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| Managing the Benghazi crisis is a tricky business | Managing the Benghazi crisis is a tricky business |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Like his predecessors, President Obama is relying on a specially-commissioned report and efforts at transparency to control the fallout from Benghazi. | Like his predecessors, President Obama is relying on a specially-commissioned report and efforts at transparency to control the fallout from Benghazi. |
| Ambassador J Christopher Stevens was trapped alone in a burning building in Benghazi. He and three other Americans were killed. | Ambassador J Christopher Stevens was trapped alone in a burning building in Benghazi. He and three other Americans were killed. |
| People were shocked. They also wanted to know what had happened, especially given the confusion in Washington in the aftermath of the attacks. | People were shocked. They also wanted to know what had happened, especially given the confusion in Washington in the aftermath of the attacks. |
| At first US officials avoided talking about al-Qa'ida. Later they said that al-Qa'ida had been involved. | At first US officials avoided talking about al-Qa'ida. Later they said that al-Qa'ida had been involved. |
| Critics of the administration said that officials did not want to talk about terrorism before the presidential election. | Critics of the administration said that officials did not want to talk about terrorism before the presidential election. |
| White House officials went into crisis mode. | White House officials went into crisis mode. |
| Less than two weeks after Stevens and the other Americans were killed, secretary of state Hillary Clinton said that a panel, headed up by former under secretary of state Thomas Pickering, had been formed to investigate their deaths. | Less than two weeks after Stevens and the other Americans were killed, secretary of state Hillary Clinton said that a panel, headed up by former under secretary of state Thomas Pickering, had been formed to investigate their deaths. |
| US officials were following a well-worn path: when in trouble, announce the creation of a panel. | US officials were following a well-worn path: when in trouble, announce the creation of a panel. |
| "These reports have become a standard way that governments manage crises," says Richard Gowan of New York University's Center on International Cooperation. | "These reports have become a standard way that governments manage crises," says Richard Gowan of New York University's Center on International Cooperation. |
| "There's always a sense that this is a way to remove the poison from an issue," Gowan says. "The problem is what comes afterwards." | "There's always a sense that this is a way to remove the poison from an issue," Gowan says. "The problem is what comes afterwards." |
| When revelations about war crimes in Vietnam emerged, President Richard Nixon reportedly gave orders: "Get the Army off the front page." | When revelations about war crimes in Vietnam emerged, President Richard Nixon reportedly gave orders: "Get the Army off the front page." |
| His aides succeeded - in part by announcing investigations. | His aides succeeded - in part by announcing investigations. |
| Officials told reporters they were looking into the atrocities - and could say nothing more. As a result journalists did not file pieces, at least not immediately. | Officials told reporters they were looking into the atrocities - and could say nothing more. As a result journalists did not file pieces, at least not immediately. |
| During the Bush administration, more than a dozen investigations of Abu Ghraib and the treatment of detainees were announced. | During the Bush administration, more than a dozen investigations of Abu Ghraib and the treatment of detainees were announced. |
| These investigations ranged in quality. Some have been excellent, helping people to understand tragic, often horrifying events. | These investigations ranged in quality. Some have been excellent, helping people to understand tragic, often horrifying events. |
| Yet many investigations have been politicized, conducted as a way to tamp down controversy rather than uncover evidence. Others have been limited in scope, diminishing their value. | Yet many investigations have been politicized, conducted as a way to tamp down controversy rather than uncover evidence. Others have been limited in scope, diminishing their value. |
| The first investigation of Abu Ghraib, conducted by Maj Gen Antonio Taguba, for example, was restricted to military personnel. | The first investigation of Abu Ghraib, conducted by Maj Gen Antonio Taguba, for example, was restricted to military personnel. |
| Taguba did not look at the role of the CIA, leaving out an important part of the story. | Taguba did not look at the role of the CIA, leaving out an important part of the story. |
| A similar trend has emerged in the aftermath of Benghazi. Pickering's report appeared in December. | A similar trend has emerged in the aftermath of Benghazi. Pickering's report appeared in December. |
| The report paid tribute to Stevens, "an exceptional practitioner of modern diplomacy", and assailed the state department for "systemic failures and leadership and management deficiencies". | The report paid tribute to Stevens, "an exceptional practitioner of modern diplomacy", and assailed the state department for "systemic failures and leadership and management deficiencies". |
| Vali Nasr, a former state department adviser who is now the dean of Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, says the report is an exemplary "investigation of what went wrong". | Vali Nasr, a former state department adviser who is now the dean of Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, says the report is an exemplary "investigation of what went wrong". |
