Accusations of cover-up, incompetence over Libya attack

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-- back -- -- big story right now on the growing debate and new questions that are arising about what the White House did or did not know surrounding the deaths of four Americans.

In Libya.

One lawmaker says that what we have heard tells us plenty in his opinion about the administration's response here senator Lindsey Graham.

On CBS's face the nation.

Either they're misleading the American people are incredibly incompetent there was no way.

With anybody looking at all that she could believe five days after the attack it was based on a riot that never occurred.

There were no no right at all so to say that either very confident are you misleading.

KT McFarland is Fox News national security analyst rich Larry is Fox News contributor and the editor of the national review.

Katie let let me start with you on this because I know that you have worked in the White House during a number.

Of these types of situations and you have said that you find this completely implausible.

That the president the vice president and members of the administration could possibly have been unaware of the circumstances on the ground during this attack.

Yeah I think if the vice president and the president were unaware of the situation on the ground -- the attack occurred if they were unaware.

Of the requests for additional security guess what -- probably the only two people in the White House who were unaware that.

You know this this State Department officials have testified under oath.

That they knew.

That that this was not a terror that this was not a demonstration that got out of hand so why did the White House -- a totally different story.

They may have fairy tale up out of whole cloth.

And now they've been caught and now they're what are they doing everything blaming everybody -- -- the State Department -- any intelligence community.

When in fact my guess is the blame is right in the White House let's listen David Axelrod as well from this weekend and we'll.

-- don't match.

Anyone.

Would have said the same thing that she said because that was the intelligence we were receiving.

And it's not a matter of blaming that's just the fact sometimes intelligence.

Has to catch up with the reality on the ground this was one of those cases.

Is this one of those cases.

I'd really like to see Susan Rice under oath about this -- the key question for me who briefed her.

Because you have State Department officials now saying.

We never thought it was a spontaneous protest we had people monitoring -- in real time and there was never any protest yet you have our ambassador in the UN.

Going out there and saying something apparently hurt her own apartment.

Didn't leave but conveniently.

Reflected the White House's spin on this so who briefed her prior to the Sunday suggested she go -- without talking to David flop for with -- -- talking to David Axelrod.

I think that's a key question this whole thing it.

It is so surprisingly think about the people that we have not heard from -- in this whole thing I mean we understand we all understand you have to have an investigation ongoing.

But let's be read let's be serious here -- moment in terms of John Brennan for example just one example the chief of counterterrorism.

Advisor to the president.

Where is -- even in this Kati and who else would you expect in normal circumstances that you be hearing from instead of three spokespeople for the campaign.

Well -- -- this -- in fact that are are in now you realize why so fishy.

Why the UN ambassador go out and talk about it -- all the Sunday talk shows she was put out there by the White House why.

While it should have never heard the UN ambassador has no responsibility for security embassies overseas.

That's the State Department no responsibility for intelligence that the CIA no responsibility for marine guards -- the Defense Department.

I checked.

On the schedules of all those officials who should have been the ones.

Attested to go before the talk shows just what they -- all available they were all in Washington they all could have testified why didn't they do it.

I think because they weren't willing to say something that they knew was a complete fairy tale.

So all right.

Let's go to the political side of this for a minute rich because the White House has accused the -- administration of politicizing.

All of this and you know really got into it David Axelrod Chris Wallace yesterday over the suggestion.

That Chris should not be asking questions about this because we -- -- need to sort of be quiet week for this investigation to play out.

Well I think the administration's been politicizing it I mean what is politicizing it it's not going out there and telling -- -- says a complete fairy tale and they're doing it.

For explicitly political reasons because it would -- so inconvenient to admit that this wasn't about -- video as a terrorist assault.

On our consulate and -- Ben -- on September.

Eleventh and and an active clearly an act of revenge.

Just weeks after Democrats had had basically at the trade.

The country is safe from terror for ever more because are our wonderful commander in chief had killed bin Laden.

So it's the White House that has been clearly been politicizing this and I think if anything that Romney has been too gentle with them.

And what does it say about the administration's policy overall -- because when you put all the pieces back together you've got the -- situation where the embassy is overrun.

The embassy flag is taken down.

And AG hottest flag is put up in its place and the government stands by and allows that to happen.

In Cairo and then you switch over to the situation in -- and it just brings into question the larger foreign policy of the administration which is seems no one wants to talk about.

Well and -- that you -- absolutely -- on the core of the problem five days before the attack on September 11.

The president was at the Democratic Convention basically saying.

Bin Laden is dead al-Qaeda is on the ropes al-Qaeda is finished her you think al-Qaeda is finished if they were able to pull off an attack like that.

And Ben -- it -- -- in fact just the opposite people that I've talked to the intelligence community.

Also doesn't think al-Qaeda in fact is on the upswing -- it in fact is making a real presence in eastern Libya so it's hard to say that -- -- and the thing about this felony and mark but it's all gonna come out.

-- because the community intelligence and the State Department communities that career professionals are not gonna take this.

They're not -- there to get out from under that bus and they're gonna come out.

So there -- all this means that it it they'll be more leaks now we're back and -- hear about tomorrow night an -- several news organizations including this one who are very much on this story and is brilliant plan out earlier.

We'll stay that way so they -- so much -- to both of you picking -- rich sealing up the.

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Accusations of cover-up, incompetence over Libya attack

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