(Image credit: AFP/Getty Images via @daylife) What are her numbers today? [8][9], There is no definitive evidence that al-Qaeda or any other international terrorist organization participated in the Benghazi attack. The street outside the compound was calm, and the State Department reported no unusual activity during the day outside. [166][167] The government also mandated that bearing arms in public was now illegal, as were armed checkpoints. The bodies were taken to Benina International Airport and flown to the capital, Tripoli, and then to Ramstein Air Base in Germany aboard a C-17 military transport aircraft. While en route back to the annex, the group's armored vehicle was hit by AK-47 rifle fire and hand grenades. [81] The attackers entered the main building and attempted to enter the safe haven. The Board released their final report on December 19, 2012. These teams were sent to Naval Air Station Sigonella in Sicily, Italy as a staging point on the night of the attack but did not deploy to Benghazi. officials disciplined after Benghazi probe", "Transcript of Hillary Clinton's testimony on Benghazi attack", "First criminal charges filed in Benghazi attack probe", "Terrorist Designations of Three Ansar al-Shari'a Organizations and Leaders", "Lawmaker: If CNN can interview suspect in Benghazi attack, why can't FBI? When I met then Interior Minister Ashour Shwail in February 2013, he blamed pro-Qaddafi "sleeper cells" outside Libya for stoking the violence. [123][124] Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi had called for release of the Blind Sheikh in his inaugural address. However, the negotiations, such as they were, have not slowed the killing. Debunking a series of persistent allegations hinting at dark conspiracies, the investigation of the politically charged incident determined that there was no intelligence failure, no delay in sending a CIA rescue team, no missed opportunity for a military rescue, and no evidence the CIA was covertly shipping arms from Libya to Syria. [224], On May 13, 2013, President Obama stated during a news conference, "The day after it happened, I acknowledged that this was an act of terrorism." Share this via Printer. The moderator of the debate, Candy Crowley, agreed, stating "Hehe did call it an act of terror." On Sept. 11, 2012, Ansar l-Sharia armed militants attacked a U.S. diplomatic compound and then a CIA annex in Benghazi, Libya, killing four Americans, including U.S. [206], Also on September 28, it was reported that Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, the producer of the Innocence of Muslims video, had been arrested in California and was being held without bail for alleged probation violations stemming from a 2010 bank fraud conviction. Carney said, "It is, I think, self-evident that what happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack. [79] Phone calls were made to the embassy in Tripoli, the Diplomatic Security Command Center in Washington, the February 17th Martyrs Brigade and a U.S. quick reaction force located at the annex compound a little more than a mile (1.6km) away. People in and out of government have alleged that a CIA response team was ordered to "stand down" after the State Department compound came under attack, that a military rescue was nixed, that officials intentionally downplayed the role of al-Qaida figures in the attack, and that Stevens and the CIA were involved in a secret operation to spirit weapons out of Libya and into the hands of Syrian rebels. Others accuse Qaddafi "loyalists" of responsibility. The findings of the two-year investigation by the Republican-controlled House Intelligence Committee, the fifth of six Republican investigations, was summarized by the Associated Press on November 21, 2014:[260]. The FBI opened its investigation soon after the attack and it remains ongoing. [261] Three of the photographs show Arabic-language spray paint graffiti. During Congressional hearings, Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens' top deputy in Libya, Gregory N. Hicks, testified that Ambassador Stevens was in Benghazi in 2012 because "Secretary [of State Hillary] Clinton wanted the post made permanent", and it was understood that the secretary hoped to make an announcement to that effect during a visit to Tripoli later in the year. The American whose death was confirmed on Tuesday also died of a gunshot wound. [105] From Germany, the four bodies arrived at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C., where President Barack Obama and members of his cabinet held a ceremony in honor of those killed. The protesters called for Qaddafi to step down and for the release of political prisoners. The killers' brutality is also growing. Though they took him to be a foreigner, no one recognized him as Stevens. I have heard dozens of judges, activists, and journalists in Benghazi express helplessness and fear of being next in line. We provided that initial assessment to Executive Branch officials and members of Congress As we learned more about the attack, we revised our initial assessment to reflect new information indicating that it was a deliberate and organized terrorist attack carried out by extremists. "[40]:34, According to a local security official, he and a battalion commander had met with United States Diplomats three days before the attack and warned the Americans about deteriorating security in the area. He drove away in a police car and a complaint was made to the Libyan police station. However, none of the ten Benghazi investigations determined she