOD) are looking how to respond."


Congresswoman: "...do Ambassadors have to call you for security..."


Hillary Clinton: "No, there is an example in the Benghazi attacks...they immediately contracted the CIA annex and they tried to respond to the consulate...I spoke to White House, I spoke to General Petraeus...unarmed drone..."


6:53


Congresswoman: "...I have to ask you in regard to the Nirobe attacks...requires the Secretary of State a waiver...


There doesn't seem to be a waiver anywhere on the internet. The only thing immediately available is about waivers in regard to VISAs.

June 2014 "Diplomatic Security" (click here)

Although State has established physical security standards for most types of

overseas facilities, GAO identified some facility types for which standards were

lacking or unclear, instances in which the standards were not updated in a timely manner, and inconsistencies within the standards

This is a follow up to the investigation and adds government function to the investigation. 

There is a flow chart with the word waivers. I have to read further.

Begins page 44.

...State follows some risk management principles; however, it lacks an adequate risk management policy for the physical security of its work facilities. Risk management is a strategy that helps policymakers more efficiently and effectively assess risk, allocate resources, and take actions under conditions of uncertainty....however, we found that State's risk management activities do not operate as a continuous process and do not continually incorporate new information....

This is an expansion of the lack of risk management found by the investigation. This confirms it and goes on to elaborate. It is an important critique because it expands on the High Risk assessment. It all has to be tightened up and multiagency. 
  
However, State is taking steps to automate and enhance these surveys.

 
They are taking the power to assess out of the hands of the Ambassadors so they are not contaminated by 'choice.' In other words, all assessments now have to fit a specific standard to decide risk and contingency.

7:15 PM

We also found that State lacked a process to re-evaluate interim and temporary facilities that have been in use longer than anticipated

That would apply to the temporary facilities in Benghazi. 

7:18 PM

How dare you laugh, especially, with a baby in Libya. 

So far the State Department had policies but they were undeveloped. Policies don't spring up overnight. There were policies in place in 2009 when the former Secretary took the job. 

We (GAO) used this framework, as well as the Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government to assess State’s risk management principles and activities

There is a reason why the policies at State were underdeveloped:

While DS created a risk management policy statement in 1997, DS has not fully developed and implemented the policy. The one-page policy statement describes six principles: asset identification, threat assessments, vulnerability assessments, risk assessments, risk decisions, and feedback. DS officials noted that a year after the statement was published, its planned implementation was largely overtaken by State’s response to the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Africa, and that the policy was not fully developed or implemented....Fast forward to 2012...Both the Benghazi ARB report and the resulting Report of the Independent Panel on Best Practice recommended that State develop a risk management policy....

7:33 PM 

Congressman: "...I've been chastised for my words in the last time of questioning..." That is not a democracy. That statement is about the ultimate purpose of the committee and he did not comply with the planned outcomes. If a Congressman wants to be dissonant to the rest of the government, then someone had to. I recall the 22 Congresspersons that voted against the Iraq War of them was Senator Robert Byrd. He was always dissonant when it was needed.

Dissonance is legal. It should never be oppressed. After all how would we know about the baby in Libya?

Congressman: He doesn't appreciate the badgering of the witness.

However, as of February 2014, some of these efforts, including a fully developed risk management policy, remain incomplete

Secretary Kerry probably doesn't know this is incomplete after the Secretary left office. She was only in office after the Benghazi attacks for 4 months. There is still work to be done. State is still vulnerable.

7:40 PM

Congressman: "...the revised statement...the email statements were revised as the information came out...there is a pattern in changing her story. Well, forbid that should be a reality. "How do the committee know all the emails have been turned over?"

Hillary Clinton: "...emails were not my primary means of communication...there are 55,000 emails...it was overseen by attorneys and they carried out rigorous...possibly construed as work related...they did all that and did not look over their shoulders...search terms were everything you could imagine was work related...I asked by attorneys to oversee the process and I did not interfer (basically)..."  

Congressman: He wants to measure mistakes and whether or not there were more mistakes (his tone is horrible) in missing emails. What missing emails? I think the FBI is working on a few things.

The FBI has the years of her service. Why mention the Secret Service? She states, an abundance of being transparent. Don't do that Hillary. They don't understand her. That's okay, from listening others viewing the hearing, there is an indication other Americans don't understand everything either. I think I mentioned that.

Congressman: "Were there any emails missing that were removed from the server?"

Hillary Clinton: She is confident in her transparency than any other government official. 

7:51

Congressman: He is concerned about the server being private. It was legal at the time. It is called trust. 

Hillary Clinton's transparency will now require the committee to call the Secret Service and get testimony in order to CYA any chance the server was contaminated by them. 

This is becoming ten hours now of committee activities and breaks. Hillary Clinton also arrived early to speak to media. 

Split screens are the preferred venue for CNN and MSNBC. FOX had a commercial. She is getting plenty exposure.

"...chain of emails of your own people and the FBI told her staff the best way to handle the situation was to send the FEST team." 

Station chief sent personnel from Tripole to Benghazi. So, there was a more rapid response in the works, but, FEST tam was no longer applicable to Benghazi. The lady points out the attacks lasted about an hour and there was no more help needed.

FEST team is not an armed force. There were armed people coming from Tripoli. 

August the State Department met with her attorneys. She was unaware of that meeting. Cheryl Mills was one of the attorneys and she was Hillary's Chief of Staff. How many attorneys does it take to go through 65 thousand emails. Okay, this is the third number regarding emails. The numbers stretch from 55 thousand to 65 thousand.

