Emails contradict Hillary Clinton’s Benghazi testimony

  Not that it makes much of a difference at this point but a review of Hillary Clinton’s sworn Benghazi testimony shows that emails she received from Sidney Blumenthal contradict her assertion that he was not an adviser “at all” on Libya.

  Here is more:

Newly released emails conflict with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 11-hour testimony before the Benghazi Select Committee, according to a review of the transcripts and public records.

One of the conflicts involves the role played by Clinton confidant Sidney Blumenthal.

Regarding the dozens of emails from him, which in many cases were forwarded to her State Department team, Clinton testified: “He’s a friend of mine. He sent me information he thought might be of interest. Some of it was, some of it wasn’t, some of it I forwarded to be followed up on. He had no official position in the government. And he was not at all my adviser on Libya.”

But a newly released email from February 2011 shows Blumenthal advocated for a no-fly zone over Libya, writing, “U.S. might consider advancing tomorrow. Libyan helicopters and planes are raining terror on cities.” The email was forwarded by Clinton to her deputy chief of staff Jake Sullivan with the question, “What do you think of this idea?”

And here is more:

In another email from March 5, 2012, Clinton appears to use Blumenthal as what is known in intelligence circles as a “cut out,” a type of intermediary to gather information, allowing the policymaker plausible deniability. In this case, the emails focused on the increasingly chaotic and fragmenting political landscape in Libya after dictator Muammar Qaddafi was removed from power.

In the one-page document, Blumenthal writes that Jonathan Powell, a former senior British government adviser to Blair, is “trying to replicate what we did in Northern Ireland by setting up secret channels between insurgents and government, and then, where appropriate, developing these negotiations.” This type of backchannel discussion helped bring about the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland.

Clinton responded two hours later. “I’d like to see Powell when he’s in the building,” with her staff responding, “Will follow up.” In both instances, Clinton’s actions further undercut sworn testimony to the Select Committee that Blumenthal was “not at all my adviser on Libya.

  Hillary Clinton is actually telling the truth when she states that Sidney Blumenthal had no official role in the government because a thin-skinned, grudge-holding Barack Obama forbade him a position in the State Department after the 2008 election.

 However the Former Secretary of State seemed to find her way around this little inconvenience because while he was unofficially advising her on Libya Sidney Blumenthal was paid $10,000 a month by the Clinton Foundation and the relationship gets cozier when you remember that she also promoted his business interest in Libya while she was Secretary of State. Move along, nothing to see here…

Malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium