QUOTE:
Stevens was not at a “consulate.”
Safe house by what’s used as storage area (SA7’s for shooting down aircraft, etc), and logistics base, etc.
It’s why Blue Mountain was covering security at the premises and it was not being covered under the normal diplomatic budgets.
Cover story being peeled like an onion right now and someones in this admin is going to have to answer some very awkward questions.
(above message source confidential)
LIST OF EMBASSIES:
You have a point there for further research.
Embassy/consulate/mission
“Officially,” an embassy is not a consulate. I have seen the difference described, but the Benghazi location did not perform normal “consulate” duties either. Would an attack on a consulate be technically declared as an “act of war” also?
But wait, the “official” designation also has been described as a “mission.”
Would an attack on a “mission” be an act of war?
Was the Benghazi location designated a “mission” before the attack and a “consulate” after the attack?
Regardless the purpose of the consulate/mission or Stevens, not doing what was possible to rescue those at the consulate/mission or those at the CIA Annex was an appalling dereliction of duty.
I also question whether Washington had Libya “government” problems in taking action, which is why the above technical designations become more important.
Sorry I can’t produce sources at the moment, but see article here
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2949797/posts
for indications that there were “government” problems just getting our people from the airport to the Annex.
Long before 9/11/12, talk-show host Chris Plante (former Pentagon correspondent broadcasting from Wash, DC) was fond of saying Libya HAS no government. We invaded, “liberated” and left -— left Libya in chaos.