Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Diplomats still in Benghazi say they had long questioned U.S. reliance on local militia
Miami Herald ^ | November 9, 2012 | Nancy A. Youssef

Posted on 11/09/2012 12:59:41 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife

BENGHAZI, Libya -- Even before the deadly Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. consulate that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, diplomats from other nations and Libyan security officials had questioned the wisdom of a U.S. decision to rely primarily on members of a local militia to protect its compound here.

Diplomats here told McClatchy that while it’s customary to depend on local forces to protect diplomatic missions, only the United States of the 10 or so foreign missions here allowed the local militia to be the first line of defense. The others said they instead depended on military forces from their own country to provide security.

“A few months ago, there was a small attack here and the Libyans fled,” said a diplomat from a European nation who asked that he not be further identified so that he could speak candidly about his assessment of security here. “After that, I decided to only use special forces” from his own country.

“We never considered using the brigades,” he said, referring to the 17th of February Brigade, the local militia that was considered the primary security force for the U.S. mission. “We assumed the United States had a special relationship with the brigades.”

Said another diplomat who requested anonymity for the same reasons: “I would never depend on the brigades.”

The diplomat said he believed U.S. officials were unaware of the extremist links of those who were guarding them. "The mistake of the Americans was not following the trail of Islamic radicals," he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at miamiherald.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government
KEYWORDS: benghazi; islamists; military; navyseals; obamaappeasement; threatmatrix; threatmatrixbenghazi
A fuller account at the source.
1 posted on 11/09/2012 12:59:47 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

Comment #2 Removed by Moderator

To: Cincinatus' Wife
We should have learned that lesson after Vietnam: NEVER, NEVER, hire locals to provide "security"; it costs you your life.


3 posted on 11/09/2012 3:11:18 PM PST by ex91B10 (We've tried the Soap Box,the Ballot Box and the Jury Box; ONE BOX LEFT!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson