Host is 10 00 a. M. On the east coast. We booked a to a hearing and a second. This is on the benghazi attacks. It is the Senate Armed Service committee that will be conducting this hearing. Secretary panetta and joint chiefs chairman general dempsey will both be testifying at this hearing about the benghazi. Last thursday, we went to the same Committee Room that we will take you to now. We went there to hear defense nominee chuck hagels testimony. They will come in soon. A little bit later, at 2 30 p. M. In the Senate Intelligence committee, John Brennans confirmation will be life. You see senator mccain. You have the ranking for the Senate Armed Service committee. This should begin in a second. Let us watch. We will cavill and to hear from defense secretary leon panetta and general Martin Dempsey about the attack on the u. S. Consulate in benghazi that resulted in the death of four americans. One week ago today, this Committee Heard from senator Chuck Hegel Hagel to be the next defens
Khodaiberdi Sadat/Anadolu Agency/ Getty Images(KABUL, Afghanistan) When the U.S. Embassy in Kabul closed, the last individuals to secure it were not civilians or even U.S. military, but the quiet and dynamic special agents of the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) of the State Department. These federal law enforcement officers are the professionals conducting personnel recovery missions in Kabul (finding and bringing U.S. citizens and others to the airport), protecting U.S. personnel, coordinating with the Department of Defense (DOD) and trying to create a secure zone at the airport with limited resources. When, on Thursday, a terrorist attack at the Kabul airport killed U.S. Marines deployed there to help keep residents and travelers safe, these agents were the ones in charge of the emergency response. Diplomatic security efforts began during the First World War. DSS was formally established in 1985 in response to the deadly 1983 bombings of the U.S. Embassy and Marine barracks in Be
de facto and
de jure agents of the Federal Government. Since their actions in self-defense were objectively reasonable pursuant to myriad cases applying the
Graham v. Connor
2 standard of reasonableness, the Defendants should have been afforded Qualified Immunity from pecuniary liability and, axiomatically, criminal prosecution.
The Blackwater PSD team members reasonably acted in self-defense and defense of others under situations that were “tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving.” Based on the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) of the insurgent threats at the time – using vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, follow-on small arms fire3, and dressing in the uniforms of New Iraqi Army and Police uniforms – it was reasonable for the team to believe they were under imminent and actual threat of death or grievous bodily injury.