OK, that is not the actual line that White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough told Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday about finding Ahmed Abu Khattala, the first suspect to be charged in the Benghazi attack, but it’s pretty clear that is what is being communicated.
Nearly a year since the attacks in Benghazi, McDonough appeared alongside Wallace and Wallace wanted to know why the perpetrators had not been brought to justice. Even more to the point, Wallace wanted to know why Ahmed Abu Khattala had not been arrested, since being charged during the first week of August.
“Why is it that reporters seems to be able to find this guy, who the government is charging with involvement in Benghazi, but law enforcement can’t find him?” Wallace asked. “It’s been a year, sir.”
“You know what the United States does?” McDonough said. “We track every lead until we find and can accomplish what we do.”
“Not to belabor it,” Wallace said, “but why can AP find him, why can the New York Times find him, and not our government?”
“The United States government does what it says, and we will do what we say in this instance as we do in every other instance,” McDonough replied.
As we do in every other instance? Hang on there. Perhaps some in my audience can help me list hundreds of things the United States government does not do what they say in every instance. Social Security numbers won’t be used for identification. Iraqi oil will be used to pay for the war and rebuilding of Iraq. Yeah, we took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, but we have to spy on everyone to get the terrorists. Read my lips, no new taxes. You who make less than $250,000….will not see your taxes increase one dime under my plan… I’m sure you get the point.
Wallace referenced the fact that Associate Press reporters actually had a conversation with Ahmed Abu Khattala, or at least that is what CNN reported. To tell you the truth, it makes me actually wonder if Khattala actually exists after all we’ve seen from CNN.
It actually makes you wonder if the White House contacted the reporters that found Khattala, or did they simply “track every lead” except the Associated Press. Perhaps they had no need to contact them since they were actively spying on AP reporters.
In either case, Wallace was right to call him out on this. When are there going to be arrests? When is this administration going to do its job? It has not enforced the law on illegal immigration and has told its agents not to enforce immigration law. It didn’t enforce the Defense of Marriage Act. They go after those who exercise Free Speech. It doesn’t support the Second Amendment with it unceasing attacks on guns and gun owners or the Fourth Amendment with the constant surveillance state and NSA programs. It doesn’t support the Fifth Amendment by signing into law the National Defense Authorization Act. Here’s a much more detailed list of this administration’s criminal activity.
No one in the Obama administration has been held accountable for Fast and Furious. No one has been held accountable over the IRS or NSA scandals. Not one person lost their job over Benghazi.
For crying out loud Chris, belabor the point, and don’t apologize for it! The incompetence of this administration is astounding! If Khattala actually exists, I think it is reasonable that the United States should have been able to pick him up and bring him to justice within 24 hours, but it’s been over a month since the charges were filed and tomorrow will be a year since the attacks took place, and what are we getting from the “hope and change” administration? The same old song and dance.
Tim Brown is the Editor of Freedom Outpost and a regular contributor to The D.C. Clothesline.