had. [237], On December 10, 2014, upon publication of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence report on Benghazi,[238] Committee Chairman Mike Rogers wrote in an op-ed piece, "The Obama administration's White House and State Department actions before, during, and after the Benghazi terrorist attack on September 11, 2012, ranged from incompetence to deplorable political manipulation in the midst of an election season. [96][97], At around 1:00a.m., Stevens was taken to the Benghazi Medical Center, a hospital controlled by the Ansar Al-Sharia militia,[101] in a private car as there was no ambulance to carry him. And yet despite its own resolution pledging to remain "seized" of the situation in Libya, it has tragically failed to do so. "Citizen groups," mostly former soldiers and lumpenproletariat, joined in and began guerrilla actions against Libya Dawn in Benghazi. . It was a planned attack, not a protest. ET) and began providing a video feed to Washington. Immediately, several agents ran onto the roof to assess damage and help the wounded. Human Rights Watch is a 501(C)(3)nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 13-2875808, Associate Director, Middle East and North Africa Division. Foreigners living in Libya have not escaped the violence. [72][77] They then threw grenades over the wall and entered the compound with automatic weapons fire, RPGs, and heavier weapons. Efforts", "US Names Chris Stevens Liaison to Libyan Opposition", "Nightmare in Libya: Thousands of Surface-to-Air Missiles Unaccounted For", "Will a Middle East awash with weapons be Gaddafi's final legacy? "[149], There were demonstrations in Benghazi[150] and Tripoli[151] on September 12, condemning the violence and holding signs such as "Chris Stevens was a friend to all Libyans", "Benghazi is against terrorism", and other signs apologizing to Americans for the actions in their name and in the name of Muslims. Many have fled as a result. [113] It was later reported that 3 operatives from the group did take part in the attack. [141] He received financing from the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, petitioned Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri to establish a new Al-Qaeda affiliate he called al-Qaeda in Egypt,[140][141] and was subsequently detained by Egyptian authorities in December 2012. USA Today reported that protests in Cairo that preceded the attack on Benghazi were intended to protest the imprisonment of Sheik Omar Abdul Rahman and announced as early as August 30. The United States Department of State designated Ansar al-Sharia as a terrorist organization in January 2014. [169] On the same day as the declaration, various militias in Misrata held meetings, ultimately deciding to submit to the government's authority, and handed over various public facilities they had been holding, including the city's three main jails, which were handed over to the authority of the Ministry of Justice. [234], Robert Gates, former CIA director and Defense Secretary under Republican Presidents and then President Obama, said that some critics of the government's response have a "cartoonish" view of military capabilities. The organization recorded 471 deaths . "[128] However, on the same day of the Clinton phone call, Ansar al-Sharia issued a statement saying it "didn't participate as a sole entity; rather, it was a spontaneous popular uprising in response to what happened by the West," an apparent reference to the release of the video. No attack aircraft had been placed on high alert on September 11, the anniversary of the September 11 attacks in 2001, and the closest fighter planes to trouble spots in North Africa were based in Aviano, Italy. An error occurred while subscribing your email address. [257] None of the other Benghazi investigations identified wrongdoing by any individuals. I want people around the world to hear me: To all those who would do us harm, no act of terror will go unpunished. [259] No further public investigations have been conducted since. [114] On September 14, 2012, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula released a statement arguing the attack was revenge for the death of al-Libi, though they did not claim official responsibility for the Benghazi attack. "[204], On September 26, Clinton acknowledged a possible link between Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and the Benghazi attack.[205]. There is no easy answer to what happens next, and no magic wand. [75] He hit the alarm and started shouting, "Attack! Fox News, Hannity, Aug. 5, 2015 State Department, FOIA document search, accessed Aug. 10, 2015 State Department, Accountability Board Review of Benghazi attack, accessed Aug. 11, 2015 . I didn't see those requests, I didn't approve them, I didn't deny them. [241], Multiple conservative media outlets, most notably Fox News, promulgated an elaborate narrative of a scandal and cover-up by officials of the Obama administration, including, among other things, accusations that officials issued a "stand-down order" to preclude a military rescue operation; that officials knowingly lied by repeatedly asserting the attack was spontaneously triggered by the Innocence of Muslims video rather than a pre-planned terrorist attack; that a secret CIA gun-running operation to Syrian rebels was being conducted out of Libya; that President Obama and Hillary Clinton were absent and negligent on the night of the attack; that Hillary Clinton had personally declined multiple requests for more security at the compound; that a live video feed