Posted on 09/30/2012 10:24:28 AM PDT by kristinn
A British private security firm is facing questions over its role in the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi after it emerged that it was responsible for hiring local guards to protect the diplomatic site.
Blue Mountain, a Wales-based firm staffed by former special forces operatives, was hired by the US government to provide security at the consulate before it was overrun in an assault that killed the ambassador and three other Americans.
The company was paid only $387,413 (£239,683) by the US State Department for the year-long contract, less than the cost of deploying a single American soldier.
In return, Blue Mountain assembled a force of local guards who were unable to protect Ambassador Chris Stevens or repel the coordinated attack on September 11.
The five-man Libyan security team was unarmed and tasked with doing basic security checks rather than fighting off armed attackers...
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
A U.S. government compound in a known al Qaeda hot bed is protected by unarmed locals? Almost seems like a set-up.
“less than the cost of deploying a single American soldier.”
You get what you pay for.
And tragic results of this administration outsourcing jobs.
“Almost seems like a set-up.”
Almost? Bath house Barry set up a fellow gay? Our government ignorant on foreign relations and security? Move on, sheeple.
In return, Blue Mountain assembled a force of local guards who were unable to protect Ambassador Chris Stevens or repel the coordinated attack on September 11.
They did get 30 other consulate personnel out safely to the safe house. For a bargain basement price. I doubt that it was their fault the safe house was attacked too. They probably couldn't do much to keep the ambassador from dying of smoke inhalation from a fire started by an RPG fired at an unhardened building either.
It will be interesting to see what Blue Mountain says about this. Will they say that the State Dept. set the ROEs?
I remember reading on one threat here that the US Marines refused to follow idiotic rules of engagement and that is why they had to hire the British firm.
Is that true?
Do any of you have a link?
If so, the Obama is directly responsible for the deaths and should be tossed out of office (for this and a 1000 other reasons).
I remember reading on one threat here that the US Marines refused to follow idiotic rules of engagement and that is why they had to hire the British firm.
Is that true?
Do any of you have a link?
If so, then Obama is directly responsible for the deaths and should be tossed out of office (for this and a 1000 other reasons).
$387,413 per year is than employing a single American soldier?
Wow, where have I been? I shoulda stayed in the Navy and I’d be a millionaire in just a couple of years.
Huh?
I admit that my degree is in business and not English Lit, but just WTF is that gobbledygook supposed to mean?
How does one compare the cost of a "Single" American Soldier to $387,000?
Is this Raz trying to suggest that is costs MORE than $387,000 to station/assign "One" Soldier or Marine overseas to an Embassy?
An American Soldier is paid regardless of whether stationed in Slippery Rock Ak or Bum-Fooked Egypt and other than transportation costs, there is no other factors to consider.
Regardless, this admitting that Foggy Bottom spent almost $400K (and outsourced it no less, to a EU Country) for Security, lays bare the BIG LIE being advanced that the reason there was little security was the "Republicans fault" for cutting budgets.
How much would it have costs to have 15 or even 50 Marines stationed at that Embassy?
A lot less (and MUCH more effective) than the $400K.
Ah, but you are assuming the ambassador died of smoke inhalation. Do we really know that?
Do we know 30 other people were safe but 4 people?
Do we know that the locals hired by Blue Mountain were not Al Qaeda?
We really know none of this. Probably never will.
It’s not much of an assumption. Most of the first reports stated it. The evidence at the scene supports it. The video of his body first being pulled from the burned out building shows smoke around his mouth and nostrils, blue lips and smoke smudged clothing. He appeared lifeless.
Those first reports also state that an “American security team” or “American commandos”were flown in thru the Libyan dessert to resue the 30 left in the consulate.
That may look that way, but really, we know nothing about what happened there.
We have reports from the DoD of 37 people being evacuated to Tripoli and this report that they are in Germany at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.
Do we know that the locals hired by Blue Mountain were not Al Qaeda?
I have no idea about that. It was reported that "Mission security and Libyan guards" were the ones who repelled attacks at the consulate and got the personnel to the "safe house." I could be wrong but I have assumed that Mission security and the Blue Mountain team were one and the same.
I believe that was the Marine unit going to the annex (safe house) not the main consulate.
Right. We don’t know if it was even attacked.
Well, I guess we can assume it was attacked, but heck, the FBI, who was supposed to investigate hasn’t even went in there yet.
That place has probably been ransacked by the locals and nothing will be left to investigate. LOL
That is probably what Obama wants anyhow.
Agreed. Though I think some reports talk about an annex AND a safe house. I could be wrong. I have read way too much today. That said, the reports that came out on September 12 and September 13 seem to be much more detailed, and consistent than the garbage that started being reported when Obama and Clinton moved to cover up mode.
Why assume that if we can’t assume anything else?
The ambassador and the 3 others are dead. We do know that. What we don’t seem to have is an investigation with actual facts.
We know the place burned, but we don’t really know the cause of the deaths.
There was a thread today around here where one of the mothers of the seals wants to know what happened.
Since Obama and Hillary are in charge, I doubt the truth will ever be known while they are running things.
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