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Shocking findings from Benghazi

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    CIA operatives told to 'stand down'

  • Duration 4:23
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Request denied Fox News has learned the White House officials denied three urgent requests for military back of during the attack.

On the US consulate in Ben -- that left four Americans dead CIA operatives were told to stand down.

When they asked permission to assist ambassador Chris Stevens and his staff.

So how does the administration's response -- with the CIA operatives doing to rapidly responded time to practice.

Here to weigh in on this is Michael -- -- former head of the CIA's.

Bin Laden unit good morning Michael.

-- answer that now we have the president yesterday saying he doesn't know what happened.

On the day.

Of September 11 -- four Americans died is that a credible statement.

And would the president have been making the decisions about whether or not to intervene on behalf of the four Americans that died.

Yes there's so much -- so much power has accumulated to the president of the United States that neither the military nor the CIA would -- would act without consulting the White House.

Unfortunately but that's the case.

There it's very clear I think at least from at least in my experience within the government.

-- at the White House told that -- -- told the CIA no military intervention here.

And and that was they -- -- those people to death for a reason that's not very clear to me except that.

-- scenario was Libya was going to be a good democratic country and it's the furthest thing from the truth so.

It it's just not credible that the president was not personally involved in.

-- more and more evidence is coming out now Fox News is reported as we discussed that three requests for help.

We're denied and that CIA operatives went into the battle anyway and and and lost their lives as the result of that.

We have any evidence at this point in terms of what the president was doing at 5 o'clock on that -- with -- -- secretary of defense and the vice president.

Did -- go to the situation room did he give orders and why don't we know whether he did or not 45 days after.

You know I don't know the answer to that -- except that that there's such a web of contradictions and perhaps lies involved in this state he's.

He's -- just got to avoided for the next ten days he's got to stay on Letterman he's got to go to Comedy Central that's the kind of thing that he needs.

Because people love them there.

This is not something that the president would have to come to it came to the president.

That's the way this works.

As soon as something came in to that the White House situation room.

It was taken in paper form or is an oral briefing.

At least to the chief of staff for the president immediately this is not something they get stuck in -- in Baxter in somebody's file folder waiting for them to read.

This is a situation where you go and address the issue immediately because it's an ambassador in Pratt and -- in trouble.

Is it seems with -- that now -- is CIA and the department of defense and different generals are giving different stories as to what happened.

On that day.

Do all fingers in the end point to the White House situation room and in the end the commander in chief in terms of making a decision.

About whether these Americans could live or die on that battleground.

I.

I think it does you know whether or not we can save them is is really that we could have saved them is really a separate question.

I think we could have but that's just one -- opinion.

This went directly to the president that's the way it works in the United States and maybe he had to get out -- out of the White House to go to Las Vegas or whatever was and he didn't -- -- deal with the problem.

But there's no way to get around this being directly the responsibility.

Of the president and the president decided for whatever reason.

That those four people were going did.

They run their own certain.

We know it wasn't coming it will it last question is that a political decision.

Hope I if it's Ed to the outside tell you frankly -- to -- it's just a cowardly decision.

It's a decision that is necessary -- going to be president of the United States your job is first and foremost to protect Americans in their interests.

This is clearly a case where the president.

It was derelict.

All right Michael I look at it got to leave it there we got a -- -- could deceive thanks for for being here let us know what your thoughts are going forward thank.

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