Drip. Drip. Drip.

It’s been happening for weeks now. Damaging details being revealed – bit by bit – about the terrorist attack at our Consulate in Libya – a brutal assault that ended with the murder of our Ambassador and three other very brave Americans.

Now, disturbing new details from FOX News. As events were unfolding in “real time” – CIA operatives were denied requests for assistance as the firefight ensued – not once, not twice, but three times. That’s right, sources are now reporting that these pleas for help – these calls for assistance – were denied – rejected. Even worse, CIA agents on the ground were reportedly told to “stand down” – not to assist those in the Consulate.

Former Navy SEALs Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty, who were murdered during the attack, tried to provide assistance from a CIA annex building a mile or so away from the Consulate when the attack began.

This from FOX News:

“When they heard the shots fired, they radioed to inform their higher-ups to tell them what they were hearing. They were told to ‘stand down,’ according to sources familiar with the exchange. An hour later, they called again to headquarters and were again told to ‘stand down.’ Woods, Doherty and at least two others ignored those orders and made their way to the Consulate which at that point was on fire.”

Equally troubling, the team at the CIA annex, a short distance from the Consulate, was ready to take out some of the terrorists before they could use their deadly weapons in the fight.

“According to sources on the ground, the special operator on the roof of the CIA annex had visual contact and a laser pointing at the Libyan mortar team that was targeting the CIA annex,” FOX reports. “The operators were calling in coordinates of where the Libyan forces were firing from.” That pre-emptive strike never occurred. The team was ordered to “stand down.”

Unbelievable.

This new revelation – these pleas for help occurring in “real time” as the attack was taking place – clearly contradict what Defense Secretary Panetta said just yesterday. “You don’t deploy forces into harm’s way without knowing what’s going on, without having some real-time information about what’s taking place,” Panetta said.

Whether it’s the Secretary of Defense, top military officials, or President Obama, the Commander-in-Chief, the American people have yet to be told the truth about what happened that night.

There’s new pressure from Congress to get to the bottom of what happened in Benghazi. House Speaker Boehner is calling on the President to “explain to the American people” what happened.

The President owes the American people and the families of those who died at the U.S. Consulate in Libya a detailed explanation about the tragedy. He can start by answering this question: Why were requests for assistance to aid our Ambassador and his team rejected?

Jay Sekulow