Who are the real war criminals? Time for House Select Committee to exercise subpoena powers over Benghizi

The Left likes to castigate me as a “war criminal” in an Alinsky-like attempt to attack and destroy my character. I find it quite absurd and desperate.

Consider this, I am an Honorably Discharged retired Army Lieutenant Colonel who took an action to protect my Soldiers — fellow Americans — in a combat zone. It was an action I fully reported, took responsibility for, and accepted the ramifications for conducting — there no lies, no blame.

Contrast that with someone who, after learning of Americans under attack by Islamic terrorists, went to bed, caught a flight the next day to Las Vegas, lied about the genesis of the attack, never took any responsibility for the lack of response and inaction, and referred to the whole episode as a “phony scandal.”

Or the irony of someone else who refused the requests for support from an American Ambassador, enjoined in a lie about the nature of the attack, and in an emotional rant declared, “what difference does it make?” Or finally, the person America must now entrust as its National Security Advisor, who promulgated the lie about the attack on the Americans in Benghazi and dismissed it as a “false controversy.”

Based on recently released Senate Intelligence Committee Benghazi report, and as discussed by Fox News:

A comprehensive report by the Senate Intelligence Committee definitively declared that individuals tied to Al Qaeda groups were involved in the Benghazi attack, challenging recent claims that the terror network was not a factor.

The report was released Monday, nearly one year after then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, under congressional questioning over the nature of the attack, shouted at lawmakers: “What difference, at this point, does it make?”

The administration initially claimed the attack sprung out of a protest, but has since given a more complicated assessment.” While the report does not implicate Al Qaeda “core” — the leadership believed to be in the Pakistan region — it does blame some of the most influential Al Qaeda branches, including Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Individuals affiliated with terrorist groups, including AQIM, Ansar al-Sharia, AQAP, and the Mohammad Jamal Network, participated in the September 11, 2012, attacks.

Of course detractors will still say the impetus behind the attack was an “anti-islam” video trailer — hardly the case since this crude video had been published on the internet for some time. The report firmly stated that there was no protest in Benghazi.

Perhaps most damning for Obama, Clinton, Rice, and their support minions in this charade is that the committee determined:

The attack was “preventable” and the administration failed to respond to “ample” warnings that security was deteriorating before Sept. 11, 2012. The report faulted the State and Defense departments. It also cited the failure of the Obama administration to “bring the attackers to justice.”Specifically, the report said the intelligence community provided “ample strategic warning” that security in eastern Libya was deteriorating and U.S. personnel “were at risk.” The report said multiple “tripwires” were crossed signaling security problems, and the State Department should have increased its security posture in response.

So to all the liberal progressives — especially the media — if this was a Republican administration would you be so dismissive? Who are the real criminals — a decorated combat veteran who took an action to protect American lives or three individuals who took no action and allowed Americans to die, and then lie about it?

It is indeed time for the House Select Committee with subpoena powers to exercise them. Speaker Boehner and Leader Cantor, there is no excuse. If those on Capitol Hill will not get laser focused, the American people will. In the end, the real criminals will reap what they have sown.

EDITORS NOTE: This column originally appeared on AllenBWest.com.