The Capture of “The Mastermind Behind Benghazi”
The NYTimes is as jubilant as it permits itself to be over the capture of Ahmed Abu Khattala:
… During the assault on the American diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, on the night of Sept. 11, 2012, Mr. Abu Khattala was a flamboyant presence. Witnesses saw him directing the swarming attackers who ultimately killed Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.
Even after the attack, he offered only vague and contradictory denials that he had played a role, while apparently enjoying the notoriety it brought him. He sat for repeated interviews with Western journalists and even invited a correspondent for tea in the modest home where he lived openly, with his mother, in the Benghazi neighborhood of el-Leithi.
But for all his brazenness, Mr. Abu Khattala also holds many tantalizing secrets for the Americans investigating and debating the attack.
His apprehension by United States military commandos and law enforcement agents may finally begin to address some of the persistent questions about who carried out the attack and why. Those questions have spawned a small industry of conspiracy theories, political scandals, talk radio broadcasts, and a continuing congressional investigation….
The grifters behind that “small industry”, not so much, per Jon Chait at NYMag:
… This does not seem to be the sort of accountability the Benghazi right appears to have in mind. Reactions on the right range from subdued to actually angry. Here is the lead to Ashe Schow’s story in the conservative Washington Examiner, which does not exactly convey the JAPS SURRENDER–type jubilation one might expect:
From one scandal to another.
The Obama administration is now shifting focus to Benghazi – which President Obama said was “phony” – announcing that one of the ringleaders of the attack, Ahmed Abu Khattala, had been captured on Sunday in Libya by U.S. forces.
To clarify, Obama never called the attack on Benghazi phony. He called the conservative conspiracy theories surrounding the attack phony. But never mind…
It has been reported that Abu Khattala will be tried in the U.S. court system, and props to President Obama for making that choice. His decision, of course, is sending the usual suspects to their joint and several fainting couches, with Fox News contributors reaching a new nadir in conspiracy-peddling. (Which does feed the suspicion that Fox will be pivoting to HRC-bashing, now that they’ve completely exhausted the market for Obama-bashing.)
At his trial, Abu Khattala should testify that he led the attack because he hated Obama. He could end up with his own show on Fox.
.
I predict the right will soon float the idea that Obama had this guy tortured until he was wiling to say the movie was the cause of the attack. Except when they are saying that of course we have to torture people to get the truth in order to save lives.
It’s not going to help at all that Khattala mentioned… the video:
But we’ve known about the video as a provocation since 2012:
Not that facts are going to convince the Hashtag Benghazi crowd…
@HelpThe99ers: Republicans should be shamed for their use of the Benghazi tragedy as a political game. Glad to see the truth getting out.
The President just cracks me up when he does something to send these clowns into a frenzy.
But what about the IRS emails that implicate Bowe Bergdahl?!!!
/megyn kelly
@The Dangerman: Apparently Lerner was a clairvoyant who knew an investigation was coming after PO’s reelection, so she faked a computer meltdown in 2011.
@The Dangerman: The guns used at Benghazi came from the Fast and the Furious …thing.
Wheels within wheels, man.
@Hill Dweller: Obama, using his well-known Time Lord abilities, pre-post-instructed her to do so.
Watching the right squirm is surely enjoyable, but I have to take issue with your final sentence, A. L. Fox has not exhausted the market for Obama-bashing. That well is inexhaustible, endlessly deep, because they Make Things Up. And they are never going to stop.
@HelpThe99ers:
I remember reading reports in the immediate aftermath (on an al-Jazeera site, maybe?) that there was a protest going on at the US consulate over the video when the militia assholes pulled up with guns and attacked. So the claim that the video had nothing to do with the attacks was exaggerated at best.
this will never end. ever. certainly not when hillary is elected as president.
@dmsilev:
Who?
So you’re saying it’s eleven
dimensionalincarnational chess?Just wait
I don’t know which Republican is going to be more pissed; Darrell Issa, because he looks like a massive fool yet again (you’d think he’d be used to it by now) or Trey “Gomer” Gowdy, because his committe is even more useless than it was before.
And then of course, the Old Man Who Yells at Clouds and Huckleberry Butchmeup (thanks, Charles Pierece) will be pissed off. But when are they ever not like that?
@WaterGirl:
Yeah, I guess that’ll make Tom Levenson think twice before he puts up another “torture is bad” post.
As others have said: this is just to distract from
Benghazithe IRSFast & Furiousthe “Whitey” TapeBowe BergdahlBenghazi.! ! 1 !can we all just accept we don’t know what we are doing in the middle east? can we get that? probably not.
left, right center, we don’t get the mideast. we might as well be victorians.
