[139] He has been linked to an Egyptian terrorist group led by Muhammad Jamal Abu Ahmad, who is suspected of training some of the terrorists responsible for the Benghazi attack in camps in the Libyan desert. [180] The destroyers are equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles. "[208], On October 4, 22 days after the attack, FBI investigators were finally allowed access to the scene of the attack. [162][163] Protesters burnt a car and a building of at least one facility, and looted weapons. At 5:41p.m. [18][19][20][21] Four career State Department officials were criticized for denying requests for additional security at the facility prior to the attack. Obama administration officials, most notably Susan Rice, were provided this early assessment and repeated it to media outlets, only to be later contradicted as further intelligence assessments were made. [106], Four Americans died in the attack: Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, Information Officer Sean Smith,[107] and two CIA operatives,[108] Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods,[109] both former Navy SEALs. "[127] This assessment reflected information in an email sent by the State Department Operations Center to the White House, Pentagon, intelligence community and FBI at 6:07pm Eastern time the night of the attack, the subject line of which read, "Update 2: Ansar al-Sharia Claims Responsibility for Benghazi Attack. But soon after that spontaneous protest began outside of our consulate in Benghazi, we believe that it looks like extremist elements, individuals, joined in that in that effort with heavy weapons of the sort that are, unfortunately, readily now available in Libya post-revolution. [223] Spain authorized the basing of the quick response force at Morn Air Base near Seville, for a temporary one-year term. Libyan newspaper The Tripoli Post noted that Libya's National Congress also condemned the attack, saying it "led to the regrettable injury and death . At least 75 people were killed in militia clashes in Benghazi on May 16 and 17, and 140 were injured. [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. [228], Testimony from top U.S. commanders after the attack revealed that the military was unprepared for conflict across Africa and the Middle East. So the president went on various shows, despite what he said in the Rose Garden, about terrorist acts, he went on several programs, including The View, including Letterman, including before the UN where he continued to refer, days later, many days later, to this as a spontaneous demonstration because of a hateful video. [176], Secretary of State Clinton also made a statement on September 12, describing the perpetrators as "heavily armed militants" and "a small and savage groupnot the people or government of Libya". [154], In the days after the attack, The New York Times stated that young Libyans had flooded Twitter with pro-American messages after the attacks. "[239] However, immediately upon release of the committee's report on November 21, 2014, the Associated Press reported that the Committee did not conclude that any "government official acted in bad faith or intentionally misled the American people. But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee. [209] The crime scene was not secured during that time; neither American nor Libyan investigators were able to secure the scene. What are her numbers today? [83][84] The Regional Security Office sounded the alarm and called to the Benghazi CIA annex and the embassy in Tripoli. [58], British Ambassador to Libya Dominic Asquith survived an assassination attempt in Benghazi on June 10, 2012. [67] In her January 2013 testimony before Congress, Secretary Clinton claimed security decisions at the Benghazi compound had been made by others, stating, "The specific security requests pertaining to Benghazi were handled by the security professionals in the [State] Department. T hose caught up in the excitement and . [81][82] The rest of the agents left to retrieve their weapons and tried to return to the main building. 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. [39] By the time of the attack, dozens of CIA operatives were on the ground in Benghazi. On Sept. 11, 2012, heavily armed Islamist militants launched an organized attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, setting fire to buildings before all U.S . Attackers set the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, on fire on September 11, 2012. More than 100 people have died over four days of anti-government protests in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi as Colonel Muammar Gaddafi confronts the most serious challenge to his 42-year rule . What did the president know? The Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University described the conclusions of an unpublished study on November 2, 2012. Share this via Twitter None of that is true, according to the House Intelligence Committee report. During the hours before the attack, Egyptian satellite television networks popular in Benghazi had been covering the outrage over the video. [141], On October 7, 2013, the Muhammad Jamal network (MJN) and Muhammad Jamal were designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorists by the U.S. Department of State, which noted in its designation that "Jamal has developed connections with al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), AQ senior leadership, and al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) leadership including Nasir 'Abd-al-Karim 'Abdullah al-Wahishi and Qasim Yahya Mahdi al-Rimi". The incident sparked controversy and ignited a political firestorm in the United States. [117][118] It was further reported that Ahmed Abu Khattala was called a ringleader of the attack by both witnesses and authorities, though he insisted he did not play a part in the aggression at the American compound. [16][17] After that war, the militias failed to disband, and continually menaced the Libyan government and populace. 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". Libyan security forces used water cannons and rubber bullets against the crowds, resulting in a number of injuries. The [Intelligence Community] has a process, I understand, going with the other committees to explain how these talking points came out. [165][166][169], Hundreds of Libyans, mainly former rebel fighters, gathered in the city centers of Tripoli and Benghazi to hand over their weapons to the government on September 29. Libya: Crackdown on Nongovernmental Groups, Joint Statement on the Implementation of the Yazidi Survivors Law, Indian Girls Alleged Rape and Murder Sparks Protests, Ukraine: New Light on Russias Rail Station Attack, Video: Violence and Rape by Zimbabwe Gov't Forces After Protests. 