Posted on 09/20/2012 5:46:36 PM PDT by barryobi
Amid accusations from Libyans and leading senators on Capitol Hill that the U.S. diplomatic office in Benghazi, Libya, was not adequately protected, top State Department officials offered the agency's most vigorous defense yet of security measures taken to fortify the post in the months before last week's deadly attack on the compound.
The sources, who spoke on the condition they only be identified as senior State Department officials because of the sensitive nature of the information, agreed to speak to CNN to respond to claims the United States did not respond to warnings about the dangerous conditions in Benghazi.
The officials said over the past few months, several security enhancements were made to the compound, including additional barriers and barbed wire, increased lighting, chain link fences, additional sand bags and closed circuit television
The officials noted there were three regular armed U.S. security officers detailed to the Benghazi post on the day of the 9/11 attack in addition to two armed American guards serving as a private detail for Stevens.
(Excerpt) Read more at security.blogs.cnn.com ...
Of the eight American troops who had come from Tripoli, one was killed and two were wounded, Obeidi said. A Libyan deputy interior minister said a second American was also killed in the attack on the safe house. It was not clear if this was a diplomat or one of the consulate’s original security detail.
“It began to rain down on us,” Obeidi told Reuters, describing the moment the attack began - just as the Libyan security force was starting up the 10 pickup trucks and sedans they had brought to ferry the Americans to the airport.
“About six mortars fell directly on the path to the villa,” he said. “During this firing, one of the marines whom I had brought with me was wounded and fell to the ground.
“As I was dragging the wounded marine to safety, some marines who were located on the roof of the villa as snipers shouted and the rest of the marines all hit the ground.
“A mortar hit the side of the house. One of the marines from the roof went flying and fell on top of us.”
And how many of them only had handguns?
Given the size and power of the assault a dozen security guys would have made little difference. However, since there is ample evidence that we had intel three days prior, the ambassador should NEVER have been allowed to go into Jihadi Benghazi.
Excellent catch....
Thanks for the ping. This is going to leave a mark.
Beefed up security to me means a gatling gun chambered in.45-70. But that’s just me.
About 49,000. Cheap insurance.
Thx. Yes, I was aware of that report; however, there were many conflicting reports regarding the firefights at the consulate and the “safe house.” I have doubts about the accuracy of this report as the reaction force is identified as “Marines.” Headquarters Marine Corps issued a statement early on that there were no Marines in country at the time of the attack including the embassy at Tripoli. Marines did not arrive in Tripoli until a FAST Company was deployed from Rota, Spain in response to the murder of Ambassador Stevens. To the best of my knowledge the Marine FAST is still located at the embassy in Tripoli. My guess is the reaction team referenced in your article was either CIA or DoS security personnel ...but who knows.
Based on everything I read it appears one of the former SEALs was killed at the consulate and the other died at the safe house (probably one of the 2 casualties your article mentions. Still, that seems to indicate there was at least one other member of the reaction force wounded and several others who apparently were extracted by the convoy that eventually left the “safe house.”
That still begs the question as to who was responsible for the ambassador's security at the time he was attacked at the consulate; other than the Libyan contractors; who apparently ran away for the most part. (Assuming that the most recent report that the 2 former SEALs were staying at the “safe house;” were not part of the security detail and joined the fray after hearing the initial gunfire.)
Regards,
-Geoff
Hmm. Remember last week when the state department claimed they couldn’t SAY ANYTHING because there was an investigation?
Now that it is more convenient for them to try to defend themselves, they seem to have no problem talking loudly, if not truthfully.
Hahahahahaha!
I think the report I referenced undoubtedly has errors, but since it was filed on sept 12, that is to be expected. The fact the reporter interviewed the February 17 brigade guy who picked up the 8 Americans at the airport and transported them to the safe house leads credence to the story. The reporter calls them Marines, but the reporter was a local Libyan, so he may think of all armed Americans as ‘marines’. The report is too detailed about the mortars hitting the consulate and the one security person being blown off the roof by a mortar explosion.
Here is a story with a CBS video report embedded that seems to mesh with what the story I posted here.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57513675/a-look-at-the-libya-safe-house-that-was-attacked/
I’m still waiting for the final word from the man who knows everything about anything .... yes, Slow Joe .... it’s not real until Slow Joe says it is.
We need NUTINY, NOW, our ship of state is sinking faster than we thought.
See post #14...
Ernest. Thanks for the three latest pings. It is 1:40AM EST, and I’m shot. I just finished the HR committee hearing, chaired by Darryl Issa, regarding the fast and furious investigations. 3 hour session. I’m shot. So I will with respect deter your postings to the upcoming day at my end, after I try to get some sleep. Do have a great upcoming day.
Have a good snooze...we’ll all be around here tomorrow.
>>Why on 9/11 was the ambassador in Benghazi rather than the more secure embassy building in Tripoli?
Christopher Stevens Feeds the Crocodile
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2930836/posts
Stevens was the diplomatic version of “Grizzly Man” Timothy Treadwell.
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