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What happened in Benghazi is an aggravation, ‘a craw in our side’, with many veterans still today. It is a sad story of Americans being abandoned by their nation, and it’s unfortunately been used by many politicians for political gain. Excuses were made to explain what happened and to somewhat justify it. Both Republicans and Democrats distort the facts during TV appearances and hearings. But the damage to those left behind - the families and survivors - seems forgotten, without explanation.
Many Americans don’t even understand what these men and women went through - they were living in hell for the thirteen hours preceding the final assault and the evacuation from the CIA annex. Many incorrectly think that the four Americans - Ambassador Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty - died during the initial assault on the U.S. Diplomatic Compound. There was actually four separate attacks; the first attack on the compound and then three more on the CIA annex where everyone fled to after the first assault. Also, ten others were injured in these attacks. The compound was not an embassy, which means that it didn’t have the normal security detail or bunkering/protections that an American Embassy has. Only five diplomatic security special agents were in Benghazi at the time of the attack; two of them were there by chance, having traveled with Ambassador Stevens from Tripoli. One mile away, a CIA team at the annex was the quick reaction force for the compound, but no one was supposed to know that the CIA security team existed.
Ambassador Stevens was adored by many Libyans and had a great fondness for the country. He felt he could make a difference in the lives of those in Libya, and wanted to show the people that the United States stood behind them in establishing a new democracy. Eastern Libya, Benghazi in particular, was a key hub for intelligence operatives monitoring Ansar al-Sharia and members of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Along with Ambassador Stevens, Secretary of State Clinton also wanted a more permanent post in Benghazi.
There was quite a bit of instability in the region prior to the attacks of September 11, 2012. There was frequent IED-related violence. The International Red Cross office in Libya was attacked and there was an assassination attempt on Dominic Asquith, the British ambassador. Requests were made for more security, but according to the regional security officer, Eric Nordstrom, they were rebuffed. Nordstrom told media that, for him and his staff, “it was abundantly clear that [they] were not going to get resources until the aftermath of an incident.” Lt. Col Andrew Wood, U.S. site security commander in Libya, testified that a regional security officer had tried obtaining more personnel, but was never able to attain a level of security that he felt comfortable with. It was pretty well known within the American intelligence community during the months preceding the attack that Benghazi was unstable and increasingly dangerous - and that a significant attack was imminent.
Top U.S. officials reported the attack as if it had been a spontaneous protest created by an anti-Muslim video...yet there were no such protests immediately prior to the attacks. There was, however, every indication that everything was premeditated. The assault began at nightfall, by militants swathed in flak jackets with covered faces. They were armed with RPGs, hand grenades, AK-47s, mortars, and machine guns. With that level of artillery, it’s quite apparent that this was not a spontaneous protest.
But for some reason...that is what we were supposed to believe.
Ambassador Stevens and State Department information management officer, Sean Smith - an Air Force veteran, died during the initial assault on the compound. The Global Response Staff team, which included former SEAL Tyrone Woods, left the CIA annex approximately twenty minutes later as the Quick Reaction Force in order to aid and/or rescue everyone at the compound. The Quick Reaction Force evacuated everyone from the compound to the CIA annex where they began preparing for potential continuing assaults.
In the ensuing hours, attacks continued as they bunkered at the CIA annex waiting for reinforcements or rescue. Meanwhile another former Navy SEAL, Glen Doherty, and six other men (five CIA operatives and two volunteer Delta operators) gathered at the Tripoli Embassy preparing to mount a rescue - 406 miles away from Benghazi. Since this was not a planned evacuation or rescue attempt by U.S. leadership, they had to figure some way to get to Benghazi. They somehow garnered $30,000 and, with a little persuasion of a couple of Libyan military pilots, they got them to fly from the airport in Tripoli to Benghazi.
At the Benghazi airport, they met up with supportive Libyan troops who took the team of seven men to the CIA annex. Upon arrival, Glen Doherty met Tyrone Woods on the roof of the annex. Within minutes, mortars were fired and both were mortally wounded - two more Americans killed in Benghazi within hours. After this final assault, everyone remaining was transported to the Benghazi airport with the help of the same Libyan troops who assisted Glen Doherty and his team.
The whole incident is very disappointing to me, and something I will never forget. We, as Airmen, Soldiers, Marines and Sailors, exist under an oath stating that we will “never leave our brothers and sisters behind”... but these people were left to die. They were left alone - abandoned by the administration, Congress, and in a sense, by their country. Their families also seemed to be forgotten as they never received any explanation regarding this incident. The names of everyone else who had been in Benghazi were also quickly forgotten. It seemed as though many Americans heard enough and didn’t want the truth regardless of the facts...and still don’t. Overall, the incidents that day were incredibly tragic, and I will continue to hope that someday everyone will have the answers they need!
