President Barack Obama calls the attacks on U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice "politically motivated" and says they are unacceptable.
President Barack Obama on Sunday called security issues that led to the deaths of four Americans in the Benghazi consulate attack "a huge problem," although he continued to defend U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice as a victim of political scapegoating by Republicans who have suggested an administration coverup of the situation.
"We're not going to be defensive about it," Obama said of the State Department review of the attacks during an exclusive interview on NBC's Meet the Press. "We're not going to pretend that this was not a problem. This was a huge problem. And we're going to implement every single recommendation that's been put forward."
Saying that some State Department officials "have been held accountable," Obama said that the review of the September 11 attack showed there was "sloppiness" in terms of security measures but that mistakes were not intentional.
In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, President Barack Obama tells David Gregory he's optimistic the fiscal cliff can be averted, lays out the goals for his second term, and also discusses the Benghazi attack and how it was handled by the administration and those on Capitol Hill.
But he defended U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, who withdrew from consideration to succeed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton after Republicans vigorously opposed her for her role in discussing the attacks after the raid.
"She appeared on a number of television shows reporting what she and we understood to be the best information at the time," Obama said. "This was a politically motivated attack on her. I mean, of all the people in my national security team, she probably had the least to do with anything that happened in Benghazi."
Obama indicated that intelligence officials have "good leads" as to who carried out the attack.
"With respect to who carried it out, that's an ongoing investigation," he said. "The F.B.I. has sent individuals to Libya repeatedly. We have some very good leads, but this is not something that I'm going to be at liberty to talk about right now."


Sad but true they'll only tell us what they want
"[T]he official report by the U.S. government's Accountability Review Board [ARB] about the attack on the U.S. compound in the Libyan city of Benghazi ignored the most explosive 'Beghazigate' scandals: the Obama administration’s lawless arming of jihadists in Libya and Syria...." -The New American
A shocking number of investigative reporters are coming to the same horrifying conclusion.Benghazi-gate is NOT just about covering up Obama Regime security and foreign-policy ineptitude that directly lead to the murder of four brave Americans on the eve of a presidential election.
Time to hold this joker responsible for something. It wasn't a problem, it was a mistake. He won't admit it but he needs to be held accountable. So far all he has done is blame other people. Blame Bush for the economy and that was over 4 years ago, blame the cliff problem on Republicans, blame blame blame it's all he does. I'm sick of it. I'm sure the recession we are about to go into will be blamed on someone else too. Some leader uh?
Where there is smoke, there is fire. Investigative journalist Aaron Klein withWND tells us: "The panel’s lead investigator into the Benghazi attack, former Ambassador Thomas Pickering, has largely unreported ties to the revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa."
Klein goes on to say: "Pickering serves on the small board of the International Crisis Group, or ICG" and "Billionaire activist George Soros is on ICG’s executive board."Klein adds: "ICG itself has long petitioned for talks with Hamas as well as normalized relations with the Muslim Brotherhood."
Obama Bin Lying again.
And what are the "real scandals?" For starters, Klein tells us that the Benghazi Consulate"was not a consulate.”
He adds: "According to Middle East security officials I talked to, this was a major meeting point — I would say the central meeting point — for the American diplomats... to meet with officials of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, about supplying the opposition in Syria and Libya.Well, who is the opposition? In Libya, the opposition openly included jihadists, included al-Qaeda elements. In Syria, right now, the al-Qaeda elements are leading the opposition....”
Is the arming of al-Qaeda elements and radical jihadists what Obama was talking about when he said"I will stand with them should the political winds shift in an ugly direction." There's onlyone way to find out. Congress must act to get at the truth... no dog-and-pony shows that end in more whitewashes... the American people deserve facts.
yeah and while they're looking for the truth behind benghazi, they can also look for the truth behind the Iraq war and why over 4000 and i repeat 4000 of our youths lost their lives over lies told by the bush adminstration.
