Columnist Charles Krauthammer argued that the real scandal of the Benghazi terror attacks is “the failure of the chain of command,” and that President Obama was “n the Situation Room, nicely on camera, during the Bin Laden raid, which is essentially out of his hand…but yet here in a situation that is changing, fluctuating, requires presidential, or at least secretarial instructions, nowhere to be seen.”
Krauthammer said, [relevant remarks begin around 4:45] “[T]he real story is here, the failure of the chain of command, starting with the president, going to Secretary Panetta, and going down to the joint chiefs, the president had a meeting with Panetta, and the joint chief of staff commander at about 5:00, 6:00. By 7:00, they ordered, apparently Panetta said, this is eastern time, ordered everything be done to help them. Nothing was done until it was all over.”
He added, “[W]here was the president during those six hours? He was — he’s in the Situation Room, nicely on camera, during the Bin Laden raid, which is essentially out of his hands, admitted, he launched it, but yet here in a situation that is changing, fluctuating, requires presidential, or at least secretarial instructions, nowhere to be seen. That’s the scandal.”
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