“The failure in leadership relating to Benghazi were not limited to the State Department. The tenure of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dempsey, has been marked by what we view as significant deficiencies in command. From Syria to Benghazi, there has been either a profound inability or clear unwillingness to identify and prevent problems before they arise”, the report noted. Pictured here: General Dempsey and General Ray Ordinero before a U.S. Senate panel testifying on Benghazi.
According to “The Benghazi Report – a Review of the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya on September 11-12, 2012″, by the U.S.Senate Select Committee on Intelligence – there was a clear failure of leadership at both the U.S. State Department and the U.S Department of Defense at the highest levels for what happened in the death of Ambassador Stevens and three others.
This information was found in a subsection called: “Additional views of Vice Chairman Chambliss, Senator Burr, Risch, Coats, Rubio and Coburn – subsection: Failure in Leadership – General Dempsey.”
I quote:
“The failure in leadership relating to Benghazi were not limited to the State Department. The tenure of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dempsey, has been marked by what we view as significant deficiencies in command. From Syria to Benghazi, there has been either a profound inability or clear unwillingness to identify and prevent problems before they arise.
Given the known operating environment in Benghazi, much less North Africa, a strong military leader would have ensured there was a viable plan in place to rescue Americans should the need arise.
We understand the Department of Defense cannot plan for a rescue operation of every embassy or diplomatic facility across the globe, but Benghazi was different given its hostile environment and lack of host nation security and support.
Yet there was no such plan. General Dempsey’s attempt to excuse inaction by claiming that forces were not deployed because they would not have gotten there in time does not pass the common sense test…
Understanding that the State Department bears ultimate responsibility for the safety of Americans serving in diplomatic facilities abroad General Dempsey should have ensured that a plan was in place, but he failed to do so.”
See video: Senators hammer General Dempsey and Leon Panetta on Benghazi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNw9drCmb64 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03CfA6h3QHQ