The American diplomatic mission in Libya consists of an Embassy in Tripoli and a Consulate in Benghazi.
The my comments were directed at the entire American Diplomatic Mission in Libya. Formally, you only have one Embassy in a country but a number of consulates.
Given the circumstances on the ground the two are more or less duplicate facilities regardless of their titles to deal with the two major factions or interests in control of the country.
Neither of the two are adequately staffed, and reporting to date suggests that only 2 or 3 of the 37 people, including the Ambassador, reported to have been evacuated from the Benghazi facility during the attack were Americans and the rest were presumably locals which is kind of unusual given the circumstances.
Strangely, it seems that the Tripoli Embassy was one of the very few in the region that was not attacked. Normally, Embassy is the place protesters hit because a consulate does not have the same symbolic meaning or impact as an Embassy.
The attack was only on the Benghazi facility, where it just so happened the Ambassador had just arrived from a trip to the US .
According to reports when In country he first visited the Embassy in Tripoli and then traveled to the facility in Benghazi and he had arrived just before the attacks.
He apparently had in his possession important documents including, from news reports of State Dept comments, sensitive oil contracts and related documents at the time of the attacks and these documents have gone missing. Given credible reports by witnesses to the attack, the attack was well planned and well executed by highly trained operators at the at both the formal facility and at the ambush at the supposedly secure and secret safe house. Very unusual circumstances surrounding the attack and also unusual behavior on the part of American Ambassador
Thanks for the reply.
Praying for a turnaround in our Country after 11/06/12.
“Today many Americans are asking, indeed I asked myself, ‘How could this happen? How could this happen in a country we helped liberate? In a city we helped save from destruction?’” Clinton asked.
Clinton explained that this question “reflects how confounding the world can be” and reminded Americans to be “clear-eyed in their grief.”
I expect we will be hearing through the grapevine more than what this administration intended for US to know.