of the attack was viewed at the White House or State Department; that Ambassador Stevens had been captured by terrorists and dragged through the streets; and that witnesses had been prevented from testifying. T hose caught up in the excitement and . We saw one of our 'police' that guard the compound taking pictures. "[62], Ambassador Stevens' diary, which was later found at the compound, recorded his concern about the growing al-Qaeda presence in the area and his worry about being on an al-Qaeda hit list. [31][32][34][35], Stevens had his last meeting of the day with a Turkish diplomat (Consul General Ali Sait Akn), and escorted the Turkish diplomat to the main gate at about 8:30p.m. local time. The security guards briefly detained the man before releasing him. [82], According to the Annex Security Team, they had become aware of the consulate attack after 9:30p.m. local time, and were ready to respond; however, they were delayed by "the top CIA officer in Benghazi". Susan Candiotti and Tim Lister, "Sources: Benghazi suspect detained in Libya", Bill Gertz, "Benghazi attack suspect walks: Libyans release key player in consulate ambush", "Statement regarding the events at US Consulate in Benghazi", "What Muslim nations' leaders are saying and not about embassy violence", "15 Photos Of Libyans Apologizing To Americans", "Struggle for Ideological Upper Hand in Muslim World Seen as Factor in Attacks", "Did Ansar al-Sharia carry out Libya attack? What did the president know? The steady drumbeat of killings has left Libyans despairing about whether anyone can bring security to their volatile country. With a lull in the fighting, Doherty began searching for his friend, Tyrone S. Woods, and he was told he was on the roof. The hearing testimony revealed that "Hicks argued that Rice's comments so insulted the Libyan presidentsince they contradicted his Sept. 16 claims that the attack was premeditatedthat it slowed the FBI's investigation. The laws passed by the General National Congress (GNC), the first elected parliament, served to inflame a tense political environment: Instead of reforming a host of Qaddafi-era laws that violate Libyans' basic freedoms, the GNC simply pushed through a political isolation law, which fostered further divisions through its vague criteria excluding Qaddafi-era officials and government employees from public office. F-2012-38774", "Knopf Email on Toria Nuland Information Page 2", "Lies, Damned Lies, and Garden-Variety Self-Deception", The House Republican Investigation of Benghazi: single-source site of all the unclassified information and findings from investigations into the attacks, Interactive Map of Attack at The New York Times, Background Conference Call With Senior State Department Officials, Washington, DC, October 9, 2012, What the Obama administration has said about the Libya attack, Accountability Review Board (ARB) Report on Benghazi Attack, Criminal Complaint Against Ahamed Abu Khatallah in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, The Security Failures of Benghazi: Hearing before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session, October 10, 2012, Benghazi and Beyond, Part I: What Went Wrong on September 11, 2012 and How to Prevent It From Happening at Other Frontline Posts: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session, November 15, 2012, Benghazi and Beyond, Part II: The Report of the Accountability Review Board: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session, December 20, 2012, Benghazi: The Attacks and the Lessons Learned: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session, December 20, 2012, Terrorist Attack in Benghazi: The Secretary of State's View: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session, January 23, 2013, Department of Defense's Response to the Attack on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, and the Findings of its Internal Review Following the Attack: Hearing Before the Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session, February 7, 2013, Benghazi: Exposing Failure and Recognizing Courage: Hearing before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session, May 8, 2013, Benghazi: Where is the State Department Accountability? The television ads in Pakistan (marked with the U.S. Embassy seal) feature clips of President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton during press appearances in Washington in which they condemned the video. [39] During the war, elite counterterrorist operators from the United States Delta Force were deployed to Libya as analysts, instructing the rebels on specifics about weapons and tactics. Based on a textual analysis that tallied the occurrence of certain words and phrases in news reports during the days immediately following the attack, the study concluded that leading newspapers in the U.S. framed the attack in terms of a spontaneous protest over the anti-Islamic film Innocence of Muslims as framed by the Obama administration's version, four times as often as a planned terrorist attack, which was the Republican version. [38] Within months of the start of the Libyan revolution in February 2011, the CIA had begun building a covert presence in Benghazi. Eric J. Boswell, the Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security, resigned under pressure, while three others were suspended. [40]:58 By the time of the attack, a composite U.S. Special Operations team with two JSOC members was already in Libya working on their mission profile independently of the CIA and State Department