Oh, cute. Now the Congressman is stating collusion with the attorneys and the State Department. That is not an empty accusation. "It doesn't smell right." This is attacking her and not asking for her insight or opinion, but, the lady always entertains an answer.

Carrying out BUSINESS is what attorneys do so that their client doesn't have to be bothered. Hillary Clinton has a life and her time is valuable. 

8:05 PM 

I am not exhausted, but, completely disillusioned about my government and it's ability to exploit power for political purposes. 

Congressman: "...he is not Larry David..." Everyone is seeking relief from the meeting. "...not a member here has said anything about the content of the emails...substance is in those emails that alter our understanding of Benghazi. What is true of the emails is true about the broader investigation and that is there is nothing to add to the investigation. I am not going to go through the exercise to ask a question, it is too late for that....Speaker Boehner did not want to form this committee...something changed the Speaker's mind and I was not in the room when he changed his mind...Kevin McCarthy was in the room...I think that is why we are here...that one comment in isolation..."

Oh, the gotcha in the emails. The families email is all that?

8:11 PM

Congressman:"...people come before these hearings...they are torn apart...things are corrected later on and is on page 33 of the newspaper in a small paragraph...while I listened to Cheryl Mills and Mr. Sullivan and Mrs. Abedin were brought to tears in their testimony about you...I am bothered that people say you don't care because that is not true...Monday morning quarterbacking...I don't know what we want from you...we are so much better a country than using taxpayer dollars to destroy a campaign. You can comment if you like but I had to get that off my chest." Applause in the gallery.

Hillary Clinton: "...the answers have changed not at all from two years ago...there re many currents that are at work in this committee...I hope the statesmanship has to overcome the partisanship....I hope we can move forward together and listen to each other...I appreciate what you said Representative Cummings."


8:17 PM


Congressman: "...he does not regret the repeated committees..."

8:18 PM

Congressman: "...questions where open hearing is not necessarily appropriate...arms to Libya" No. "directly or indirectly to Libyan forces..." No. "...third party..." No. "...private security experts to arm the opposition in Libya..." Not seriously. The answer is No if not from Sydney Blumenthal.

Congressman: "...no reasonable time...what was a reasonable time?"  A number of hours. "When initial attack occurred you didn't know how long the attack would occur. Several hours passed and another attack occurred." "...the defense department has to answer those questions...there were assets all over the region on alert..."

Hillary Clinton: "...there was no classified documents at Benghazi..."  

ASK CNN. They were first in the consulate after the attacks. If there were any documents removed I would think CNN would have them. That reality may not have made it into the report.

"...air support faciliated by the USA. No private contractors were involved. Mark Turing is not familiar to Hillary Clinton...never saw the email from the late Ambassador to Mr. Turi..."thank you for your information, I'll keep it...and share it with my colleagues in Washington... 

Time is ticking and there has been many incursions of time upon Hillary Clinton. She is most gracious. 

Hillary Clinton: "The ARB could not find breach of duty..." 

There is another round?  I think the committee needs to decide how much time was used so far and adjust the third round appropriately. The length of interrogation was to lats eight hours this morning. That has changed.

8:32 PM

Congressman: "...the ARB talked about what an honor it was..." I didn't know Rep. Cummings was 82. Wow. Would never have guessed. He is sharp.  "...Chris Stevens worked for me for two years while under secretary of state...I owned him and his family and the families of those that died....the implications of the committee is like an attack against him and the same is true of Admiral Mullen...how did you pick them?"

Hillary Clinton: "...the statute was very clear the Sec of State picks four of the members of the review board...call on distinguished Americans for this task...who has the experience?...The first person I thought of was Tom Pickering (click here) ... then Admiral Mullen..." I did this before. Don't choke now, it has only been ten hours. It promises to be nearly 24 hours by the time it's over. She hasn't had a decent meal today. Her last significant meal was breakfast.

8:39 PM

Congressman: "...weapons transfer was debunked...Speaker Boehner...$14 millions was spent by State Department by Congressional review of Benghazi...it does not include the cost of DOD...there is $20 million spent on this committee..." 

There is a website? "The Select Committee on Benghazi" (this is one of them) There may be more.  

There is a limit on investigations, deaths or not. A cost comparison would be to the 911 Commission and/or the Iraqi Study Group. 

8:46 PM

The questioning is getting personal with the members of the accountability review board. 

ARB is not valid? Patrick Kennedy? How long is this drama going to continue because the longer it goes on the longer it will go on because there will be more and more transparency and the Republicans go off the deep end at every new word. 

The State Department assessment was 95% of the emails were on the government server. The Congressman states a 1 percent number. One percent? Give me a break. There needs to be better definition. The government server isn't all that. 

"...I turned over all my work related emails...exhaustive search of the attorneys...etc..."

You've got to be joking. 15 emails were not found by the attorneys out of between 55 to 65 thousand. Well, the attorneys are incompetent and should be fired.

Regular order called for. 

Oh, wow, the Congressman is making up the rules as he goes. 

This has to end. 

I don't find the questions to be appropriate. They aren't relevant. If Hillary Clinton has a political relationship with the public, well, hello? 

Record keeping gaps were due to the lack of capture by ".gov". Gee, I wonder why the private server. "The State Department...lawyer request has jumped 300 percent...they don't have the staff for that..."

