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Nov 1, 2012 Defense Drumbeat

The Washington Post’s David Ignatius asks in a recent Op-Ed, “Lingering questions about Benghazi”:

Oct 31, 2012 Press Release
McKeon Presses White House on Response to Terrorist Attack in Libya WASHINGTON - On Monday, Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, wrote a letter to President Obama in response to White House assertions about the military response to the September 11, 2012 attack in Libya. The full text of the letter can be found below: October 29, 2012 The President The White House Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear Mr. President: I noted with interest your interview with Kyle Clark on October 26th, in which you stated, in reference to whether or not any requests for help from U.S. personnel under attack in Benghazi were denied, “Well, we are finding out exactly what happened. I can tell you, as I've said over the last couple of months since this happened, the minute I found out what was happening, I gave three very clear directives. Number one, make sure that we are securing our personnel and doing whatever we need to.” (Emphasis added.) Although this response did not specifically answer the reporter’s question, your first directive would appear to involve potential actions by the U.S. military. Since you personally provided this directive, I have a series of additional questions that I am confident you can answer in advance of the conclusion of any formal investigation. There appears to be a discrepancy between your directive and the actions taken by the Department of Defense. As we are painfully aware, despite the fact that the military had resources in the area, the military did not deploy any assets to secure U.S. personnel in Benghazi during the hours the consulate and the annex were under attack. I find it implausible that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Commander of U.S. Africa Command, and the Commander of U.S. European Command would have ignored a direct order from the Commander in Chief. Therefore, could you please clarify: •To whom did you issue this first directive and how was this directive communicated to the military and other agencies – verbally or in writing? • At any time on September 11, 2012, did you specifically direct the military to move available assets into Libya to ensure the safety of U.S. personnel in Benghazi? If so, which assets did you order to Libya? • At any time on September 11, 2012, other than ISR assets, did you provide the authority for the military to take any and all necessary measures to secure U.S. personnel, including specifically the authority to enter Libyan airspace? • Did you have any communication with the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or any Commanders of regional Combatant Commands regarding military support to U.S. personnel in Benghazi on September 11th? If so, could you please describe any recommendations provided to you regarding available military support and any orders you gave to them? Thank you for your prompt attention to these matters. Members of the Committee on Armed Services are keenly concerned that any breakdown in communication that may have occurred not be repeated. Given your stated interest in transparency and sharing all relevant information with the American people and the families of our fallen, I am hopeful you can promptly address these questions. Respectfully, Howard P. “Buck” McKeon Chairman
Oct 18, 2012 Press Release

WASHINGTON- House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-CA) today congratulated the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on the final report of their investigation into Chinese telecommunications companies Huawei and ZTE. The report recommendations include that the United States should pay close attention to penetration of the U.S. telecommunications market by companies linked to foreign militaries, that U.S.

Oct 18, 2012 Press Release

WASHINGTON- On Tuesday Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, wrote to President Obama, asking why a vital defensive capability has not been deployed to Afghanistan. The Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar Intercept System (C-RAM) would provide an effective defense against attacks on coalition installations in Afghanistan.

Oct 1, 2012 Press Release

WASHINGTON- House Armed Services Chairman, Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-CA), made the following statement about Lockheed Martin's decision not to issue WARN Act notices in New York: 

Sep 27, 2012 Defense Drumbeat
Sep 26, 2012 Press Release

WASHINGTON- Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon (R-CA), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, together with Rep. Ileana Ros Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) Chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee; Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY), Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee; and Representatives C.W.

Sep 20, 2012 Defense Drumbeat

"Northrop to shed nearly 600 jobs"                                  
"Responding to proposed Pentagon budget cuts, Northrop accepts buyouts from about 590 workers in its aerospace unit....."
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