| Its purpose, says Nasr, is not "the witch hunt that the press wants - but to improve operations". | Its purpose, says Nasr, is not "the witch hunt that the press wants - but to improve operations". |
| Not everyone agrees. Critics of the administration say that the report is politically biased. | Not everyone agrees. Critics of the administration say that the report is politically biased. |
| There are other problems. Pickering and his co-authors decided not to ask Clinton about the Benghazi attacks, for example. | There are other problems. Pickering and his co-authors decided not to ask Clinton about the Benghazi attacks, for example. |
| Pickering said they chose not to because they had already "questioned people who had attended meetings with her''. | Pickering said they chose not to because they had already "questioned people who had attended meetings with her''. |
| In this way the report suffers from the same kinds of problems that that have plagued previous investigations commissioned during scandals. | In this way the report suffers from the same kinds of problems that that have plagued previous investigations commissioned during scandals. |
| The report's conclusions are, rightly or wrongly, dismissed as partisan. And without Clinton addressing Benghazi, its scope is limited - and consequently its authority is diminished. | The report's conclusions are, rightly or wrongly, dismissed as partisan. And without Clinton addressing Benghazi, its scope is limited - and consequently its authority is diminished. |
| Overall the investigation has done little to diminish the controversy. | Overall the investigation has done little to diminish the controversy. |
| On Wednesday White House officials tried again. They released a batch of emails - 100 pages. | On Wednesday White House officials tried again. They released a batch of emails - 100 pages. |
| The officials are hoping that people will read the emails and conclude that while presidential advisers may have made errors in judgment - by not talking about al-Qa'ida in the early days, for example - they were not guided by partisan politics. | |
| In the emails, officials compose "talking points" about Benghazi for a member of Congress. | In the emails, officials compose "talking points" about Benghazi for a member of Congress. |
| The feeling of urgency is palpable in the emails. They also convey a sense of what life was like in Washington during the crisis. | The feeling of urgency is palpable in the emails. They also convey a sense of what life was like in Washington during the crisis. |
| Emails were hastily written - and also misfired. | Emails were hastily written - and also misfired. |
| "Sorry, sent to the wrong -", says one email that was composed on 14 September. | "Sorry, sent to the wrong -", says one email that was composed on 14 September. |
| The style of the emails is familiar to Suzanne Nossel, who served as a deputy assistant secretary of state during the Obama administration. | The style of the emails is familiar to Suzanne Nossel, who served as a deputy assistant secretary of state during the Obama administration. |
| Nossel recalls one crisis as she and her colleagues tried to sort out a strategy. | Nossel recalls one crisis as she and her colleagues tried to sort out a strategy. |
| "There was someone who had to sign off on something, but it was 2am," she said. "You don't even know if someone is awake." | "There was someone who had to sign off on something, but it was 2am," she said. "You don't even know if someone is awake." |
| "At what point do you just quit?" she says. "The place where it comes to a rest can be just as much a matter of time as a matter of people coming together in agreement." | "At what point do you just quit?" she says. "The place where it comes to a rest can be just as much a matter of time as a matter of people coming together in agreement." |
| Shamila Chaudhary, who served as director for Afghanistan and Pakistan on President Obama's National Security Council, recalls, "Every single word that you write means something." | |
| "But when people write emails, it's different," Chaudhary says. "And when you are in a crisis, forget all that." | |
| The release of the emails, as well as the announcement of the panel, were attempts to manage a crisis. | The release of the emails, as well as the announcement of the panel, were attempts to manage a crisis. |
| But these efforts have limits. | But these efforts have limits. |
| "They are frequently more about buying time than about actually getting to the bottom of what happened," Gowan says. | "They are frequently more about buying time than about actually getting to the bottom of what happened," Gowan says. |
| People who have been on the inside agree with Gowan's assessment. | People who have been on the inside agree with Gowan's assessment. |
| Matt Latimer, who served as a speechwriter during the Bush administration, recalls a tense meeting with the president and his advisers during the US financial crisis. | Matt Latimer, who served as a speechwriter during the Bush administration, recalls a tense meeting with the president and his advisers during the US financial crisis. |
| "There were a lot of terms that nobody understood and for no reason he put this Mickey Mouse hat on his head," Latimer says, describing the president. | "There were a lot of terms that nobody understood and for no reason he put this Mickey Mouse hat on his head," Latimer says, describing the president. |
| "He was either saying, 'We're running a Mickey Mouse operation or we're in fantasy land," Latimer says. "I wasn't sure which one was right." | "He was either saying, 'We're running a Mickey Mouse operation or we're in fantasy land," Latimer says. "I wasn't sure which one was right." |
| One thing was clear, however. Crisis management is a mixture of earnestness and absurdity - and is an integral part of working in the White House. | One thing was clear, however. Crisis management is a mixture of earnestness and absurdity - and is an integral part of working in the White House. |