Adjournment at 9:00 PM. Eleven hours and less than an hour of breaks.

This is so cute. I don't know how the baby seal got into the mud, but, the attention the cows were paying to it brought human help.

27 July 2015

A baby seal (click here) was stuck in the mud in a natural reserve in England. Being underweight, dehydrated and left without a mom, the animal was sure to die, but she was miraculously rescued by cows who apparently became interested in the furry ball.

The rescue ‘mission’ took place in RSPB Frampton Marsh, a natural reserve in Lincolnshire, England. A local bird watcher, Ian Ellis, noticed a herd of about 30 cows surrounding something near a muddy puddle.
“When he looked through his telescope he saw that they were surrounding a tiny seal pup [stuck in] a creek,” said a Facebook post from Natureland Seal Sanctuary, an animal attraction center in Lincolnshire, which later took the baby animal in. The seal’s mother was nowhere to be seen, according to Ellis....

I want reimbursement to the US Treasury from the GOP.

 5:02 PM

Congresswoman: "...there is a distinction between...ask you when looking at two memos provided to the former Secretary....Would Libya fall into the parameters of tab 8 and 32.

Hillary Clinton: "...a new normal discussed in a memo...lack of effective security and the security for Benghazi is not forthcoming...I was all something we were aware of and these kind of assessments were not uncommon...in war zones where we were operating...There was no recommendation regarding these war zones to abandon Tripoli or Benghazi."

Congresswoman "What prevented you from making decisions on your own regarding these facts." 

Hillary Clinton: "We were trying to provide more security through the Libyan government....regarding what Beth Jones was discussing in the memo...." 

She deferred to the late Ambassador. 

Congresswoman: "$20 million...pointed at Congress regarding the security requests...there was money for Libya by the former Secretary, but, no money for the people on the ground."

Hillary Clinton is explaining the standards for funding as it occurs within DEDICATED funds in the department. Additionally, she has stated the advise of abandoning the Libya embassy and consulate was not forthcoming. She states the department was underfunded and is appreciative of the new levels of funding.

Congresswoman: Sharline Lamb's statement is different than Hillary Clinton's reply. There were many alerts and warning about Libya. Those warnings are not necessarily relevant to the State Department. The Congresswoman again brings up the idea the Late Ambassador was Hillery Clinton's friend. 

Okay folks this is getting sillier. Hillary Clinton already stated the relationship with the Late Ambassador Stevens was about business. He did not have any personal information, including her private email.

5:15 PM

Congressman: The August email that is just quoted has been knowledge for years and never subpoenaed for the committee. This memo was already attended to by Congress.


"Daryl Issa has been stated that the committee was to shape the debate for 2016."...film of Rep. Issa..."The facts that you (Hillary Clinton) would contribute to the issues in Benghazi is already known to be an empty observation....Drone...two Marine platoons...Special Operations unit from USA...Howard Buck McKeon...given where the troops were and how quickly it dissipated the military could not have done more....Did you order Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to stand down on the night of the attacks?"

Hillary Clinton: "Of course not, Congressman...everyone possible was scrambling...looked to find anything that was near Benghazi..." 

Tape played regarding the different violence across the world inspired by the inflammatory video.  

Congressman: "What was your assessment of..."

Hillary Clinton: "...there were numerous protests and they were dangerous....Tunis...we knew from monitoring the media it was a hot issue and it was not going away...we worried about what might happen on Friday which is a day of prayer for the Muslims....thousands of demonstrators in Tunisia at the US Embassy...the Ambassador and his team were desperate for help...their calls to the Tunisian government went unanswered...her calls were initially unanswered...She called the President to help the Embassy...He sent his presidential guard to help the American embassy...the crowd was dispensed and the damage was excessive...Khartoum (capital of Sudan) was under attack...Embassies all the way to Indonesia was under attack...she called and messaged to heads of state to protect her personnel in their countries."

5:27 PM

Congressman: "Confused as to why all this information..."

Hillary Clinton: "...I think it is important to look at the totality...." 

Congressman: "...her sleepless nights...what else could you have done?"

Hillary Clinton: "...she is trying to tell the Congressman what she feels could have been done differently..." He is not impressed. 

Congressman: "1. Contractors what is number 2?"

Hillary Clinton: "Dedicated forces...a rotating presence on the compound...analysis of expert security officers have looked at this  and made recommendations."

Congressman: "He recognizes his frailties as well as hers....outer perimeter was unarmed Blue Mountain...a wall and then a robust American security presence inside the compound....he objects to the adjective robust....the robust American presence on the inside."

Hillary Clinton: "...they did the best they could...Admiral Mullens wanted to know why they didn't fire their weapons and the personnel inside the compound stated it would have caused more concentrated  attention on the compound."

"The fest...is located in the USA...Langley Air Force Base ... 

F-15, F/A-18 demo teams to perform at Air Fest '05 (click here)

"...Ddeployment of the FEST is made in many agencies...it was not as quick as she felt the FBI would be to Benghazi..."

OMG, she has to state the same words over and over. These have to be commercials for re-election. 

She has a great deal of patience.

