The best laid FoxNews and McCain conspiracy theories bite the dust. I wonder if this is one reason Romney backed off on Libya after getting national security briefings (or it could have been the ass-kicking he got from Obama in debate number 2).
Ex-CIA Director David Petraeus told lawmakers Friday that classified intelligence showed the deadly raid on the U.S. Consulate in Libya was a terrorist attack, but that the administration withheld the suspected role of specific al-Qaida affiliates to avoid tipping off the terrorist groups.
The recently resigned spy chief explained that references to terrorist groups suspected of carrying out the violence were removed from the public explanation of what caused the attack so as not to tip off the groups that the U.S. intelligence community was on their trail, according to lawmakers who attended the private briefings.
Maddow Blog, quoting NY Times
No doubt FoxNews will ignore. What an ignomineous end to McCain's career, although I'm sure David Gregory still will have him on MTP to babble his craziness.
More from Maddow Blog:
The names of terrorists believed to be involved were removed for reasons of national security, and all of the relevant intelligence agencies signed off on the edited text. As Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) explained to the AP, "[I]n an unclassified document you want to be careful who you identify as being involved."
Susan Rice then relied on the intelligence community's findings to update the public five days after the attack, and everything she said reflected the best information available at the time.
Maddow Blog
I think Graham and McCain owe apologies to Barack Obama, Susan Rice, and all Americans.
This is truly NOT good news for John McCain.
Update I: From Annette K in the comments, Senator Harry Reid rejects McCain's bullshit suggestion of his own Benghazi committee and tears a serious chunk of McCain's ass.
Letter from Sen. Harry Reid to Sen. John McCain
The second line in the letter is:
I refuse to allow the Senate to be used as a venue for baseless partisan attacks.
And that's one of the softer things he says. :-) Give em Hell, Harry!