Air Force whistleblower: We could have saved Benghazi victims

[keeptherepublic]

Washington Examiner:

By Joel Gehrke


An Air Force whistleblower says his team could have provided reinforcements to the Americans under attack in Benghazi in September 2012, contrary to the Obama administration's claims that the military provided the maximum possible support for the embattled diplomatic staff.
 
"I definitely believe that our aircraft could have taken off and got there in a timely manner, maybe three hours at the most, in order to basically at least stop that second mortar attack and have those guys running for the hills," a man purportedly stationed at Aviano Air Force base in Italy told Fox News on the condition of anonymity.
 
That's a particularly explosive claim, given that two of the four Americans who died in the attacks were killed in the second wave of attacks, which targeted a CIA annex the morning of Sept. 12. But the whistleblower has not spoken to Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., who is chairman of the select committee investigating the attacks, because "there are so many ways you can get screwed over" for cooperating with lawmakers.
 
That frustrates Gowdy, who accused the Obama administration of preventing him from talking to all the relevant witnesses. "As a former federal prosecutor, I find it deeply troubling there are individuals who would like to share their stories, but have not because they are afraid of retaliation from their superiors," he said in a Wednesday evening response to the Fox report. "No one should be afraid of talking to their elected representatives in Congress."

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/air-force-whistleblower-we-could-have-saved-benghazi-victims/article/2591098

[ExFreeper]

As someone who has spent many hours living in the Aviano alert hangars in the past , I'm calling BS to Gowdy.  First, Gowdy does not need to speak to a low ranking maintenance crewmember working on the flightline that night. 

Gowdy simply could have requested USAF info/ops logs, etc., on all Aviano alert birds which were clearly available on the night of 9/11.  Even if the alert birds were not properly configured, it only takes a few minutes to add Siper Pod, fuel pod, etc.

As far as tanker refueling capability, this info was also available to Gowdy's committee.  Even if there were no immediate tankers available (which I doubt), the Aviano birds could have simply performed a hot pit refuel at NAS Sig.

It was a political decision to not launch any aircraft and shame on both the administration for failing to come to aid of our brave men and the GOP for politicalizing this sad event in our nation's history.

[don-o]

As the father of a Marine student aviator who is training on striker jets, I am going to have a long talk with him about the oath he swore and about beiing vigilant for treason in his chain of command.

[don-o]

As someone who has spent many hours living in the Aviano alert hangars in the past , I'm calling BS to Gowdy.   

Gowdy allowed that he "cannot vouch for the credibility" of the whistleblower because the committee hasn't interviewed him, but he hailed the new claims as proof that Democrats are wrong to say the investigation is dragging on too long. "Democrats may be content to stick to their pre-ordained conclusions, but the committee has an obligation to determine what can and cannot be substantiated when it comes to the new witnesses we have interviewed and the new evidence we have gathered," he said.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/air-force-whistleblower-we-could-have-saved-benghazi-victims/article/2591098

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What happened to Gowdy's spine?

[driftdiver]

Gowdy gives us impressive theater but has he ever accomplished anything?