Many Americans don’t even understand what these men and women went through - they were living in hell for the thirteen hours preceding the final assault and the evacuation from the CIA annex. Many incorrectly think that the four Americans - Ambassador Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty - died during the initial assault on the U.S. Diplomatic Compound. There was actually four separate attacks; the first attack on the compound and then three more on the CIA annex where everyone fled to after the first assault. Also, ten others were injured in these attacks. The compound was not an embassy, which means that it didn’t have the normal security detail or bunkering/protections that an American Embassy has. Only five diplomatic security special agents were in Benghazi at the time of the attack; two of them were there by chance, having traveled with Ambassador Stevens from Tripoli. One mile away, a CIA team at the annex was the quick reaction force for the compound, but no one was supposed to know that the CIA security team existed.
Ambassador Stevens was adored by many Libyans and had a great fondness for the country. He felt he could make a difference in the lives of those in Libya, and wanted to show the people that the United States stood behind them in establishing a new democracy. Eastern Libya, Benghazi in particular, was a key hub for intelligence operatives monitoring Ansar al-Sharia and members of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Along with Ambassador Stevens, Secretary of State Clinton also wanted a more permanent post in Benghazi.
There was quite a bit of instability in the region prior to the attacks of September 11, 2012. There was frequent IED-related violence. The International Red Cross office in Libya was attacked and there was an assassination attempt on Dominic Asquith, the British ambassador. Requests were made for more security, but according to the regional security officer, Eric Nordstrom, they were rebuffed. Nordstrom told media that, for him and his staff, “it was abundantly clear that [they] were not going to get resources until the aftermath of an incident.” Lt. Col Andrew Wood, U.S. site security commander in Libya, testified that a regional security officer had tried obtaining more personnel, but was never able to attain a level of security that he felt comfortable with. It was pretty well known within the American intelligence community during the months preceding the attack that Benghazi was unstable and increasingly dangerous - and that a significant attack was imminent.
Top U.S. officials reported the attack as if it had been a spontaneous protest created by an anti-Muslim video...yet there were no such protests immediately prior to the attacks. There was, however, every indication that everything was premeditated. The assault began at nightfall, by militants swathed in flak jackets with covered faces. They were armed with RPGs, hand grenades, AK-47s, mortars, and machine guns. With that level of artillery, it’s quite apparent that this was not a spontaneous protest.
But for some reason...that is what we were supposed to believe.
Ambassador Stevens and State Department information management officer, Sean Smith - an Air Force veteran, died during the initial assault on the compound. The Global Response Staff team, which included former SEAL Tyrone Woods, left the CIA annex approximately twenty minutes later as the Quick Reaction Force in order to aid and/or rescue everyone at the compound. The Quick Reaction Force evacuated everyone from the compound to the CIA annex where they began preparing for potential continuing assaults.
In the ensuing hours, attacks continued as they bunkered at the CIA annex waiting for reinforcements or rescue. Meanwhile another former Navy SEAL, Glen Doherty, and six other men (five CIA operatives and two volunteer Delta operators) gathered at the Tripoli Embassy preparing to mount a rescue - 406 miles away from Benghazi. Since this was not a planned evacuation or rescue attempt by U.S. leadership, they had to figure some way to get to Benghazi. They somehow garnered $30,000 and, with a little persuasion of a couple of Libyan military pilots, they got them to fly from the airport in Tripoli to Benghazi.
At the Benghazi airport, they met up with supportive Libyan troops who took the team of seven men to the CIA annex. Upon arrival, Glen Doherty met Tyrone Woods on the roof of the annex. Within minutes, mortars were fired and both were mortally wounded - two more Americans killed in Benghazi within hours. After this final assault, everyone remaining was transported to the Benghazi airport with the help of the same Libyan troops who assisted Glen Doherty and his team.
The whole incident is very disappointing to me, and something I will never forget. We, as Airmen, Soldiers, Marines and Sailors, exist under an oath stating that we will “never leave our brothers and sisters behind”... but these people were left to die. They were left alone - abandoned by the administration, Congress, and in a sense, by their country. Their families also seemed to be forgotten as they never received any explanation regarding this incident. The names of everyone else who had been in Benghazi were also quickly forgotten. It seemed as though many Americans heard enough and didn’t want the truth regardless of the facts...and still don’t. Overall, the incidents that day were incredibly tragic, and I will continue to hope that someday everyone will have the answers they need!
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 232
Some of us will never forget Benghazi or how poorly the whole thing was handled leading up to and through the attack that dreadful night. There are too many holes in the official story and the surviving eye witnesses were barred from ever speaking about it through non-disclosure statements they were forced to sign right after their rescue. The few warriors who did tell their side, have never changed their story so I give more credence to what they say, than I do to anyone from the last administration involved and almost no credence to those on MSM, who all were hot and heavy to run with the lie, that it was all over a anti-muslim parody video and who still kept trying to peddle that lie, despite the evidence proving otherwise. The whole affair is shameful period!
