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For Benghazi diplomatic security, U.S. relied on small British firm
Yahoo News ^ | October 17, 2012 | Reuters

Posted on 10/17/2012 8:13:13 PM PDT by Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America

WASHINGTON/BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - The State Department's decision to hire Blue Mountain Group to guard the ill-fated U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, entrusted security tasks to a little-known British company instead of the large firms it usually uses in overseas danger zones.

The contract was largely based on expediency, U.S. officials have said, since no one knew how long the temporary mission would remain in the Libyan city. The cradle of last year's uprising that ended Muammar Gaddafi's 42-year rule, Benghazi has been plagued by rising violence in recent months.

Security practices at the diplomatic compound, where Blue Mountain guards patrolled with flashlights and batons instead of guns, have come under U.S. government scrutiny in the wake of the September 11 attack in Benghazi that killed U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

Federal contract data shows that the Benghazi security contract, worth up to $783,284, was listed as a "miscellaneous" award, not as part of the large master State Department contract that covers protection for overseas embassies.

"Blue Mountain was virtually unknown to the circles that studied private security contractors working for the United States, before the events in Benghazi," said Charles Tiefer, a commissioner at the Commission on Wartime Contracting, which studied U.S. contracting in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Several British government sources said that they were unfamiliar with Blue Mountain, which is based in Wales. They said British authorities used a different contractor for security protection in Libya.

Fred Burton, vice president of intelligence at the Stratfor consulting firm and a former U.S. diplomatic security agent, said he did not know Blue Mountain, but it likely got State Department work because it was already working in Libya.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 20120911; attack; benghazi; bluemountain; bluemountaingroup; bmg; diplomaticsecurity; feb17th; february17; february17brigade; february17th; libya; terrorism; wales
There's some interesting information in here, notably the comment from one local hired to guard the Embassy: "We used to tell the Americans who spoke to us on many occasions that we needed more support in security, because it felt thin on the ground. But they didn't seem to be so worried, and (were) confident that no one will dare to come close to the consulate," one guard said."

Typical of the 0bama administration, huh?

1 posted on 10/17/2012 8:13:17 PM PDT by Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America
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To: Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America
The British security firm that provided security at my last stop in Iraq hired Gurkhas. Great guys, but wouldn't want to piss them off... :)
2 posted on 10/17/2012 8:18:10 PM PDT by gov_bean_ counter (ObamaCare is an assault on the unborn, infirmed and elderly. GOP, repeat this as necessary...)
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To: Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America

The US spends hundreds of billions on defense, intelligence, and on a diplomatic corps, yet we outsource diplomatic security to a British company?

This kind of thing pisses me off to no end.

What the hell do I pay taxes for if the federal government is not even doing its most basic duties that it is constitutionally required to do?


3 posted on 10/17/2012 8:21:58 PM PDT by radpolis (Liberals: You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy)
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To: Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America

Who did the firm hire in Libya!

I heard a story yesterday while in Washington, DC. The the guards hired by the British firm were known Jihadist’s. It true this would be the nail in Obama’s reelection chances. If the story is tru then it makes sense for Romney to wait until Monday’s debate. Allowing obummer to really keep his lies going until the can bring his regime down.

Has anybody else heard this about the guards being Jihadists?


4 posted on 10/17/2012 8:32:00 PM PDT by ncfool (OMG 2012)
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To: Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America

Something here is rotten and it is time to dig down to the source. The greatest military in the history of earth and Obama outsources the job to guys carrying clubs? The Black Panthers could have been hired for less than we paid for that.


5 posted on 10/17/2012 8:33:45 PM PDT by Proud2BeRight
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To: radpolis; GOPJ; TigersEye; arasina; madmominct; All

” - - - we outsource diplomatic security to a British company? - - - “

Duh, is Obama sending “good jobs” overseas?

Seems like only yesterday that Obama had a political points ad against such a terrible thing! Go figure!


6 posted on 10/17/2012 8:36:41 PM PDT by Graewoulf ((Traitor John Roberts' Obama"care" violates Sherman Anti-Trust Law, AND the U.S. Constitution.))
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To: Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America
The unarmed guards were told to sound the alarm over the radio and then run for cover if there was an attack, a Libyan who acted as a supervisor for the Blue Mountain local guard team at the mission said...
7 posted on 10/17/2012 8:49:12 PM PDT by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
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To: Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America

Now we’re going to blame it on the Brits. Getting a little crowded under the bus.


8 posted on 10/17/2012 9:00:04 PM PDT by Grams A (The Sun will rise in the East in the morning and God is still on his throne.)
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To: ncfool

There was one report which referred to them as being nothing more than minimally trained shopkeepers and such that essentially responded to a help wanted ad.


9 posted on 10/17/2012 10:08:15 PM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
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To: ncfool

“The founder of Libya’s Islamist militia Ansar al-Sharia was at the U.S. consulate compound during the deadly attack here, Libyan officials say, but he remains free...”

http://hotair.com/archives/2012/10/17/reuters-some-libyan-guards-hired-by-benghazi-contractor-were-basically-totally-unprepared/


10 posted on 10/17/2012 11:32:16 PM PDT by blueplum
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To: ncfool

FWIW Mark Steyn mentioned the Jihadist guards on October 12.

http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/obama-374398-four-security.html


11 posted on 10/18/2012 12:48:33 AM PDT by agere_contra
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