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FNC Middle East expert Walid Phares and The Washington Free Beacon Senior Editor Bill Gertz on the investigation into the attack on the U.S. Consulate...
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Biographer.
Apollo -- well now faces questions about whether she reveal classified information about the -- Ghazi attack that she was privy to because perhaps of her relationship.
Within CIA director David Petraeus.
To assess all of this and a second day have shelling by the Israelis -- area.
We're joined by bill Gertz senior editor for the Washington can.
Fox News Middle East expert doctor -- Ferris.
Good to have you both here -- but we begin with you on.
Oh what we are now watching Paris series of time -- of about -- got the CIA timeline are -- and Ghazi.
We have got.
The military timeline we have they ought -- -- well I'm line if you will.
This is getting to be extraordinarily.
Complicated.
And it has some very peculiar.
Dimensions to it that suggests.
We've got a long way to go to know what this administration was thinking and why do you agree.
I do agree and our -- from this perspective I think General Petraeus is a central figure.
For the American public congress for all of us understand what really happened and for the simple reason he's the leading expert on how caught and the jihadist with so many years.
He led the surge in Iraq he knows them.
He oversaw the surge in Afghanistan against the fundamental caught up.
He was the head of cent com overseeing the whole region's -- against al-Qaeda and he was a director of the -- so.
I would think if he could help us enormously in answering three questions.
Number one the training camps the television have a training camps around in -- and we saw that in the cable one of the cables.
Where they perceived as a threat or not and second when -- -- -- -- Wasn't perceived as an attack and third why -- they're not every action and order to strike back against them I mean he could go to central.
-- -- I would say to you I wanna know why in the world there was no decision to help foreign debt Americans.
I wanna know why in the world where we have advance knowledge that there were ten militias -- groups there including.
That the al-Qaeda related.
-- organizations.
All active and operating and and can't.
In that region -- around Benghazi in eastern Libya.
-- donors -- you're asking for information from.
From Petraeus for these things -- what we really need to know is.
What in the world are but was he was he thinking when.
There -- places that -- that the accounts -- was attacked in the -- And for Americans were losing their lives as a result don't you think that's the real issue here.
-- -- Well look I I think that all depends on what what's your assessment just before.
If this costs and it was on some Pacific island and then we were attacked yes we need hours maybe days to figure out who these people -- But to attend training camps so definitely want to attack began the only any force that was in the area was -- product.
It's about why that's why I think the order -- -- ban.
Protect that area because of Scott as attacking us -- -- and why was that order not given.
Bill -- do you.
Honor what would be the questions that you would want Petraeus.
To answer before congress what do you see as the most important questions right now.
Well I think the most important question is what was the CIA doing in bank -- it's clear that this was part of a Covert action operation and Covert action is not necessarily clandestine spy stuff its semi secret so there is obviously.
If there's some gun running going on from Libya to Syria.
There was probably also some training of militias.
The real problem in -- Ghazi was first there wasn't really -- consulate it was a diplomatic compound.
And the security was put in charge of this militia which has been described as Islam a -- It's -- an -- cut through all that.
We don't care whether it's a -- we don't care what you call over the equality special operations mission.
Whether you call of a coal -- paramilitary operation IE CPI -- We want to know what happens when for Americans including the US ambassador call for help and there's no response from the government.
In of all places been Ghazi which we knew to be a hot -- of al-Qaeda related organizations terrorist activity.
Period don't you agree bill.
Oh yeah yeah there should have been a security force there and that's the real question why wasn't there security there.
On the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks so that you know this is really and security scandal of of the first magnitude.
-- quicker wanna get both your reactions if I -- minority.
Over time but -- But we have this woman Paul abroad while talking about.
Effectively detain terrorists that Cheney is at the CIA annex and -- -- Talking seemingly with certain knowledge and raising the question virtually receive that knowledge.
What are your thoughts about the games that are being played here by -- all involved that is the administration the CIA Petraeus himself.
-- well how do you how do you see a very quickly.
Let -- a very quick Quaid I think that what ever of that president's watch it could have been a confident compound CIA detention center whenever that was.
What puzzles me though is that in one of the cables there was a question.
They -- training senators -- al-Qaeda or jihadist or outside of -- -- whatever that is.
We're not sure about -- and pensions if they wanna harm Americans -- that's a failure.
Electrification of the threat if we're not sure about that certainly when they attacked -- Basically we are going to be surprised so whatever the result is that was a failure and detecting -- any -- what's in my own sense.
-- orders were quickly your your final thoughts.
Well clearly an extramarital affair was not really the cause of bringing down the CIA director to me there was either related to some incident.
Having to do with bank Ghazi and his forthcoming testimony.
Or it could even be will be even more mundane about internal CIA politics the agency in the past -- use secret information to.
Defeat bureaucratic rivals today did that to get rid of James Angleton.
In the seventies.
They use that against border crosses -- -- -- more recently when one of his aides they resurrected a shoplifting thing to discredit the -- the directors so.
Those are all lot of the things it could be behind the scenes.
And what -- stunning here is that all of these developments here in the last week.
Seem to have been designed to put the CI at the forefront of this discussion.
Because until then didn't no -- my knowledge.
Was suggesting that the CIA had a determinant role in the events of September 11 and the failures.
Of September 11.
But we're going to continue and obviously to follow the story as closely as we possibly can and through.
Answer as many of these questions as we can gentlemen we thank you both for being here appreciate it thank you end --
