No one ever answered who gave the order to stand down. The only person who can order border military action is the President I believe.
What happened in Libya was an invasion-an act of war-and it was not sanctioned by Congress
Just like the special forces in Syria were not authorized by Congressional action-and in fact, were prohibited if you look at Congress's non-action as a vote of disapproval.
Chris Stevens, Delta Force, CIA and Defense Department contractors, none of these people should have been in Libya in the first place if we didn't have an imperial presidency and a Congress unwilling to assert its authority under the Constitution.