5:40

Congressman: "Doesn't understand the focus of the committee...my collegues spent some time...critiquing something called the Clinton Doctrine...believes the personal attacks are political...Sydney Blumenthal...he doesn't understand the preoccupation with him...not a member here has not had friends that have sent emails...we are often too busy to answer them....they don't want the American people to know what they have asked...the deposition 160 questions about Sydney relationship with Clintons...270 questions about business interests...no questions about Benghazi...that is Sydney Blumenthal by the numbers....Accountability of the State Department...previous attacks elsewhere...there were far different results from the investigation...I think the Democrats were torn sitting at the committee today...we feel this is a personal attack on you (Hillary Clinton)...open source and others there was a protest and then it became an attack...a week to ten days later we got the videos and there was no protest...what Ambassador Rice and you have said is not inconsistent with that information....he finds it fascinating about a seventeen year old ARB and not faith in the information from others...one centric fact of them all is that you were running for President with high poll numbers. I state this because I don't want this to happen today or in the future..."Let's pull out the Benghazi issue again, it served us well before...Would you like to comment on the Tanzania report..."

Hillary Clinton: "Secretary Morell...whether we are talking about CIA or other departments, decisions are not made at the Secretary level..." 

5:51

Congressman: "...you raised the video..."

Did we just straighten out the videos? The activities of the attackers in Benghazi was not known until the videos were sent to the Congress.  Hillary repeats the same information she has provided before and in multiples. These are political agendas. I can't believe how repetitive the questions are and how malicious they are.

Congressman: "Privately your story is different than in public...the intelligence may have changed and your story to the American people didn't change...." We just did this by the Democratic Ranking Member Congressman. Her private life with her friends and family are not the business of Congress. Was there not ten days that went by before any of the dialogue with the public could be changed?

Ya know, the State Department returned emails that were personal in nature to Hillary Clinton. The only reason the email to her family was included in the emails to Congress and the public was because it mentions Benghazi. That is a personal email. There isn't anything that was classified. The family email should have been returned to her. 

The Republicans are determined to do the impossible and have the former Secretary charged with some kind of legal baloney. Or at least make it appear to be same and of course the Obama Administration would never hurt the dear Hillary Clinton and her 'baby' in Libya.

There is no purpose to this questioning except hopes to have her indict herself in some way or another. 

No one had a baby in Libya that I know. Perhaps Kenya, but, not Libya. 


6:04 PM Break.

Continued in next entry.

There was a request by Senator Manchin of the Secretary of Energy regarding carbon sequestration.

There was a request by Senator Manchin of the Secretary of Energy regarding carbon sequestration.

The Senator should be aware of these efforts.

De Kalb, Miss. – If coal has a future, (click here) it lies here, off a state road lined with churches, crawfish billboards and boarded-up houses. One of the poorest places in America, this is also home to one of the most expensive power plants ever built.
The Kemper County Energy Facility is the showcase for the decades-old dream of “clean coal” — the idea that the country’s most important, but dirtiest, power source can be burned with minimal damage to the environment.
What Southern Company and its subsidiary Mississippi Power have constructed here over the past five years can rightly be described as an engineering marvel. Fifteen stories of metal scaffolding surrounds a labyrinth of steel, concrete and more than 170 miles of piping. When the Kemper plant starts to burn coal, there will be nothing else like it in the world: Instead of releasing millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year, it will capture 65 percent of that greenhouse gas and ship it off to an aging oil field, where it will be pumped underground to help produce valuable crude.... 

From my point of view, the injection of a gas into old oil wells will contribute to seismic activity. Rock is very leaky. The CO2 will find it's way to the surface again and probably in a short period of time.

We have seen sequestration of CO2 sold as ice chucks to transport companies such as FedEx and UPS. It isn't helpful. Those ice blocks of CO2 ultimately will be dissolved into the atmosphere in someone's garage. It doesn't work. 

I think the proper name for CO2 ice blocks are called "Dry Ice." It is foolish of the transport companies to leave any CO2 dry ice open to air as it can cause severe damage to the skin, but, it is done. 

To date, the best outcome to returning the Earth to function and 'in balance of it's gaseous layers' is prevention of CO2 to begin with. Carbon sequestration is not viable for the length of time it has been chased. 

I realize coal gives the USA a very reliable source of energy. I know all that as a granddaughter of coal miners. But, coal is something the USA should hold in reserve to any needs in the future. There is a limit to how much Earth remains habital when it comes to Greenhouse Gases. Not every American can find their way to some kind of way station at Mars.

Coal is a fossil fuel. It needs to remain there for now. 

If there is CO2 pumped into oil well, there also needs to be monitors that will pick up it's return to the troposphere at the site and in concentric circles around the site to the extent that particular vat of oil stretches beneath the ground. 

The fact that FOX is still stuck in 2013 simply speaks to the sad reality of this media's audience. They are in a different world by design. Infotainment is legal when masked by the propriety of a news venue? Really? How does anyone expect voters to be informed if it is allowed to continue to deceive the people? Americans should not be living in a separate sphere from each other? The truth is the truth. These viewers have no understanding of how government works and it is MAINTAINED. 

The idea Hillary Clinton was going to be able to clear up any record is sadly pursued and it should not matter anymore. There are Americans that don't want to know. Leave it alone. That sphere of influence to the truth doesn't exist for those Americans. 

It is wrong, but, it is the way it is. 

The Democratic candidates for President need to move on and forget the silliness of this committee. The committee has no valid existence.

Oops. Presidential Veto.