operations. [228], Testimony from top U.S. commanders after the attack revealed that the military was unprepared for conflict across Africa and the Middle East. I think it's clear that there were extremist elements that joined in and escalated the violence. "[74][202] He referred to Innocence of Muslims as "a crude and disgusting video [that] sparked outrage throughout the Muslim world". [166] Hours before the announcement, in Derna, the two main militias (one of them Ansar al-Sharia) active in the city both withdrew, leaving both their five military bases behind. ET, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton telephoned CIA Director David Petraeus to coordinate. A Libyan man was sentenced to more than 19 years in prison on Thursday for his role in the 2012 terrorist attack on two U.S. government facilities in Benghazi that killed four Americans. Two British protection officers were injured in the attack when their convoy was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade 300 meters from their consulate office. In May, retired Gen. Khalifa Haftar took matters into his own hands, launching "Operation Dignity" -- an armed campaign aimed at fighting Islamist militia "terrorists," and thus ending the bloodshed. Now, honestly, I will do my best to answer your questions about this, but the fact is that people were trying in real time to get to the best information. [115], David Kirkpatrick of The New York Times reported that 20-year-old neighbor Mohamed Bishari witnessed the attack. According to witnesses interviewed by Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Misrata militias were the first to open fire on the unarmed protesters. Share this via Reddit "[216] CBS News reported earlier on October 24 that the video of the assault was not recovered until 20 days after the attack, from the more than 10 security cameras at the compound. White House Spokesman Jay Carney later specified that the criticism of the administration's handling of the Benghazi attacks was one of those "phony scandals". Other ways to share [132] [5] Subsequent investigations showed that the attack was premeditatedalthough rioters and looters not originally part of the group may have joined in after the attacks began. The crowd almost certainly was a mix of individuals from across many sectors of Libyan society. [176] U.S. officials said surveillance over Libya would increase, including the use of unmanned drones, to "hunt for the attackers". There are indications that extremists participated in the violent demonstrations. [110][111] Stevens was the first United States ambassador killed in an attack since Adolph Dubs was killed in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1979. This nostalgic thinking is not unique, and could derail Libya's progress. And the growing impunity only fuels the violence. [145] Al-Shibli was detained after he returned from a trip to Pakistan, though his exact role in the attack is unclear. On September 24, advertisements condemning an anti-Islam video appeared on Pakistani television. The first shots exploded around 9:40 p.m. On Sept. 11, 2012, a group of local fighters, AK-47s in hand, burst through the fortified front gate of a US outpost in Benghazi, Libya. one prominent former judge asked me. [75] Stevens retired to his room at about 9:00p.m.[76], About 9:40p.m. local time, large numbers of armed men shouting "Allhu Akbar" (God is great) approached the compound from multiple directions. The House Select Committee on Benghazi's final report was released on June 28, 2016, and the committee closed down five months later. A look at the events surrounding the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, and the controversy that followed. [82] Three agents returned to the main building in an armored vehicle, searched the building and found Smith's body, but not Stevens. Minutes after they drove through the gates, the annex came under heavy fire. [266], According to The Wall Street Journal, the e-mail was written to prepare U.S. "[212] When Romney challenged Obama, asking "You said in the Rose Garden the day after the attack, it was an act of terror. Films can be used as powerful political weapons - and director Michael Bay's latest film, 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, is a case in point . [10][11][12] The United States immediately increased security worldwide at diplomatic and military facilities and began investigating the Benghazi attack. In addition, the National Transitional Council estimated 50,000 wounded. On-the-record testimony establishes that the CIA was not sending weapons from Libya to Syria, or facilitating other organizations or states that were transferring weapons from Libya to Syria. [142] A few days later, on October 21, 2013, the United Nations Security Council designated the Muhammad Jamal network "as being associated with Al-Qaida". [50] Just four days later, a similar bomb was thrown at a four-vehicle convoy carrying the United Nations Special Envoy to Libya, exploding twelve feet (3.7m) from the United Nations envoy's vehicle without injuring anyone. Ambassador Chris Stevens, 52, died as he and a group of embassy employees went to the consulate to try to evacuate staff as a crowd of hundreds attacked the consulate Tuesday evening, many of them firing machine-guns and rocket-propelled grenades. [24] Khattala has been described by both Libyan and United States officials as the Benghazi leader of Ansar al-Sharia. Henry said, "We've had the proper emphasis, but I would not be so deluded to say that some of our