@-*+HelpThe99ers:
/*
I’m guessing that the Benghazi Boogaloo crowd is probably going to do a swift 180 – of they haven’t done so already: if the supposed “mastermind” behind the consulate attacks says the Innocence of Muslims “movie” was a contributing factor, I’m guessing that the usual suspects are going to leap at the opportunity for:
a) Bloviating defenses of “freedom of expression” – larded with as much gratuitous Muslim-bashing as they can fit in – ignoring the insulting schlock video, while painting Middle-Easterners as violent barbarian fanatics who can’t take criticism.
b) Opportunistic Obama-bashing: rehashing his “apologies” for IofM; a la Mitt Romney – probably along the lines of: “Violent barbarian fanatics kill Americans, and Obama apologizes to them,!!1!!1!!”
c) Full Guantanamo Panic: foolish, if you think about it, but always good for fear-mongering: which is really all the Right has these days…..
@Mnemosyne: it’s the strangest political thing ever. The thing the Republicans deride as a lie and a cover-up is actually true, and it’s been obvious from the beginning, and Rice said it exactly accurately from the start. Two years of this. Jesus H. “Charlie” Crist.
@Hill Dweller:
her resume’ has her tied to W Bush and R Reagan too.
do the sunnis and shias simply have to bash each other to death? I don;’t know.
is it omnes’ fault?
Obama’s Just Trolling Them Now
Booman
@Little Boots: No, because then conservatives would be agreeing with liberals.
ETA: And well, cleek’s law…
U.S. Captures Key Suspect Behind Benghazi, GOP Confused It’s Not Hillary
@lamh36:
Lame duck prezinent. How is it working out for ya, gop?
@Belafon:
yup.
it is just so stupid.
oh well.
@Little Boots: See my update.
Why was Bush given a pass when he couldn’t get OBL even seven years later but Obama has to get the Benghazi perpetrators right away. Republicans are such assholes.
@Belafon:
wait, where?
@Little Boots: Jesus, follow the links up the chain.
@mai naem: It’s just so. un. fair! Govt is ‘sposed to be incompetent and those people just keep accomplishing shit and all. Repeatedly! I mean.
@gf120581:
from the twitter machine:
Darrell Issa ✔ @DarrellIssaFollow
There is evidence that he is one of dozens, if not hundreds, of individuals involved in the murder of four Americans in Benghazi.
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name):
sorry, wasn’t aware of the chain, or the anger.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/s.....TE=DEFAULT
oh very young:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP6B9HttRI8
@Little Boots:
hey, have you ever used Soft Cell and The Clash together in the same sentence? Just curious.
@scav: Obviously the government is capable of accomplishments. It accomplished a coverup more perfect than the world has ever known. It has withstood every single Congressional
investigation into Benghaziphoto-op ignoring all relevant questions surrounding Benghazi.@eemom:
maybe. why?
OT but too good to pass up: must credit Powder Blue Satan for coining the term ammosexuals. It’s gonna be big.
@eemom: No, you are the only one.
@Little Boots: I made an update to the comment you replied to, so I wanted to let you know I had added to it.
@Belafon:
that makes sense. not sure why omnes yelled at me. although there was an incident.
Credit must go to Huckleberry Closetcase (Tea Party-SC).
still think it is up to omnes to weight in. miss him.
@Little Boots:
although, he gets angry.
@danielx:
I believe it was Mr. TBogg that coined the term.
@danielx: I noticed that Atrios’s meme has been spreading as well. He suggested mockery….I saw that Bill Maher must have picked up on it, because he mocked the gun lovers hard last week. Good way to go.
@Felixmoronia:
I think you might be right.
But if there is a trial, how will we ever know what happened?
for omnes, cause, I don’t know. he doesn’t deserve my taste, but I have to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUL68ZeclcA
@danielx: nope, sorry. Atrios cribbed it from Bill Maher, whose writers in turn cribbed it from somewhere in the blogosphere. I recall seeing it pop up in May, about a couple weeks or so before Maher used it during a recent (two episodes back?) “New Rules”. TPM mentioned it, I believe, at least a week before I saw Maher use it. Wish I could recall where I first saw the term.
or this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKpISNtgJMs
@Suffern ACE:
It’ll all become clear when Issa and Gowdy subpoena the judge and jury and tell them what actually happened.
or this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYEDA3JcQqw
still think omnes should be here.
@Little Boots: Why?
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name):
why not?’ you don’t hate me, do you? I was so obnoxious that one time.
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name): She probably has a question about stone washed jeans.
