There is a meme that has been circulating concerning the attack on Benghazi and attacks on American embassies or consulates during the Bush presidency. The meme is says that 60 people died. Of those 60 people, only one was an American citizen, a U.S. diplomat. There was no lies about what happened. A video that had nothing to do with the attack was not blamed. The diplomat died in a bombing, not a sustained attack by enemy forces.
Here is the meme.
Here is the breakdown and stats for each attack.
January 2, 2002:
“Heavily-armed gunmen have attacked the US Government’s information centre near the American consulate in Calcutta, killing five policemen.”
Zero Americans killed.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1774483.stm
June 14, 2002:
“No Americans were reported killed, but one U.S. Marine guard and five Pakistani employees, who were all inside the compound at the time, sustained minor injuries from flying debris, State Department spokeswoman Lynn Cassel told the Associated Press.
The victims included at least four Pakistani policemen stationed around the consulate, four women and one man who were nearby, police said.”
Zero Americans killed.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-jan-june02-karachi_06-14/
February 28, 2003:
“Two police officers have been killed and six others, including one civilian, have been injured after gunmen opened fire outside the U.S. Consulate in the Pakistani city of Karachi.”
Zero Americans killed.
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/south/02/28/karachi.shooting/index.html?_s=PM:asiapcf
June 30, 2004:
“The explosions, which occurred outside the buildings of both embassies in the Uzbek capital Tashkent, appeared to have been set off by suicide bombers, Reuters reported. Two Uzbeks were killed in the attacks.
A U.S. Embassy official said no Americans were injured as a result of the blast.”
Zero Americans killed.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/asia-july-dec04-uzbekistan_07-30/
December 6, 2004:
“Five consular employees — four local staff members and a contract guard — were also killed. Four other local staff members were injured and recovering in hospitals, U.S. officials said.”
Again, no Americans killed.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/12/06/jeddah.attack/
March 6, 2006:
A U.S. diplomat was killed in a bomb blast. There was no lies about why it happened or what the cause was. There were no lies about the lies.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/03/01/karachi.blast/
September 12, 2006:
“Four armed men attacked the U.S. Embassy on Tuesday, killing one Syrian security guard and wounding several people in what authorities said was an attempt by Islamic guerrillas to storm the diplomatic compound.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/12/AR2006091200345.html
Zero Americans killed.
March 18, 2008:
“No American officials or embassy employees were killed or wounded, embassy officials said. Six of the dead were Yemeni guards at the compound entrance, and the other four killed were civilians waiting to be allowed in.”
Zero Americans killed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/18/world/middleeast/18yemen.html?_r=0
July 9, 2008:
“Turkey bolstered security at U.S. diplomatic installations across the country Wednesday after men armed with a pump-action shotgun and pistols shot and killed three Turkish policemen outside the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul, officials said.”
Zero Americans killed.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/09/AR2008070900444.html
September 17, 2008:
“Attackers used vehicle bombs, rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons to mount a coordinated assault on the U.S. Embassy here Wednesday, leaving 10 guards and civilians dead outside the main gate but failing to breach the walled compound. No Americans were killed.”
Zero Americans killed.
I guess four Americans being hung out to dry, not given military aid when it was readily available doesn’t matter does it? To quote Hillary Clinton, “What difference does it make?”
*Post Script*
I got to thinking about his. While 60 people did die in these attacks, only one American was killed. At no point did the Bush administration try to cover up these attacks. At no point was the media complicate in helping the Bush administration cover up these attacks. Each of these attacks were reported by what was usually a hostile media.
One American died in attacks aimed at our Consulates and Embassies under President Bush. That American died due to a bombing.
Four Americans died in one attack. One attack that lasted hours. Two brave Navy SEALs gave their lives trying to protect an Ambassador that was forgotten by his boss. No help was given as terrorists stormed the American embassy in Benghazi.
Can you see the difference here?
The Musings of the Bearded Texan 