[DUMBGRUNT]

A small force of marines would have prevented this.

A rule of thumb:To overtake an enemy you need the next step up the hierarchical structure.

Example:To overtake a squad you need a company or greater.

From the photos it appears the enemy had ample manpower.

[Oldexpat]

It is the practice..in hairy places..to use private contractors to protect our Consulate and Embassy's. US citizens with TS clearances and usually former SF,Seals or Leo's. That way they can go to work with minimal training.
They protect our diplomats inside and outside the Embassy.
Plus they hire locals to protect the perimeter..and maybe the front gate. Unfortunately, once on site these contractors have little time for training or maintaining their skills.
Plus..they are usually short the numbers needed. The State Dept has it's own permanent DS people, but doesn't assign them to the bad places except for supervision. They couldn't keep people if they had to send them to the hell holes. Marines are only present at the Embassy..not the Consulates Why they haven't announced the other casualty..don't know. It also sounds like some Marines that were flown it were wounded or killed. No accounting there.

[Oldexpat]

It is the practice..in hairy places..to use private contractors to protect our Consulate and Embassy's. US citizens with TS clearances and usually former SF,Seals or Leo's. That way they can go to work with minimal training.
They protect our diplomats inside and outside the Embassy.
Plus they hire locals to protect the perimeter..and maybe the front gate. Unfortunately, once on site these contractors have little time for training or maintaining their skills.
Plus..they are usually short the numbers needed. The State Dept has it's own permanent DS people, but doesn't assign them to the bad places except for supervision. They couldn't keep people if they had to send them to the hell holes. Marines are only present at the Embassy..not the Consulates Why they haven't announced the other casualty..don't know. It also sounds like some Marines that were flown it were wounded or killed. No accounting there.

[Oldexpat]

It is the practice..in hairy places..to use private contractors to protect our Consulate and Embassy's. US citizens with TS clearances and usually former SF,Seals or Leo's. That way they can go to work with minimal training.
They protect our diplomats inside and outside the Embassy.
Plus they hire locals to protect the perimeter..and maybe the front gate. Unfortunately, once on site these contractors have little time for training or maintaining their skills.
Plus..they are usually short the numbers needed. The State Dept has it's own permanent DS people, but doesn't assign them to the bad places except for supervision. They couldn't keep people if they had to send them to the hell holes. Marines are only present at the Embassy..not the Consulates Why they haven't announced the other casualty..don't know. It also sounds like some Marines that were flown it were wounded or killed. No accounting there.

[Theoria]

Not at all. Any marine corps infantry squad would have been enough. They would still be carrying off the islamitist bodies from the carnage right now.

The State Department DSS didn't even have light machine guns. They failed.

Twenty to thirty jihadist would be sandbags after the initial show of force.