October 22, 2015
By Joe Gould

Washington — President Obama vetoed (click here) the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act in the Oval Office on Thursday, a rebuke to Republicans over the way they have funded defense.
The president and Democrats have opposed the 2016 NDAA because it supports a $38 billion plus-up to defense through a wartime account known as Overseas Contingency Operations (or OCO), which skirts Budget Control Act caps.  Meanwhile, Republicans claim a veto would not only send the wrong message at a time when the US faces multiple national security dilemmas, but that it endangers the bill’s policy provisions, particularly those aimed at acquisition reform.
As the 2016 NDAA’s proponents like to note, the bill does not appropriate funding, but sets policy, creating authorization to spend on a wide range of acquisition programs across the services. The bill also contains measures authorizing lethal aid to Ukraine, banning torture, reform troop pay and benefits — and limiting the President’s ability to close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp....

The right wing media is primarily interested in the Susan Rice television appearances.

The fact there was a process in deciding the information release is not important to them. It is gossip. All the right wing wants is their 'individualized' attacks that satisfies their customers.

They are still STUCK on the talking points. Maybe because O'Reilly has that as an opening segment to his show. Who knows? 

The former Secretary may move some opinion, but, this mess on FOX is beyond help. She just needs to get on with her campaign. She has a real challenger in Donald Trump. He has the numbers. I still state that.

By the way, FOX is not kind to Donald Trump. They continue to attempt to diminish his importance. 

May 20, 2013

...7:39 p.m. email: State Department (click here) spokeswoman Victoria Nuland expressed the most sweeping concerns. "I have serious concerns about all parts highlighted below in arming members of Congress with information to start making assertions to the media that we ourselves are not making because we don't want to prejudice the investigation... Why do we want the Hill to be fingering [al-Qaeda linked] Ansar al-Sharia when we aren't doing that ourselves until we have investigation results? And the penultimate point is a paragraph talking about all the previous warnings provided by the Agency [CIA] about al-Qaeda's presence and activities of al-Qaeda...[which] could be abused by members of Congress to fault the State Department for not paying attention... so why would we want to cede that, either?"

8:59 p.m. email: A facilitator of the email threads answers Nuland's concerns about "prejudicing the investigation" by stating "The FBI did not have major concerns with the points and offered only a couple of minor suggestions." Nonetheless, they remove a paragraph referring to Ansar al-Sharia from the next version.
8:59 p.m. talking points: Changed "we do know" to "there are indications that" Islamic extremists participated in the violent demonstrations."...

3:25 PM

Congresswoman - Blue Mountain Security Guards and the Libyan milita forces...they were unqualified...I want to hold people accountable...so this never happens again...many dollars of the American people...LPTA vehicle should have raised red flags in Congress...I don't know that lowest price tag is advisable. Why did the State Department..."

Hillary Clinton - "I agree...flexibility in decision making..." 

Now, this is important. 

Here is the real purpose on FOX. 60% of their viewers state Hillary Clinton has not been honest.  

Congresswoman - "...Libya did not allow security officers carry guns..." 

Hillary Clinton - The militia members were, but, the static guards did not....Host nation gets to call alot of the shots under international conventions....where unable to do so...Libya did not have capacity...we have to work hard to get what we need..."

Congresswoman - "How many recommendations of Admiral Mullens were instated?"

Hillary Clinton - "All of them..." 

The point Hillary Clinton made about the Benghazi consulate was 'the fog of war.' That isn't carried through in the definitions by the committee. What is really in question is the idea 'Is it possible to better secure High Threat embassies and consulates?'

I think the point needs to be clarified. For all the good intentions of the Benghazi investigation including that of Admiral Mullens there is a question about a contingency being ENOUGH to ward off an attack. How large a contingency? 

I don't find the Benghazi investigation worthless, not at all. I hope it is the answer, but, the idea a contingency can be defeated anyway is a possibility. That can't be overlooked. 

3:39 PM

Congressman - "...timeline...it was put together explicitly for a an article in the Washington Post. Jake Sullivan was involved and that is the understanding of the staff as well....Clinton started to see her way forward...Clinton asked President Obama to grant the rebels full authority...isn't true you were trying to achieve political gains on this?" I assume it is the article in the Washington Post.

The article was written in regard to an interview. 

"Martha Vineyard...before the French take all the credit regarding Libya...finish reading Jake's memo..." "STATE of mind..." OMG this is a political committee. They aren't interested in facts.  Do we have a mind reader on the committee? We need a mind reader. There obviously needs to be another committee, but, they need to have a mind reader in the room.

Congressman "You were interested in making it the issue of the day...After Gaddafi goes...two months before the end of the Gaddafi regime you were making plans to exploit it for other purposes."  "Your staff herd from the White House that she was taking more credit than he."  When Jake Sullivan emails you ... it was an interest in the Clinton Doctrine." 

She talks about smart power "...and that is her belief. The Libyan policy was her baby?" ...it was smart power, wasn't that right? I guess she doesn't think so. She states decisions are made by the President. Oh, she just cited the Clinton Doctrine and here we go with opticals for political commercials. She's getting it now. "Congressman that is a political statement..."

3:51 PM recess for voting in the House

The statement being "her baby" is inappropriate. Are we in a bar somewhere? Did I miss something? 

There was a vote in the Senate earlier.

A vote of 83-14 to end debate (click here) on a bundle of amendments to the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) went through the Senate on Thursday. The controversial bill would provide incentives for companies to share user data with the federal government.

Gender discriminatory attitude on FOX stating she was using body language to telegraph the politics during her testimony. It is being treated as entertainment. The committee isn't suppose to be entertaining anything except the business of the country.

