Terrorism

Neither the secretary of defense nor the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff spoke to the secretary of state during the 8-hour attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012. At a Thursday hearing in the Senate, Republican Ted Cruz asked both Leon Panetta and Martin Dempsey, "In between 9:42 p.m., Benghazi time, when the first attacks started, and 5:15 am, when Mr. Doherty and Mr. Woods lost their lives, what converations did either of you have with Secretary Clinton?"

"We did not have any conversations with Secretary Clinton," Panetta responded.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta testified this morning on Capitol Hill that President Barack Obama was absent the night four Americans were murdered in Benghazi on September 11, 2012:

Panetta said, though he did meet with Obama at a 5 o'clock prescheduled gathering, the president left operational details, including knowledge of what resources were available to help the Americans under siege, "up to us."

Yesterday the Bulgarian government announced the results of its investigation into the July 18, 2012 bus bombing that killed 5 Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian bus driver in the city of Burgas. At least two members of what appears to have been a three-man team belong to Hezbollah. More specifically, explained Bulgaria’s interior minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, they were part of Hezbollah’s “military wing”—a peculiar turn of phrase that hints at the political implications of the Bulgarian investigation, which may have a major impact on European Union foreign policy as well as Hezbollah’s ability to operate on the continent. And yet the most serious repercussions may be felt inside Lebanon, where Hezbollah is already feeling the pressure.

Here's an exchange from MSNBC this morning between Steve Clemons, a close friend and ardent supporter of Chuck Hagel, and Dan Senor:

The boss, sitting alongside Kirsten Powers and Charles Krauthammer, made the case on Special Report Friday that Mitt Romney should raise the issue of Barack Obama's failure to be forthright on the September 11, 2012, terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya. Watch the videos below:

What was President Obama doing Tuesday evening, September 11, while Americans were under assault in Benghazi? Which of his national security team did he meet with, whom did he speak with, what directives did he issue? So far, the White House won't say.

Talking to CBS this morning, Vice President Joe Biden said he's "not going to speculate" on whether he should've known about the need for more security in Libya:

O’DONNELL: "I want to ask you about Libya because certainly at the vice presidential debate that topic also came up, and you said you were not told about the request for extra security at the consulate. I have to ask you, do you wish you had been told?"

Earlier this evening, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said "the buck stops with her" in terms of the terrorist that killed the American ambassador to Libya and three other Americans.

In response, three Republican senators--John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Kelly Ayotte--are insisting that the buck must stop instead with the president of the United States, Barack Obama.

The House Oversight Committee, run by Chairman Darrell Issa, has released this set of photos from the terrorist attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya. These are from the attack that killed the American ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, and three other Americans. The attack was carried out by al Qaeda, on September 11, 2012.

Warning, some of these photos are graphic in nature:

Via BuzzFeed, the State Department account of what actually happened in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012: 

Maryland Democrat Elijah Cummings, the ranking member on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, told CBS's Bob Schieffer Sunday that the committee's hearings into the September 11, 2012, terrorist attack in Libya were "turning into a witch hunt."

Danville, Ky.