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Lots of questions not answered by normal media. Why was security provided by a local militia, and how many of them fought back, or did they disappear when the attack started, or even before it. With a total attack time of 13 hours, why were no air assets available?
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The left continually throws the spin that obunghole and clanton DIDN'T do anything, and the educationally CHALLENGED liberal base sucks that up because they have no clue that as resident of the white house and pool clerk of state, it was their RESPONSIBILITY and job TO do something!! Their job to have even a LITTLE foresight to protect the Ambassador and people, to get forces there to assist, to SAVE their LIVES!!
Having read, heard, and watched plenty, I have to wonder if those two INTENTIONALLY planned to allowed the deaths to provide a rallying war cry for the terrorists, and to stir up terror alliances and recruitment, particularly in light of their inability to call them terrorists and list them as such.
And to continue the b.s. story that it was all caused by some unknown on the west coast making a video, well, that was just lame. And then there's shiiteheads attitude of essentially 'who cares' by her "What difference – at this point, what difference does it make?" statement.
Kinda like, 'how DARE you question ME, her royal highness, the next RULER of the free world'......
Having read, heard, and watched plenty, I have to wonder if those two INTENTIONALLY planned to allowed the deaths to provide a rallying war cry for the terrorists, and to stir up terror alliances and recruitment, particularly in light of their inability to call them terrorists and list them as such.
And to continue the b.s. story that it was all caused by some unknown on the west coast making a video, well, that was just lame. And then there's shiiteheads attitude of essentially 'who cares' by her "What difference – at this point, what difference does it make?" statement.
Kinda like, 'how DARE you question ME, her royal highness, the next RULER of the free world'......
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This is James Bond shit. CIA operatives, delta, Ambassadors, is anyone surprised that Killary Clinton, Obama, DOD, DOJ were trying to cover up what really happened?
Our country is being ruled by a Gov that has surpassed its original purpose. Its a perfect culture to grow shady, back door deals, and special interests all in the hopes for re election
Our country is being ruled by a Gov that has surpassed its original purpose. Its a perfect culture to grow shady, back door deals, and special interests all in the hopes for re election
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My son took me to listen to Kris Tanato a week ago and it was very informative.
And unfortunitly shit like this will happen time and time again. Until the voters take charge and clean house. We as a nation need to say that's all the bull we can take. There my be a few good senators and congress but most are there
to care for there own needs.
And unfortunitly shit like this will happen time and time again. Until the voters take charge and clean house. We as a nation need to say that's all the bull we can take. There my be a few good senators and congress but most are there
to care for there own needs.
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This needs to be settled once and for all. Hold those responsible accountable and we know who they are!
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At what point do we accept and move on? If you want answers, then read the reports generated by the 8 investigations, most of them by Congressional Committees. All of the investigations came to the same conclusions, specifically that there was no "Stand Down" order, Sec Clinton, and the rest of the Administration, were not at fault, there was no military element that was close enough to help, and if one had been sent, it would not have arrived in time to save anyone.
Stop bringing up questions that have already been answered. Oh, this is one veteran who is not "haunted" by Benghazi any more than he is by the deaths of any American at the hands of the enemy, including the 4,000+ Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Sailors killed in an illegal war. Funny how nobody seems to care about that.
Stop bringing up questions that have already been answered. Oh, this is one veteran who is not "haunted" by Benghazi any more than he is by the deaths of any American at the hands of the enemy, including the 4,000+ Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Sailors killed in an illegal war. Funny how nobody seems to care about that.
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MSgt (Join to see)
Benghazi hearing: U.S. military assets were told to stand down - CNNPolitics.com
More could have been done by the military last year to protect those being attacked at the U.S. compound and annex in Benghazi, Libya, a former official says.
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SGT Edward Wilcox
MSgt (Join to see) - So, was the FAST being relocated to Tripoli, or being sent to help the ambassador? If the former, then it does not invalidate anything I have said about no one being in the immediate area, and no "Stand Down" order being given. If the latter, then it was being sent to the wrong location and would have never been in a position to help.
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Capt Sabrena Goldman
Remember how the Air Force began! Trying to prove we can carry the weight of the larger bombs and even if we miss the ships with a direct hit the larger bombs will do enough damage to sink the ship. This is in stark contrast to carrying smaller bombs that miss entirely!
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Capt Sabrena Goldman
He was trying to save pilots lives. He was court marshalled but he made a point when it was necessary!
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This old soldier will never forget. And as long as I live I will believe that Hillary at a minimum was derelict in her duty if not actually personally responsible for what happened.
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The Benghazi Four will never be forgotten. The surviving contractors, active duty SOF who knew them (the 2 SEALS) and those Americans and the surviving families of the four will not let them be forgotten. I for one will not forget the Benghazi Four. No one must forget them.
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