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. 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 . [55] The Brigades claimed that the attack was in response to the killing of Abu Yahya al Libi, a Libyan al-Qaeda leader who had just died in an American drone attack, and was also timed to coincide with the imminent arrival of a United States Diplomat. It remains unclear if any group or person exercised overall command and control of the attack, and if extremist group leaders directed their members to participate. 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. Watch highlights from the House hearing about an attack in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012, when Hillary Rodham Clinton was secretary of state. The facts: According to Democratic House Oversight Committee staff, the amount that the GOP-led House passed for two accounts that pay for embassy security in fiscal 2012 ($2.311 billion) was $330 . An error occurred while subscribing your email address. He further stated he was the commander of an Islamist brigade, Abu Obaida ibn al-Jarrah, some of whose members had joined Ansar al-Sharia. The attack allegedly brought an end to the purported United States involvement, but did not stop the smuggling according to Hersh's source. The team then decided to return to the annex with the survivors and Smith's body. [40]:4748 The evacuation of about 30 Americans included six State Department personnel and Smith's bodythey were unable to locate Ambassador Stevens at the time. Prior to her appearance, Rice was provided with "talking points" from a CIA memo,[184] which stated: The currently available information suggests that the demonstrations in Benghazi were spontaneously inspired by the protests at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and evolved into a direct assault against the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi and subsequently its annex. [123][124] Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi had called for release of the Blind Sheikh in his inaugural address. Attack against two United States government facilities in Benghazi, Libya. [6][7] It will not dim the light of the values that we proudly present to the rest of the world.[182]. More than a thousand people died, many cities were shelled by artillery or hit by airstrikes, oil terminals were set alight and the economy continued to collapse. "[173] He then went on to say, No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for. [16][163][164], By early next morning, the protestors had forced militia members to flee and seized control of a number of compounds, releasing four prisoners found inside. No casualties were reported. [40]:31, On the day of the attack, two consulate security guards spotted a man in a Libyan police uniform taking pictures of the consulate with his cell phone from a nearby building that was under construction. And that it spun from there into something much, much more violent. Diplomatic security agent David Ubben located Smith,[85] who was unconscious and later declared dead, but the team was unable to find Stevens in the smoke-filled building. [215], On CBS's Face the Nation on October 28, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) stated that "this is either a massive cover-up or incompetence" and suggested that it was a scandal worse than Watergate. Since security is a key factor, it is vital to significantly strengthen the judicial police, responsible for protecting prisons and courtrooms. The government formed a "National Mobile Force" for the purpose of evicting illegal militias. [232][233] Romney was accused by the Obama campaign of trying to exploit the attacks for political gain, leading the father of Ambassador Stevens to call for both campaigns to avoid making it a campaign issue. June 17, 2014. [102] There he was administered CPR for 90 minutes by Dr. Ziad Abu Zeid. A later report from an independent review board concluded "there was no protest prior to the attacks. [113] It is uncertain how much prior knowledge of the attack al-Zawahiri had, though he praised the attackers on October 12, 2012, in another video. A look at the events surrounding the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, and the controversy that followed. [15][16][17], Despite persistent accusations against President Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Susan Rice, ten investigationssix by Republican-controlled Congressional Committeesdid not find that they or any other high-ranking Obama administration officials had acted improperly. . [226] Supporters argued, Critics including Republican Party members accused the Obama White House and State Department of overemphasizing or fabricating the role of Islamic anger over the anti-Islamic movie Innocence of Muslims and alleged that the administration was reluctant to label the attack as "terrorist". Apr 21st 2011, 11:19 by J.D | LONDON. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, intelligence about who carried it out and why was contradictory, the report found. [40]:4647[94] 31-year-old Diplomatic Security Service Special Agent David Ubben and 46-year-old CIA contractor Mark Geist suffered shrapnel injuries and several broken bones in the mortar attacks.[95]. Chris Hondros. On September 24, advertisements condemning an anti-Islam video appeared on Pakistani television. Share this via WhatsApp [173], After the attack, Obama ordered that security be increased at all such facilities worldwide. [201], On September 25, in an address before the United Nations General Assembly President Obama stated, "The attacks on our civilians in Benghazi were attacks on America And there should be no doubt that we will be relentless in tracking down the killers and bringing them to justice. [8][9], There is no definitive evidence that al-Qaeda or any other international terrorist organization participated in the Benghazi attack. We will not waver in our commitment to see that justice is done for this terrible act. The investigation is ongoing, and the U.S. government is working with Libyan authorities to bring to justice those responsible for the deaths of U.S. Sean Smith noticed this surveillance, and messaged a friend online around noon, "Assuming we don't die tonight. 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