And under OBAMA the death toll in Afghanistan has more than DOUBLED..And I repeat...DOUBLED..On top of that, hes run our national debt to over 16 TRILLION dollars..Almost 6 TRILLION in his first 4 years ALONE...More debt than from the inception of the United states in 1776 till the year 2000..So lets look into that while were at it to..
But I know, its somehow Bushes fault..After all obamas got to pay for those two wars old iron sides put us in...Right??..But, even if he did have to pay for them,the cost of BOTH wars combined didn't reach the TRILLION dollar mark till Bushes LAST YEAR I OFFICE..So take that TRILLION from the 6 TRILLION, it still leave Obama spending 5 TRILLION dollars in just 4 years..Lets ask a few questions about that while we're at it..
The truth about Benghazi will eventually come out..After all obama has dispatched the FBI to hold those that perpetrated these horrible acts accountable..Trouble is, they will die of OLD AGE before the FBI even finds out WHO the hell they were..
Yeah Bossanova,
It was Bush that told Sodamn Insane to write hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of checks to suicide bombers families, to ensure that they remain motivated. The war on terrorism targets the terrorists and those that fund and assist them. By definition Sodamn was funding them. He made a point to get on TV writing the checks and his ambassadors trafficked the monies across international borders and delivered them all well documented on TV for all to see. If you didn't see it, when it happened back then, it is probably because you don't get your head out of your local lefty liberal media's A-hole long enough to get real information. That was all Bush's fault, you're right.
boss:
Explain this:
Fact 6: There is no set plan for removing the remaining 68,000 troops left in Afghanisan.
Not only are there currently twice as many US troops in Afghanistan today as there were when President Obama took office, but the administration has yet to outline a specific plan for removing the 68,000 troops that remain, except that most of them will be removed by the end of 2014. A decision about a scheduled for the removal of these troops will not be made until after a decision is made about the number of residual troops the US will leave in Afghanistan post-2014. However, it has been reported that General John Allen wants to keep over 60,000 US troops until the fall of 2013.
Obama,cammander in chief (what a joke)
dont cry about obama....he did what he needed to do to get re-elected.....it was not the special groups that put him into office...it was dumb, uninformed white folks.
@marriedwithchildren --- No, to be precise, dumb and uninformed white folks looking for a handout.
Self loathing Whites who grew up to the mantra "Whites oppress minorities" that is taught in elementary school textbooks
• What was the Obama administration’s full role in helping violent Jihadists, self-styled al Qaeda terrorists, and Western-backed “revolutionaries” take over Libya in the first place?
• Did that half-baked scheme to arm Jihadist leaders, who as the report acknowledges had previously fought U.S. troops in Iraq, contribute to the attack, as countless experts and officials have suggested?
• What was actually going on at the compound in Benghazi, which as the report states, was never a “consulate” despite establishment media claims?
• Was Ambassador Stevens recruiting and arming Jihadists and terrorists to wage war on the Syrian regime after what Obama called the “success” in Libya, as a growing body of credible evidence suggests?
• Why did the administration claim for so long that the attack was just a “protest” over a YouTube video gone awry, even when it knew definitively that was not the case?
• Was the lack of security at the compound a political ploy to conceal the extent of the lawlessness and utter chaos left in the wake of Obama’s unconstitutional “regime change” war on Libya, as even members of Congress have alleged?
According to the ARB report: "Systematic failures and leadership and management deficiencies at senior levels within two bureaus of the State Department resulted in a Special Mission security posture that was inadequate for Benghazi and grossly inadequate to deal with the attack that took place.”
That was ALL Bushes fault..Didnt you read the talking points yet?
Its everyone else's fault. When Obama speaks you need to get your feet up because it gets deep!!
forget about benghazi...if you do not see truth by now....if you think all was done in the best interest of the american public...you voted for obama. If you voted for obama..........thanks for nothing ignorant white folks
The Oblamobots drink way too much of the kool aid.
Maybe Obama and his senior staff need to invest in some education so they can tell the difference between a spontaneous demonstration the result of a American made video clip and a terrorist attack.
It was BUSHES fault..How many times to I have to state it to become reality?