3:55 PM

Continued in next entry. 

12:10 PM

"He (the late Ambassador Stevens) took his concerns where they had to go....he was trusted to do exactly that..."

The Congressman states political rhetoric.  

"The Executive Summary didn't have a word about diplomatic security....There was no balance. There was 270 pages." Go figure why the Congressman doesn't get it. This is a Select Committee and the Congressman didn't do his homework. End of discussion. It is all rhetoric and hostile.

12:14 PM

I'd like to see the Congressmen that have nothing to say except political rhetoric re-designate their pay for this committee back to the USA Treasury. 

"A man that was a friend of yours." It has nothing to do with anything.

Sydney Blumenthal. ???? There is a model citizen the Congressman can aspire to. 

According to the genius at Briebart:

21 October 2015
by Patrick Howley

Breitbart News (click here) has learned that Blumenthal will factor heavily in the Committee’s questions for Clinton, who utilized the political adviser as her top source of Libya information despite the fact that Blumenthal did not seem to know much about the country.
Clinton, who pushed Blumenthal’s personal business interests in Libya, relied on intelligence that Blumenthal was getting from former CIA spy Tyler Drumheller. According to email releases, Blumenthal and Drumheller seemed to have been the main source of information, even as Clinton was actively intervening in the nation of Libya.
It is unclear what questions Clinton will be asked specifically, but she should be asked about the process by which the administration decided to blame the YouTube video “Innocence of Muslims.” As Breitbart News reported, the White House initially sought to blame a different YouTube video for fomenting violence that led to deaths at the Benghazi consulate.

The Congressmen of their crony Brietbart is getting their money worth.

Mr. Blumental needs to be subpoena. The former Secretary can't be held responsible for the activities of Mr. Blumenthal. The former Secretary  has right to haw an enthusiastic friend and not take his opinions seriously.

Let me clarify something. 

There is different types of information. Anecdotal is one of them. Emails are primarily anecdotal information and carry far less weight than any other form of information. So, while the emails between friends might be interesting, they amount to nothing.

This Select Committee is of it's rails. Enough insult to the former Secretary and potential presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. I want an investigation of this committee! There are all kinds of ethical issues as well as legal issues. Any political advertisements resulting with the former Secretary as the subject is automatically an ethic issue and the Congress persons are guilty as sin. It is a shame they have to go through due process.

12:31 PM

Hillary cry already. She is too polished.

Everyone was looking for the late Ambassador when it was obvious he was missing and the body was removed by people unknown (and on camera) to the USA. That is known and documented in the news media.

We know the demonstration didn't happen. Therefore...."Mission under attack..." If there was a protest would have the Ambassador reported it?" Of course. Okay. Oh, this is about Susan Rice now. I thought this was a committee to find facts not already known. 

The falsehoods started by you Madam Secretary. Hello? The official statement by Susan Rice IS KNOWN to have been written by the security department within the authority of the White House.  

She has far more patience than I. She wants to settle this and have it over with. 

She told her family? Is this for real? I would tell my family a lot of things and it would revolve around my safety and not to worry. 

Congressman "Call it an attack was like calling the sky blue." Well, well have a hissy fit why don't you.? 

The former Secretary was stating what she knew. That is not a crime. "Here is what I think is going on....Victoria Newland "Romney statement from Libya...27 minutes after the attack she was talking politics.....You picked the video narrative....The Libya attacks were suppose to be a huge success for the Obama Administration...Tell the world of leaders it was a terrorist attack but not your own people...."

Hillary Clinton states she will send the Congressman her book. Look, what goes on between countries leaders and what goes on with the public is different on many occasion. The intelligence department wrote the official public statement. The reason? Why drive the terrorists off?

Why didn't she just SPEAK PLAIN? Give me a break, this committee has no respect for her authority and discretion. The four dead were coming home and there would be plenty of time to sort things out. Enough.

The Secretary of State is an authority and that is never validated with any of these committees. I want ethic charges. 

My, my there is report after report after report and that was all suppose to be in play on September 11, 2012. 

Congressman "After seventeen months we have nothing new to tell the families." With all due respect, the right wing media that is exploiting a mother for her problems with Hillary Clinton should seek to provide counseling to her and potentially with the rest of the family. 

12:52 PM 

I want the funding and authority of this Select Committee pulled and negated based in an enormous number of ethic violations. 

Congressman "What is the core theory? That you deliberately interfered in the security in Benghazi and caused the deaths....That is what they are aiming at."

It is painful to many in the country as well.

Family members of the four and the family members here. Now Gouti is going to have a hissy fit in rebuttal to the previous Congressman....twenty more witnesses. Amazing.

Who rejected Sydney Blumenthal? What does he do? He works in non-governmental organizations and many of them. Fine. What is the point? The former Secretary does not have to apologize for anyone else, yet alone a close friend and confidant. What did she find interesting in his unsolicited opinions. 

Oh, here we go. Now the committee is going to pull her relationship apart with a PRIVATE CITIZEN. Does this improper behavior ever end?

1:03 PM 

You know I received a recipe for chicken yesterday and passed it on. That is a very simple example of what occurs between people with common interests. Sydney Blumenthal is irrelevant except to perhaps the former Secretary. If his information was relevant the USA was lucky he sent them.

I waiting for something important. There is just more of Goudi's hissy fit. I can hear the House Republican Caucus meetings now. "Why did the Secretary in her darkest secrets erase the identifier of a good friend?" "Tyler" authored the emails from Sydney Blumenthal. Oh, really? There goes the idea she was more interested in making a date.

