Paul Wolfowitz weighs in on Petraeus; “Forget the gossip: focus on Benghazi.”

[BlueStreak]

15. I agree those are more substantive questions, and I have hears a single Rep raise them

But let's look at them:

1. Why was security so light at the diplomatic compound that has been called the consulate? There have been credible reports that the Libyans told us that the security situation was deteriorating in the few days prior to 9/11. Was it realistic to expect the CIA folks from the Annex to travel through 1.5 miles of Benghazi city to defend the diplomatic compound?

It is my understanding the building was not a consulate. The implication is that the building might have been a CIA station. If that is the case, why was the ambassador hanging out there. Regardless, the CIA personnel probably weren't in the vicinity for security. They were probably there to do what the CIA does -- collect intelligence and try to manipulate the course of events in ways that don't involve shootouts.

2. There have been reports that there were calls from the Embassy in Tripoli asking for increased security. Those requests were turned down. Why?

What difference would that make, even if it were true (and I haven't seen any evidence of that)? Adding security in Tripoli would not have affected Benghazi.

3. At the beginning of the attack on the diplomatic compound, the security officer called the Embassy in Tripoli, the extraction team (maybe the one in Tripoli) and Washington. The only help was a delayed deployment from Tripoli without enough evac space for everyone from the diplomatic compound and the CIA annex.

Again, what difference would it have made? It would have taken several hours at minimum to stage such a mission and get to Benghazi. By then everybody was dead already? What is your point?

4. About 30 people showed up for evac from the CIA Annex. For me, the biggest question is what was the CIA doing in Benghazi? I'm old enough to have seen the CIA, our various intelligence services and the DOD go rogue. Is that happening now? Does the President really know everything that the DOD/intelligence folks, and maybe SOS folks, are doing? Or is the President allowing special ops and covert operations to do too many secret missions? Is the CIA/DOD/intelligence operations endangering State Department operations.

It is a fair question, but obviously not one that will be discussed in public. The broader question is "What is the CIA doing, in general?" They are mostly beyond anybody's control. But I don't see anything particularly unusual in there being CIA people on the ground in Benghazi. The country just came through an armed overthrow of its dictator. Undoubtedly the CIA played a major role in that, and we kept some staff on scene to try to push the new Libya in a direction that we think will be most stable. al Qaeda presumably has the opposite interests and they won this skirmish. Of course the various Congressional committees should have briefing on all the activities of the CIA. But I don't see anything particularly noteworthy about Benghazi, compared to all the other places where fires embers are burning.