Assets that Panetta did NOT "choose" to deploy included 2 squadrons of F-16s at Aviano Air Base, 4 remotely piloted aircraft (drones) stationed in southern Europe, special operations aircraft stationed in Souda Bay, Crete, and the Foreign Emergency Support Team (FEST). (1/5)
On 9/11/12, the air squadrons in Aviano were not on any heightened alert status, despite the supposed call for a “heightened alert” from Obama. Instead, they were in training posture and in the middle of a 2-week inspection, meaning nothing was pre-loaded on any aircraft. (2/5)
Armed drones were heavily used in Obama and Hillary's war in Libya. Drone pilots testified that after the fall of Qadhafi, they received orders to disarm drones, making it time consuming to re-arm them to respond to the #Benghazi attack. (3/5)
Members of the GRS Team in #Benghazi were skilled in providing targeting instructions from the ground for a Hellfire missile attack from a drone. But it was to no avail since Panetta didn't "choose" this as an option in responding to the attack. (4/5)
The only details in the @HouseBenghazi report regarding the special ops aircraft in Souda Bay was that they could have been utilized to respond, and that "the Defense Department has not denied the presence of these assets." It is unclear why Panetta did not "choose" it. (5/5)
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