"Obama's lukewarm...blah, blah, blah..." What a small world Mr. Goudi lives in. That is a good point really. Mr. Gouti's world might be small because he becomes insulted with a simple sentence from anyone. Interestingly, the Republicans all share the same small world.

This is inappropriate. Completely. "Why did Sydney Blumenthal have unfettered access while the (late) Ambassador did not?"

Much to the credit of the former Secretary she valued a friend that might have unique information in regard to Libya. Therefore?

We have been here before. Mr. Blumenthal has a history of being irritating to the USA government. Anyone remember Kenneth Star? 

Conservative target (click here)
Conservative opponents refer to the former writer as Sid "Vicious" Blumenthal.
In 1996, a year before he joined the White House staff, Republicans accused him of plotting a smear campaign against then presidential nominee Bob Dole. He denied the allegations.
Almost immediately after joining the White House team, he began drawing fire from conservatives. They said he fed the Washington rumour mill with dirt on political opponents...

Mr. Blumenthal has a history of insults and obnoxious behavior. Conservatives fall into this idea Mr. Blumenthal is nothing but trouble in a faux candy wrapper. This is gossip, not government information or anything that should be classified before it reaches his friends.

1:20 PM Break in questioning. 

FOX thinks the email to the family and Blumenthal is important to FOX News Sunday. Typical.

CNN seems more equitable. 

MSNBC is trying to carry on with a debate. Evidently the the unclassified emails is the most serious part of the testimony today by the right.

FOX here we go again with who knew it was a terrorist attack rather than telling the American people it was a reaction to the video. The family's email comes up again.

...But, at this point, we do know that Obama and others in the administration were quick to cite the anti-Muslim video as the underlying cause for the attack in Benghazi that killed four U.S. diplomats, including U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens. And they were slow to acknowledge it was a premeditated terrorist attack, and they downplayed reports that it might have been....

I doubt there is any information as to whether this was a premeditated attack of which should have been known by the CIA. 

September 12, 2014

Statement by the President on the Attack in Benghazi

I strongly condemn (click here) the outrageous attack on our diplomatic facility in Benghazi, which took the lives of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. Right now, the American people have the families of those we lost in our thoughts and prayers. They exemplified America's commitment to freedom, justice, and partnership with nations and people around the globe, and stand in stark contrast to those who callously took their lives.
I have directed my Administration to provide all necessary resources to support the security of our personnel in Libya, and to increase security at our diplomatic posts around the globe. While the United States rejects efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others, we must all unequivocally oppose the kind of senseless violence that took the lives of these public servants.
On a personal note, Chris was a courageous and exemplary representative of the United States. Throughout the Libyan revolution, he selflessly served our country and the Libyan people at our mission in Benghazi. As Ambassador in Tripoli, he has supported Libya's transition to democracy. His legacy will endure wherever human beings reach for liberty and justice. I am profoundly grateful for his service to my Administration, and deeply saddened by this loss.
The brave Americans we lost represent the extraordinary service and sacrifices that our civilians make every day around the globe. As we stand united with their families, let us now redouble our own efforts to carry their work forward.

Obviously it wasn't known before hand and it is always hind sight is 20/20. 

The capture of one of the terrorists occurred in 2014.

June 17, 2014
By Karen DeYoung, Adam Goldman and Julie Tate

...Abu Khattala’s capture (click here) was a significant breakthrough for the administration in a case that has dragged on for nearly two years since Obama promised shortly after the attacks that the perpetrators would be brought to justice....

...“The administration’s policy is clear on this issue,” said National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden. “We have not added a single person to the [Guantanamo] population since President Obama took office, and we have had substantial success delivering swift justice to terrorists throughout our federal court system.”... 

That statement about Guantanamo is probably one of the issues that drives Republican politics, hence, this committee. The Republicans have never accepted the leadership of the President nor do they respect him. President Obama through this spokeswoman is stating the country's security is not compromised in relation to information gathering to bring about the capture of terrorists because of the detainees.  The Republicans don't accept, even in the face of evidence, that leadership and it drives a lot of this stuff.

The family email is part of what makes this committee so ridiculous. The USA has protocols in issuing information to the public. I would think that is evident by now. The communication between the former Secretary and her family is not a protocol.

"The source" was the authority of the Secretary of State. It didn't require any other source. This is still yet an invalidation of the Secretary of State and her own authority. 

Exploitation of families isn't going to change the facts. Count on this mess going on into Sunday. FOX is making talking points for their politics.

The Republicans have made heavy investments in their politics against the Democrats. They will hold onto crumbs if that is all they have. The family communication is not important or proper in any official information. The President made a statement about the attack on the day it occurred. The gossip stops there. 

Protocols and proper avenues of information is not the forte to the right wing except when Bush made decisions and then it was, "...we don't know the information the President is looking at..." I think there is a notation of that type of propaganda known as "Bushism."  

2:22 PM

"...email from Sydney Blumenthal raises alternative to security" (I guess) by a Deputy Secretary.  

Secretary - Mr. Sullivan would have emailed "Chris Stevens" on a regular basis. When an Ambassador is at a post over seas, especially one as experienced as he... '

Victoria Nuland (click here) - experienced diplomat to NATO  

Why was Chris Stevens reacting to an email regarding something from Blumenthal provided by Jake ... the point is what?  PR was the alternate option and it was accepted in the face of lack of additional security. I think that is all discussed by the first non-partisan committee.

