Let me start from locating myself on the political spectrum: I am a Liberal. I have been steadily backing up all the President Obama initiatives - those delivered, and those promised (and never delivered).
I voted for him twice, and still my support for him is strong and un-wavered. I have a lot of criticism of his way of communicating (or barely communicating) his ideas to the people of America. It rises sometimes a question: why not treat Americans like adults, and explain to them exactly what is the essence of vital to all Americans, government decisions.
Alas, sometimes the message is lost… what is mercilessly exploited by the Republicans, who always go, as far as they can, to discredit the Democratic Presidents policy. We are living in the world, where there is no margin for errors. Every misspoken, or ill-communicated idea immediately backfires and becomes the stone, with which the ‘political stoning’ of Obama’s Government is performed. I never could understand the laxity of the Government officials, just carelessly fueling the ‘Republican fire’…
When on December 1, 2008 Susan Rice was appointed as the US Ambassador to the UN, I welcomed her appointment.
Well educated (Stanford University; New College, Oxford). Since 1988 she was involved in the political fabric of our country working for many prominent politicians like Michael Dukakis, McKinsley. She was a part of Clinton’s administration in many capacities, involved in the international affairs as NCS Africa Specialist (although not without controversies) (*1).
I jokingly remember that her name brought memories of the 66th US Secretary of State - Condoleezza Rice - a Bush Jr. puppet, who became synonymous with the lies, the Bush’s Government wanted to propagate. But of course, this notion wasn’t serious, and was immediately discarded - no one is, or can be expected to have the same character traits as another un-related person, just for having the same last name…
For a few years she escaped my attention, she was under my radar. Nothing was bringing her to the spot light. Things were done. American position in the UN secured and explained…
And then came the September 11, 2012…
“On the evening of September 11, 2012, Islamic militants attacked the American diplomatic mission at Benghazi, in Libya, killing U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and Sean Smith, U.S. Foreign Service Information Management Officer. (…)
Several hours later, in the early morning of the next day, a second assault targeted a nearby CIA annex in a different compound about one mile away, killing two CIA contractors, Tyrone S. Woods and Glen Doherty.” (*2).
A few days before that event the Islamic World ‘boiled’ with fury against the offensive to the Islam, and the Prophet Mohammed, short movie which suddenly surfaced on YouTube and ‘the Hell got loose…’(*3)
There were angry demonstrations, sometimes riots, all over the world. Although to all non-Muslims this movie might have looked like a ‘bad taste’ but harmless jest, for the Muslims it was highly offensive.
When the attack on Benghazi American Consulate happened, the first thought on everybody’s mind was that those two events are related.
But at the same time even a 10 year old child knew that the attack carried by the heavily armed militants in 6 pick up trucks, is a terrorist action - however instigated or inspired - not a spontaneous protest.
Susan Rice officially stated then, that the attack was a result of riots and a response to the inflammatory video, and not the terrorist action.
When I heard her initial statement (right after the event), I couldn’t believe my ears.
One doesn’t have to be a military specialist to know that the well armed, and well organized group of attackers, who unfolded the bullet barrage on the unprotected (or insufficiently protected) US compound, using the heavy caliber machine guns, wasn’t an angry mob.
Susan Rice backed off from this statement a few days later in the series of the interviews, after the furious attacks of the Republicans and a bewilderment of Democrats (*4, *5). Yet, she was still defending her words, just adding “initially” to the statement.
She agreed that ‘later’ the extremists joined the riot, and performed the attack. Even though there were no riots in Benghazi at that time (*6).
I dismiss the Republican conclusion, that Susan Rice’s statement was a beginning effort of covering up the wrong-doing of the Obama Administration. It simply doesn’t make sense - especially, that the Administration was and is fully aware of the Republicans’ attitude and efforts…
In December 2012 Susan Rice in the result of that controversy withdrew herself from the consideration for the job of Secretary of State to replace Hilary Clinton.
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Some could have forgotten about this affair during the last 2 years. If they did, Benghazi controversy has been brought to our attention on numerous occasions recently in the context of the possible presidential campaign of Hilary Clinton and other policy references.
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A few days ago, American soldier Bowe Bergdahl, who spent the last 5 years as Prisoner of War, held by the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan, was released by the Taliban as a result of the negotiated for a few years (brokered by the Cathar) swap of prisoners.
In exchange for the Sergeant Bergdahl (a private at the time of the capture) the Taliban received 5 high ranking Taliban officials held at the Guantanamo prison for 13 years.
“America doesn’t leave the men in the uniform behind” - it has been the US Armed Forces motto since the Revolutionary War. No one questions that. And it doesn’t matter if that man in uniform is a hero, or has some stains on his military career.
Maybe some people do not remember the media coverage of the Sergeant Bergdohl’s disappearance in 2009. It wasn’t a very loudly advertised event, but the media already were rising the question if the Private Bergdahl was a traitor, or a deserter… Some media outlets (although I can’t find the references on the Internet at this point - so it’s just my memory) speculated that he might have joined the Taliban and should have been treated as an ‘enemy combatant’…
His comrades, from his own unit, at the time of his ‘walk off’, are today quite vocal accusing him of ‘less than proper’, and ‘less than honorable’ conduct.
Of course, “the accused is presumed innocent, until proven guilty”, so it’s completely immaterial.
However, any official statement in this case, should be very carefully worded.
In such a climate, the current National Security Advisor Susan Rice stated in the interview for ABC’s This Week on June 1, 2014, on the lawn of the White House, defending the negotiations with Taliban to free him: “He served the United States with honor and distinction…”.
I can imagine several ways of making the right statement emphasizing his volunteering to the Armed Forces in the Time of the War, which is a honorable act by itself, but making a blanket statement like the one above is very imprecise, and at least ‘problematic’…
We didn’t have to wait long for the Republicans’ response… (*7) The media exploded.
The on-going campaign against the Obama Administration unleashed by the 'Bergdahl’s swap' is all about the issue of ‘no negotiations with terrorists’ rule, and about the released Taliban returning to the active fight against America in the near future…
It’s another topic, and it will occupy a lot of pundits and commentators for many months to go.
The war in Afghanistan is winding down, and someone has to provide the 'normal' life to Afghanis. Taliban is not going anywhere. It will be the major force in Afghanistan - the decisive force. It will be there, when we are not...
Getting back to Susan Rice: I do not know if she has a Tourette Syndrome, and can’t control herself making the ‘controversial’ public statements - or she just deliberately wants to harm the Obama Administration, which she does in fact... I am not here to judge...
Her harmful statements are not limited to the two referred to above. Maybe she should get a ‘desk job’ somewhere in the Administration - without the possibility of the damaging public appearances.
So, is she the Republicans’ secret weapon?
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*1 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Rice
*2 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Benghazi_attack
*3 - http://www.rferl.org/content/b-movie-behind-benghazi-bloodshed-antiislamic/24706092.html
*4 - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2239478/Susan-Rice-APOLOGIZES-calling-Benghazi-attack-terrorism.html
*5 - http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/rice-libya-attacks-spontaneous/
*6 - http://www.factcheck.org/2012/10/benghazi-timeline/
*7 - http://time.com/2822696/susan-rice-bowe-bergdahl/
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