Another day, another tiny, minuscule, pin-width beam of light shining down on who knew what, when, and how during and in the wake of the 2012 attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.
Most recently, we saw Sid Blumenthal, having been dragged before a Congressional committee, providing investigators with a batch of then-Secretary Clinton’s private e-mails that the State Department failed to hand over. The very existence of those e-mails had members of the committee convinced that their much-maligned digging is not only justified, but necessary in the effort to figure out what was in the Administration’s collective hive mind in the wake of the attacks.
We already knew that Clinton and Obama spoke on the night of the Benghazi attacks; what we didn’t know is what they talked about. But finally! A federal court has released a new document, the contents of which have the potential to blow this whole thing wide open.
The problem? The “unclassified” document is almost completely redacted:
READOUT OF PRESIDENT’S CALL TO SECRETARY CLINTON: *crickets* Does it count as “unclassified” if it’s covered in correction tape?
Of course, the Administration has a totally predictable excuse for all the white-out. They’re not arguing that the information contained in the call was classified, but that it “represents internal deliberations” about the 2012 attack.
This e-mail was released as part of a FOIA demand made by activist group Judicial Watch, and it’s a vital link in the timeline.
Via Fox News:
The emails also show that Rhodes, on the night of Sept. 11, 2012, and before the attack was over, endorsed a statement from Clinton that cited an anti-Islam Internet video. That statement noted some tried to justify the assault “as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet.” Rhodes told Clinton’s aides that “we should let State Department statement be our comment for the night.” The following day, Sept. 12, Meehan sent an email to State and NSC officials saying Rhodes would host a conference call that morning “to ensure we are all in sync on messaging for the rest of the day.”
It’s one more piece in the corrupt, secretive puzzle that conservatives have been trying to assemble ever since the Benghazi attacks. It’s not just a battle—it’s a full-out war; members of Congress, activists, lawyers, and the media have all tried to get their hands on information describing how the Administration approached the siege and murders, and every time something has surfaced, that information has served not to vindicate but to cast an even deeper shadow on both the Obama White House and the Clinton State Department:
Other emails from Judicial Watch lawsuits have, separately, shown Rhodes played a central role in preparing former U.N. ambassador Susan Rice for her Sunday show appearances that weekend where she blamed protests over the Internet video. In that Sept. 14 email, Rhodes specifically draws attention to the video, without distinguishing whether the Benghazi attack was different from protests elsewhere in the region. The email lists the following two goals, among others: “To underscore that these protests are rooted in an Internet video, and not a broader failure of policy.” “To reinforce the President and Administration’s strength and steadiness in dealing with difficult challenges.”
Everything is propaganda, but this was particularly destructive propaganda—and when they figured that out, they tried to cover it up. It’s the worst sort of malpractice, the proof of which leaks out with every e-mail and record that is released to the public.
This investigation has been long, drawn out, and controversial—but it’s also based in the belief that the truth is out there.
If the Administration’s actions are any indication, we’re closer than ever to finding it.
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