@Corner Stone: I don’t believe in them.
ETA: Debating whether to watch all of Witness for the Prosecution on TCM or get a decent night’s sleep. It is a fantastic movie.
@Little Boots: Oh, it’s no biggie.
What you need to understand about Omnes is that he’s a very judgmental asshole.
And I don’t mean that just because he’s an actual judge, or a real deal asshole. I mean he likes to pop into threads and explain shit to other people.
I could go on, I guess.
@Corner Stone:
yeah, he is, but honestly, sometimes he’s right.
@Little Boots:
Omnes gets a little cranky late at night. But don’t tell him that, because it only makes him crankier.
@Mnemosyne:
he does. I love that everyone gets that.
I’ve seen them, man!
@Corner Stone: I could explain that you are an asshole, but that is rather unnecessary.
@Mnemosyne: You are right that I sometimes get less tolerant of your tendency to attribute to people views that they did not express.
omnes, don’t be bitter. show up.
oh, wait, you did.
don’t be angry. nobody like you angry.
for omnes, who is angry:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU615FaODCg&list=RDnU615FaODCg
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name):
And what crime did maeve commit against you last night?
Seriously, dude, the other night you were ready to start a battle with me over a jocular interstate rivalry. Good thing I didn’t call you a cheesehead or you really would have gone ballistic.
omnes, are you in a mood?
for omnes, cause he gets angry, but he is still a good guy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6Kspj3OO0s&list=PLCAA9EBE3D9D145F5
@Mnemosyne: Sorry, I just don’t trust your interpretation of anything anymore. I am not the only person to have suggested that you serially mischaracterize the arguments of others. You leap to maximalist interpretations in a heartbeat and then accuse the other party of saying things that were not directly said. Good for you. Me, I am going to bed.
As far as the Cheesehead thing goes, I hope you do realize that I was born in Aurora and lived in Geneva until I was 11? Get a sense of perspective.
omnes, you can still like me. it’s okay. I know I can be annoying, but still.
what is pissing you off? you do not get this angry, usually.
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name):
I ask people for clarification of their points. And, yes, sometimes I play devil’s advocate to see if they really understand the implications of their points.
Lighten up, Francis.
@Little Boots:
dude. One time several years ago, in a late night haze of alcohol and exhaustion, I got The Clash mixed up with Soft Cell….because I’m a sad and senile old woman and also likely because 30+ years ago when I was a jubilant and joyous young woman they were frequently on the same dance mix.
Omnes. Has. Never. Forgiven. Me.
So the point is, bootsie, you can push Omnes only so far. And no farther. Believe me. I know.
everyone come upstairs.
@eemom:
and I like him, always have, always will. but he can be a bit ,..
Add to this he’s appointed more women to the Supreme Court than all of his combined predecessors, as well as Janet Yellen at the fed.
But yet progressive betters still tell me he’s a sexist
@Omnes Omnibus (the first of his name):
Well, no, he’s honing his craft at being a dick (a distinct difference, you know). And the blog is better for it….
@danielx: I am disappointed that my own invention “gunbuggers” has never caught on.
@gnomedad:
Nice little mock! I especially liked this zinger:
Anyone ever hear about the night that The Clash and Soft Cell got together in a recording studio that straddled the Wisconsin-Illinois border? This was the result…Oh, and Topper Headon died during the session, too, so two results.
What are your plans for the evening?
@Suffern ACE:
Indeed. The capture of the most knowledgeable source of information about the Benghazi assault was obviously intended to obstruct the inquiry into it.
@Temporarily Max McGee (soon enough to be Andy K again):
[kissies]
@eemom: LMAO!
@lamh36: It’s amazing, tough, the hold that hate talk has on people. This guy whose father is an immigrant and involved in shady stuff and whose wife’s family are Mexican immigrants in the food business tells me yesterday that Not slamming minors crossing the board in detention means argle bargle gang members.
@David Koch: My progressive betters don’t talk about sexism because they know bringing it up is an own goal but they might talk noise about Marxist theory to try to justify their wacky priorities.
Awesome. Al Qaida is really on the run now.
I’m sure they will be helping him learn to breathe water through a towel as a part of addressing some of these persistent questions.
@C.V. Danes:
I doubt it. They are planning on trying him in a regular court.
@nellcote: Darrel has a mind like a steel trap (rusty of course). Since everyone agrees that it was a ‘mob’ that implies more than one. The video also show a mob. But I guess Darrel has to restate the obvious since he couldn’t find the nose on his face with a flashlight and a mirror.
@Baud: Thread won, first post here.