In his 10/17/12 debate with Governor Romney, President Obama lied regarding the question of his response and explanation for the attack on the US Embassy in Benghazi and killing of the American ambassador. In the debate, he said that he labelled the attack an act of terror. While that phrase was used in his speech, which he read, in the Rose Garden on 9/12/2012, it was not used to refer to the Benghazi attack. It was used in the context of a reference to the three attacks in the US on 9/11/2001. In all references to the attack on Benghazi, the President spoke only of an "attack", not attributing it to terrorism or describing it as an act of terror.
Obama said, in the Rose Garden speech, in the following order, quoting:
- an attack
- this outrageous and shocking attack
- this type of senseless violence
- these brutal acts
- this attack
- this attack
- [No acts of terror]
- this terrible act
He described the attackers in these terms:
- the killers
- the attackers
- attackers
The italicized phrase, no acts of terror, was not directed at the attack on US diplomatic facilities in Benghazi (to adopt the President's terminology), but to the kinds of terrorist attacks on the US of which 9/11/2001 was the most horrific.
He did not state or imply in any way that the attack in Benghazi was a terrorist attack.
He did not state or imply in any way that the attackers were terrorists.
The words "terrorism", "act of terrorism", and "terrorists" were never used. Rather, as the listing of the words he used indicates, he carefully avoiding implying or hinting that the Benghazi attack was terrorism, was associated with a terrorist organization or with Al Qaeda, was a military operation, or was planned.
He indirectly referenced the anti-Mohammed film with a statement opposing intolerance of any faith, thus setting the stage for the lie that the attack was the result of a spontaneous riot of opposition to the anti-Mohammed film, which he and the administration would proffer for over two weeks, when he knew all along that no riot had even occurred.
In the 10/17/12 debate, the President deliberately lied in stating his phrase, acts of terror, on 9/12/12, referred to the attack in Benghazi. Why did he do this? He ended his answer to the audience question with a feigned annoyance that anyone could imply that he did so for political purposes. As with all human protesting too much, we must look to the opposite of what is being protested. He protested that he anyone should think he was being political. Yet he was obviously attempting to protect his reputation as slayer of bin Laden and destroyer of Al Qaeda; that reputation was more self-puffery than fact. And now his lying about the terrorist assault on the Consulate in Benghazi completes the deconstruction of his false reputation. You didn't build that reputation yourself, Mr. President.
Fox News is to be congratulated for the service of making the Rose Garden speech transcripts available. http://www.forextv.com/forex-news-story/full-transcript-of-obama-s-rose-garden-speech-after-sept-11-benghazi-attack
Thanks to Fox Business News anchor, Lou Dobbs, for bringing the full transcripts and the President's demonstrable lying to the forefront of the Benghazi attack story.
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