The latest news on the Benghazi scandal and cover-up broke last week when Fox News reported that CIA operators at the annex a few short blocks from the U.S. consulate had been ordered multiple times to “stand down” and not assist the Americans under attack.

In the first days after the attack, attention focused on two things: The bogus video the Obama administration blamed the attack on and why wasn’t there more security. As the truth began to come out that this was a pre-planned attack and not an outgrowth of a anti-video protest, the focus was now on why our intelligence community didn’t see this coming.

The cover-up has now entered a fourth phase: Why didn’t the Obama administration do anything to stop the attack as it was occurring? If all you watch are the major networks’ evening newscasts, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that this attack went on for more than 6 hours. We had Delta Force in southern Italy, a 2-hour plane flight away. We had fighter jets a 15 minute flight away. The two CIA officers—both former Navy SEALs—who were killed when a mortar round landed on their position atop the embassy roof were reportedly using a ground laser designator to paint the mortar team that was attacking the annex.

The CIA released a statement saying that no one there told operatives to “stand down.” President Obama, in an interview with an unusually competent local news reporter in Denver, said:

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. Number two, we're going to investigate exactly what happened so that it doesn't happen again. Number three, find out who did this so we can bring them to justice.

Now, as is pointed out in the link regarding the ground laser designator above, experienced military operatives know not to use lasers like that willy nilly because, like they used to say about tracer rounds, they point both ways. Simple digital cameras and even cell phone cameras can see the lasers that are invisible to the naked eye. If they were using the GLD, there was something in the air that could see that laser and blow up whatever it was pointing at. If it wasn’t an AC-130, then the drone or drones that were providing Washington with real-time information was armed. There’s no other explanation. This wasn’t a video game and handheld lasers aren’t going to kill anyone.

Which brings us back around to Obama’s statement and the film “A Few Good Men.” Col. Jessup, played by Jack Nicholson testifies that he had ordered that Pvt. Santiago wasn’t to be touched. Col. Jessup’s orders are always followed. And Col. Jessup wanted to transfer Santiago because he feared some of his men would take it into their own hands and punish Pvt. Santiago.

President Obama ordered his Secretary of Defense to do “whatever we need to” to “secur[e] our personnel.” There were Delta Force two hours away and either an AC-130 or an armed drone overhead. Neither Delta Force or the armed drone fired on the terrorists.

All of these can’t be true. If Obama gave the order he says he did, and as commander-in-chief of the U.S. Armed Forces, his orders are followed, then Delta Force should’ve been sent or the drone should’ve fired. Did someone countermand Obama’s order? If so, then why is that treason not being exposed?

No, the simple explanation is that Obama didn’t give the order. Obama wouldn’t give the order. Perhaps he had Joe Biden whispering in his ear that it wouldn’t look good. Maybe he thought it wouldn’t look good if he had to send in a rapid reaction force or bomb a country that we helped liberate just a few short months ago.

Whatever the reason, it’s pretty clear that Obama didn’t give that order. Like Col. Jessup, he is indignant that his judgment would be questioned by snot-nosed little reporters from whom he’s used to sycophancy and adoration.

And, for the most part, he’s still getting it. That lone local reporter in Denver. Fox News. National Review. The Weekly Standard. Conservative and military blogs like Blackfive and This Ain’t Hell are the only ones interested in the incompetence and cover-up that has epitomized the Obama administration’s reaction to what happened in Benghazi. Don’t expect it to change until after the election, if then. The media has their man to defend, and it’s worth their dignity and their integrity to get him four more years.

(Note that on Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace asked two Senate Democrats if the drone sending back pictures was armed, and they refused to answer, citing operational secrecy. How that fact would affect anything now other than Obama’s election chances is unclear.)