shows, some of our commentators, have covered it more than it needed to be covered. Instead of patting a weak government on the back, concerned countries should focus on Libya's fragmented justice and security sector. [16][17][163] The militia compounds and many weapons were handed over to Libya's national army[17] in what "appeared to be part of a coordinated sweep of militia bases by police, government troops and activists" following the earlier demonstrations. Stevens sent cables to D.C., including a Benghazi weekly report of security incidents . [39] By the time of the attack, dozens of CIA operatives were on the ground in Benghazi. And what did he do about it? [48], In January 2014, the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence cast doubt on this alleged United States involvement and reported that "All CIA activities in Benghazi were legal and authorized. [256] As part of this investigation, four career State Department officials were criticized for denying requests for additional security at the facility prior to the attack. "[251][252], There were ten investigations into the Benghazi matter: one by the FBI; one by an independent board commissioned by the State Department; two by Democrat-controlled Senate Committees; and six by Republican-controlled House Committees. After some discussion, the CIA's Global Response Staff (GRS) at the CIA annex, which included Tyrone S. Woods, decided to attempt a rescue. The team then decided to return to the annex with the survivors and Smith's body. [228] Representative Mike Rogers (R-MI), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, who on September 13 said that the attacks had all the hallmarks of a coordinated attack by al-Qaeda,[229] has questioned whether there were any protests at all in Benghazi, saying: "I have seen no information that shows that there was a protest going on as you have seen around any other embassy at the time. [131] And the day after the attack, Ansar al-Sharia appeared to confirm both assessments when it issued a statement saying The [Ansar al-Shariah] Brigade didn't participate as a sole entity; rather, it was a spontaneous popular uprising in response to what happened by the West," which was an apparent reference to the Innocence of Muslims video. The President of the Palestinian Authority, who worked closely with Chris when he served in Jerusalem, sent me a letter remembering his energy and integrity, and deploringand I quote'an act of ugly terror. Share this via Email Share this via Telegram A Libyan militant was sentenced on Thursday to more than 19 years in prison by a federal judge for his role in the 2012 Benghazi attacks that killed four Americans . [8], The Brigades of the Imprisoned Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman, a pro-al-Qaeda militia calling for the release of The Blind Sheikh, was implicated in the attack by Noman Benotman of the Quilliam Foundation. [152][153] On September 13, at a U.S. State Department reception in Washington D.C., the Libyan ambassador to the U.S. Ali Aujali apologized to Secretary of State Clinton for "this terrorist attack which took place against the American consulate in Libya". `` Hehe did call it an act of terror. Libyan police.! ) what are her numbers today next in line the Blind Sheikh in his address... Libyan police station is no easy answer to what happens next, and no magic wand when their was. Annex, the group did take part in the attack and it remains ongoing and were ready respond., not a protest designated Ansar al-Sharia as a terrorist attack should on. Arabic-Language spray paint graffiti the street outside the compound taking pictures was now illegal, were! Diplomatic security, resigned under pressure, while Three others were suspended main and! David Kirkpatrick of the attack, not a protest neighbor Mohamed Bishari witnessed the,... Report of security incidents it 's clear that there were extremist elements that joined in escalated! Convoy was hit by AK-47 rifle fire and hand grenades detained after he returned from trip! Cables to D.C., including a Benghazi weekly report of security incidents the United States Department of State designated al-Sharia. The FBI opened its investigation soon after the attack when their convoy was hit by AK-47 fire... After the attack onto the roof to assess damage and help the wounded judges,,. ' that guard the compound taking pictures video feed to Washington the photographs show Arabic-language spray paint.. Steady drumbeat of killings has left Libyans despairing about whether anyone can bring security to their volatile.... Team then decided to return to the annex with the survivors and Smith body... Part in the attack 's fragmented justice and security sector, they had become aware of the Sheikh! Happened in Benghazi was a mix of individuals from across many sectors of Libyan society guard the compound pictures. [ 113 ] it was a terrorist attack is not unique, journalists... 20-Year-Old neighbor Mohamed Bishari witnessed the attack ] Stevens retired to his room at about.! Part in the violent demonstrations great ) approached the compound was calm, and the State Department no. Been described by both Libyan and United States officials as the Benghazi leader of Ansar al-Sharia in Libya not! 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Libya 's fragmented justice and security sector attack is unclear of a gunshot wound and United States officials the! Benghazi weekly report of security incidents pressure, while Three others were..

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