Lets see, Hillary was to testify on the torture and murder of four Americans. Oh thats right she couldn't because of a manufactured concussion that she went to NO hosiptal for. How convienent for the dumcrats. Now no one can find her as laying very low these days. And she will shortly be replaced so Oblamo can sweep Benghazigate under the rug. Remember trolls Ambassador Steven repeatly asked for more security and was turned down by your hero. And Rice, GEEZ liar liar pants on fire.
IF Hillary EVER testifies before Congress,I'll buy you the Golden Gate Bridge..
You are so right Barack, it isn't Susan Rice who should be blamed for the murder of the Ambassador and the other three Americans. It isn't even Hillary's fault although like a lemming, she would fall on her sword for you. It is YOUR fault and no one else's, the blood of these brave Americans, who called for help and got none, is on YOUR hands, just like the blood of Agent Terry. This wasn't just a bad situation, it was a disgrace and you know it. If you had an ounce of moral courage, had been raised by the right parents, had learned the lessons of dignity and responsibility, you would admit that you abandoned these Americans in their greatest time of need because you were preoccupied gratifying yourself and stroking your misguided ego.
It's about for u all to go and get your Obama welfare stamps isn't it ?
How do you have intelligence on something that never happened? intelligence?! why would they send the UN amassador out to tell us lies? Is this beginning of the story or the end??!!
Obama has never made a mistake that a lie couldn't correct.
Didn't you see how excited he was over live feeds from the Osama raid? Wonder if he was just as excited over the live feeds from Benghazi?
Benghazi was totally Bushes fault..didnt you read the talking points yet?
'The State Department employees responsible for Benghazi have been held responsible" ?
Uh they were out on winter break and reassigned to better paying positiions, Hillary had a headache and couldn't testify, so no one will be held responsible.
I'm with you Lilian,
Hiliary has a headache and O Blame Me has incurable and non-correctable worthlessness. Lets hope they both end up in the same hospital and catch the same staph infection.
what about the 4000 dead americans in Iraq or does their deaths dont matter.
They werent denied help by the president for political gain.
are you saying they were sent to war with the proper body armor or are you burying your head in the sand, because those deaths dont concern you or because the mistakes were committed by a person you voted for.
Boss are you one of those low intelligence voters called democrats,you sure sound like it moron.
And what about the 1554 CASUALTIES in the Afgan war under OBAMA, aint we going to count them too? or do their deaths dont matter because it was oBAMA that was in charge?
I'm sorry I was actually thinking for myself there for a moment..forgive me.. It was Bushes fault..Didnt you read the talking points yet? <<~~ Thats better..
You think what a brainy smuff not only is he a moron he is also a coward, this makes America look silly and weak.
you call pres.obama a coward yet went and voted for a draft dodger. you knuckle-dragging repukes should be ashamed,but that would require reason.
I find it interesting that the same folks who are carping about mistakes, possible stand down orders, and a diplomatic failure that cost 4 lives are the same folks who defended G. W. Bush and his Administration where a stand down order helped keep fighter jets from intercepting and possibly destroying planes on 9/11/01 causing thousands to die.
barrack obama president of the united states of america ! choke on it
I normally puke on it when I hear that. No president has ever been as bad as obama or will be.
http://www.drudge.com/news/162672/12-embassy-attacks-resulting-deaths
There were twelve attacks against American embassies, that resulted in deaths, during Bush's two terms.
usually the party in power has to take responsability for these kind of fiascos,i don't see how they can dodge it.does obama take the blame? yes because he's the commander in chief he's the guy at the top that should know where all his pieces are! even though i think more of that blame and that responsability for what happened should go to hillary clinton. they wanted to treat the new libyan regime with sanitezed gloves to the point that they neglected and sacrificed the life of their own.ms clinton because of that will have to give up her claim to be the next democratic presidential nominee, if her party will unconsciously give her the nomination ,she will lose by a landslide.mark my words.
lol It is time to divert from the subject, dont have a answer so go to somethig other than subject. dumb!!!!