Secretary - Chris Stevens communicated regularly with the members of my staff, he did not raise security with my staff and he did not raise security issues with me when they spoke. He raised security issues with the proper security personnel.   

Gouti - who Chris Stevens...blah, blah, blah"  Basically, why didn't Hillary Clinton speak and wire and email with Chris Stevens? Here we go, now the Secretary of States is suppose to do what the US House states she has to do. She is not an autocrat.

Secretary- He did not raise any security issue with staff or Secretary. ditto, ditto, ditto....

If Sydney Blumenthal's information was helpful she forwarded it. Mr. Blumenthal was not an official delegation to the staff and neither there other friends that RELATED TO HER WORK. The late Ambassador stated it was helpful to her staff.

I am insulted Pinocchios have to enter into the BUSINESS of the committee to prove false information. Grateful for the news media (Wash.Post) that uses them, but, for real here. How did they make it into a hearing?

2:18 PM 

Congresswoman: Why were we in Benghazi. ARB stated what particulars drove the presence of the late Ambassador. Points to the fact the late Ambassador was an authority in the understanding of the intelligence in Libya. She goes on about the expertise reflected by the late Ambassador that is part of the official record. She reflects the fact the late Ambassador was working toward a permanent platform in Libya. He never decided the risk out weighed the benefit. The total elimination of risk is a non-starter for the foreign service. The balancing of interests is a difficult decision.

Hillary Clinton: Start with best information across the government and correct in that Chris Stevens continued to advocate for a permanent presence in Benghazi. He showed no plans to close the facility. "He definitely knew the risks."

The State Department is always going to have people highly qualified for the decisions they make because of their length of service. Chris Stevens was one of those people.

2:46 PM

Congresswoman 2: Geography. Map in display. Summary of 2011. Hillary Clinton states the assessment sounds correct except for Chris Stevens time in Benghazi. Congresswoman Sanchez introduced an email in 2011. Transitional government was based in Benghazi. 

Was there any doubt the late Ambassador had a dangerous position in Benghazi? Was there? Was there any doubt The West would respond to attacks by Gaddafi upon eastern Libya?  

Congresswoman - Cheryl Mills "assumptions regarding Benghazi winding down...September 2011...no consulate in Benghazi."

Hillary Clinton - Eventually there would be a consulate in Benghazi, but, there was no plans for it. All this is discussed in the first assessment by the non-partisan committee. The LACK of official status was a sincere problem cited by that committee to the deaths that occurred there.

The decision by the late Ambassador to move to the hotel as a matter of his own safety and then travel to Benghazi was a poor assessment on his part. He was not safe and he should have left the country, but, hindsight is always 20/20.

Congresswoman - "...we do not have the universe yet of Chris Steven's emails yet...." 

Everything I read and everything I hear only states the State Department did not have self contained authority for an larger armed contingent. Question: Had the contingency option existed with the late Ambassador, would it be dispatched to Benghazi as an unofficial consulate?  

Jeff Feldman  

Jeffrey Feltman (click here) of the United States assumed the post of Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs on 2 July 2012. He was appointed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.... 

3:00 PM

Congressman - "Did he (the late Ambassador) discuss the safety issue in Benghazi?"

Hillary Clinton - "No, he did not." 

So on and so forth.

Congressman - Committee decided to prioritize Hillary Clinton and Ms. Aberdeen's emails. "This is not a prosecution. But, it has the tone of same by the Republican members of the committee....We took the deaths of four Americans seriously and investigated it appropriately...So what is the purpose of this committee?...To prosecute you (Hillary Clinton)..."  

The Congressman also points out there are other State Department facilities in other countries that have similar concerns for the safety of the staff.

"Significant attacks against U.S. diplomatic facilities and personnel" (click here)

The inclusion of 2012 dictates the Benghazi attack was included. More recent attacks are not.

September 2012 was a very busy time. There were many, many attacks surrounding the date of September 11, 2012. How does a contingency force choose where to go first? 

Hillary Clinton in testimony stated the health personnel involved in receiving the late Ambassador tried to revive him for two hours. She states this was "the fog or war" in Libya.

Gouti - there is an analogy between ISIS fighters and Benghazi? That escaped me...something about money.

3:15 PM

Congressman - Ambassador Stevens did not have her personal email, fax number of State Department, did he ever stop by your house? Hillary Clinton states no. YET, Sydney Blumenthal did.

Elections should be easier this time and require far less money to insure it.

My, my, my the Congressman didn't ask trick questions and only require yes or no. She should not seek to be helpful. Really now, Hillary, don't use his time so frivolously.

Senator Feinstein states the deaths were preventable. I am not so sure. I think that statement by Senator Feinstein is made with the idea the attacks in Benghazi happened in a vacuum. It did not. There were all kinds of problems across the world at the time the attacks occurred in Benghazi. How can anyone say the attacks in Benghazi was preventable? Benghazi has the focus of politics, but, honestly there is no way of telling.

The statement by Hillary Clinton in that the foreign service recognizes a degree of danger to carry out the country's business is accurate. Very. The State Department counts on the HOSTING COUNTRY to protect the embassy. She also stated there can only be enough contingency from the military for about ten embassies. Would there be room for an unofficial consulate? I think not. 

People are saying dots are being connected. Where?

3:25 PM

Continued in next entry.