Article

2012-11-04

Sunday Morning Coffeepot: A Benghazi Sequence

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Posted by Pappy 2012-11-04 00:00|| E-Mail|| Front Page|| [11126 views ] Top

#1 Excellent compilation, Pappy - thanks. I'd clarify only who was present in the consulate compound when the attack began.

According to the Oct. 9 State Dept. briefing, there were 7 State Dept. employees present: Ambassador Stevens, IT officer Sean Smith, and 5 diplomatic security agents. Stevens had traveled to Benghazi from Tripoli with 5 DS agents as a precaution, rather than the usual 3.

During the attack, one DS agent with an M4 took Stevens and Smith to the safe room.

One DS agent stayed in the TOC building (undetected by the attackers), who triggered an alarm and was on the phone throughout (about 2 hours), calling basically everyone for help.

Three DS agents retreated to the cantina building for weapons and kit, then went back to the burning main house to extract Stevens, Smith, and DS agent #1.

According to Libyan security officers, eight of them were present inside the compound when the attack began. It seems they did what they could, but were quickly overwhelmed and feared for their lives.

So 15 total on site at the time the attack began, only two of whom (Stevens and Smith, both of whom were killed) were unarmed. All 5 DS agents suffered serious smoke inhalation and other injuries, in their unsuccessful attempt to find and retrieve Stevens, before bugging out in an armored vehicle with Smith's body.

Posted by RandomJD 2012-11-04 01:05|| 2012-11-04 01:05|| Front Page Top

#2 Eksellent! Well done.

I particularly liked the "Blue Mountain" piece and the unstated, but quite obvious fact that the Brit(s) knew exactly when to pull out. Nothing from Whithall, telling that.

Posted by Besoeker 2012-11-04 04:32|| 2012-11-04 04:32|| Front Page Top

#3 Besoeker, URL on Blue Mountain Security piece?

Posted by JohnQC 2012-11-04 10:04|| 2012-11-04 10:04|| Front Page Top

#4 Another interesting aspect is that the Brits are stating that, though they still had assets in Benghazi, no attempt was made to contact them for assistance.

The Turks also had assets in the city; no contact was made with them either.

Posted by Pappy 2012-11-04 10:39|| 2012-11-04 10:39|| Front Page Top

#5 A talking point for the Dems is that the Repubs in some bill that was passed, had reduced State Department funds for security. They made a big deal of that at the Issa's hearings. That's become their talking point.

A State Department official, Charlene Lamb -- at Issa's hearing, when asked stated "That funds for security was not a problem"

Posted by Sherry 2012-11-04 11:31|| 2012-11-04 11:31|| Front Page Top

#6 I don't have the BM news bits John. Here is the BM website however. If you think this is just a small, start up, firm with no connections......

Interesting to also note, none of our European cousins are saying much.

Posted by Besoeker 2012-11-04 11:43|| 2012-11-04 11:43|| Front Page Top

#7 Another interesting aspect is that the Brits are stating that, though they still had assets in Benghazi, no attempt was made to contact them for assistance.

The Turks also had assets in the city; no contact was made with them either.

I noted that too, Pappy. The DS agent in the TOC the whole time called everyone up the US chain - the CIA annex, Tripoli, Washington - and local Libyan police and security. But not anyone else. Perhaps that's because the whole US presence in Benghazi was a covert CIA something-or-other, and the hope/intent was to keep it that way?

Posted by RandomJD 2012-11-04 12:46|| 2012-11-04 12:46|| Front Page Top

#8 In that part of the world, westerners and particular well fed westerners driving up-armored SUV's in and out of locked compounds are generally viewed as dirty, rotten spies. I don't care how many PT tests you've max'd or how many freefall's you've made, Official Cover and a black passport won't take you so far when the odious brown discharge hits the fan.

Posted by Besoeker 2012-11-04 13:25|| 2012-11-04 13:25|| Front Page Top

#9 Sherry,
You said "the Repubs in some bill that was passed, had reduced State Department funds for security."

In fact, it was the Democrats who proposed and passed it. More Democrats voted for it than Republicans. Both parties split on the measure,
with 1/3 repubs for it along with 5/6 of the Dems. 2/3 of repubs and 1/6 of Dems voted no.

Al

Posted by Frozen Al 2012-11-04 13:48|| 2012-11-04 13:48|| Front Page Top

#10 Good summary of what is known and not known Pappy. How hard would that have been to put together by our govmint for the public. Maybe they could have even fleshed out a few more details.

There are intimations that the video maker is also a "known Palestinian con-man".--Or an Egyptian Coptic con man who was jugged and is still in the hoosegow so far as we know.

Posted by JohnQC 2012-11-04 14:15|| 2012-11-04 14:15|| Front Page Top

#11 Roger that Besoeker, LOL. Do you mean to suggest, then, the Brits and Turks were already well aware that the US "consulate" Benghazi was in fact a CIA post - thus, what would have been the harm in calling upon them for assistance?

Posted by RandomJD 2012-11-04 16:46|| 2012-11-04 16:46|| Front Page Top

#12 OK .. here's my dumb question for the day. If the Blue Mountain manager is having serious problems with the situation around 8-9 pm ... then why don't we see the DSS extracting the ambassador straight away??? Why do we read that the ambassador is retiring for the night at 11 pm?

It seems as though local communication, incl. between UK and US security staff, was a bit poor. To put it mildly. It still doesn't explain why the DSS staff were not recognizing the dangerous situation outside.

We're still missing a clear understanding of conditions inside the embassy on that night.

Posted by Raider 2012-11-04 18:14|| 2012-11-04 18:14|| Front Page Top

#13 I kept thinking I saw this Benghazi story somewhere before; wife put on an old movie for a rainy afternoon and it became obvious. Tom Clancy wrote it, back in 1990 - 'Clear and Present Danger'.

Posted by Glenmore 2012-11-04 18:21|| 2012-11-04 18:21|| Front Page Top

#14 Here is the BM website however. If you think this is just a small, start up, firm with no connections......

Blue Mountain had no experience in performing Embassy/consulate security. That may be a reason why they accepted a contarct worth $275K.

Other, more experienced, firms had submitted proposals that were ignored.

Posted by Pappy 2012-11-04 22:10|| 2012-11-04 22:10|| Front Page Top

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