50 years ago this week, President John F. Kennedy exposed what became known as the Cuban Missile Crisis to the American people. Ironically, there is a new missile crisis developing, arising out of the rubble of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya. Four Americans, including the ambassador, were killed in what was billed a spontaneous outpouring of rage over an internet video. Or so we were told. The story keeps unraveling, and the White House keeps stonewalling on what could be an enormous scandal. According to some news accounts , the president was well aware that the attack on the US “mission” in Benghazi, Libya was a coordinated and planned act of terrorism.

We now know that the “video story” was an amateurish attempt to explain away the real problem. This attack was a deliberate, intentional attack on a specific target: A CIA station that contained weapons and a very large amount of money. Money that was, according to reports, intended to buy back shoulder-fired missiles that have been unaccounted for since the fall of the Kaddafi regime.

I’ll say it again: Shoulder-fired missiles. You’ve seen them and you know what they are used for. An unknown number (some reports say 20,000) of these fearsome, portable weapons are now in the hands of the mobs vying for control of Libya. That means Al-Quaeda has the opportunity, if it has not done so already, to scoop up a large percentage of these aircraft-killing devices.

This is, to say the least, alarming. There is a black market for weapons and contraband among the factions and elements in the middle east and Africa, and around the world. It does not take a great deal of imagination to believe that these missiles will be pointed at American aircraft and ships, endangering our sons and daughters. Commercial airliners, oil tankers, trains…the potential targets are limitless.

You haven’t heard much about these missiles…yet. At least not in the mainstream media outlets that carry water for the Obama administration. But as these missiles proliferate into the lawless climate of the Arabian Peninsula, Somalia, Lebanon, and…yes, Afghanistan, their true danger will become apparent. These weapons require little in terms of maintenance, and can be readily smuggled over routes that have existed for thousands of years. Drones and satellites can’t find them, because they are so easily concealed. We will not know the extent of the problem, frighteningly, until one of them is used offensively. Wreckage will be examined, and chemical residues will be found, allowing experts to determine the exact manufacture and origin of the weapon.

The sad truth continues to unfold. We are only beginning to learn who knew what, and when. Why were the repeated requests by the Benghazi station for additional security ignored? Were these requests passed to the president? We know that American forces were as close as the base at Signorella, Italy…a couple of hours away. The attack lasted over seven hours. Could help have arrived in time? But that is only part of the story. What was being done to buy back the Kaddafi missiles prior to the attack? How did this information reach our enemies? How did they know that weapons and cash were secreted there? There was an enormous breach of intelligence in addition to a failure of physical security.

The Administration is running from the truth: There has been a massive failure in Libya. It wasn’t YouTube, and it wasn’t a mob. An American outpost was overrun. And the Missiles of Benghazi are out there, waiting to be pointed at us.