US Libyan consulate attack: Timeline of events Sept. 14, 201210pm: Attackers open fire at the consulate, which has a main building and a smaller annex.
10.15pm: The assailants gain entry to the complex and the main building is engulfed in flames.
Many of those trapped inside escape but Ambassador Stevens, Sean Smith and a regional security guard remain.
The security guard manages to escape and returns shortly afterwards with others to try to rescue Mr Stevens and Mr Smith.
They find Mr Smith dead and pulled him from the building, but no sign of Mr Stevens. They are driven from the building by thick black smoke, fire and gunfire.
10.45pm: Security staff try to retake the main building but come under heavy fire and retreat.
11.20pm: A second attempt to retake the main building is successful. Fighting moves to the annex.
Midnight: Fighting at the annex - reported to last about two hours - results in the deaths of two more Americans, later named by US authorities as former Navy Seals whose job was to protect the other staff.
1.15am: Mr Stevens arrives at a nearby hospital - it is not known who took him. A doctor there has told the BBC that he spent an hour trying to revive him, but that Mr Stevens died from smoke inhalation.
2.30am: Security forces regain control of the annex.
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2:30 AM Sept. 12th in Benghazi would have been 8:30 PM Sept. 11th EST in D.C. It was all over by then. But as Col. Hunt said; the Pres. has to be notified of a situation like this by law.
FWIW MSNBC has pulled their story of this timeline published on the same date. Bookmarking MSNBC stories often has that result.
Pat Caddell slams the media: They have become an “enemy of the people” (video 26:00)
bttt
I’m mostly working this weekend so I don’t have much time to research. Maybe you and / or others can answer a couple questions or speculate for me, and I’ll check back. Links are always appreciated!
The battle at the Consulate went on for several hours. The above timeline makes it 4.5 hours, elsewhere I have read “6 hours”, which may be an exaggeration... How far away in time would the closest U.S. (or allied) assets*, that could have made a difference**, be?
*Yes, I realize that air power only in a “tight” physical situation like this is dicey for the defenders - we don’t want to do the terrorists’ job for them.
I don’t see how we could have sent help in time to save Amb. Stevens. But the fighting at the annex might be a different story?
Do we know when the annex fell?
Is it possible that, the evening of the attack, someone upstream, hearing 1st reports of the attacks, assumed “protesters”, said that to others, and that quickly spread through a mindset in the Administration all too ready to think in that context? (Yes, this would be gross incompetence for sure, but that’s sort of a given.)
Alternately, is it possible that an agent or agents unknown “planted” the “protesters” story in the intelligence, on behalf of the attackers? Remember that the flow of information was bound to be somewhat confused and chaotic (combat situation) — yes, Col. Hunt describes well the upward passing of information to many people, but one would also think that there was “information” flying around all over the place. Rarely in these situations is the “picture” as clear as those who design the communication network expect it to be. AQ and other terrorist organizations surely know this and might try to take advantage of it. I’m usually doubtful of the more extreme conspiracy theories, but it certainly seems possible to me that there are AQ moles in our intelligence structure, by now, independent of what one thinks of Obama’s loyalty to his own country.
Just how many defenders (estimated total) were in action by, say, 10:10 pm?
Related: There has been a lot of criticism that the Libyan security “ran”, but given what we know, the small size of the total security force at the Consulate, and the overwhelming advantage of the attackers in both numbers (125 or more is what I have read), arms (mortars, rpg’s), and probably training (of the Libyans, that is), I don’t see that they did that badly. At least one we know of was put out of action almost immediately. Quite a few people escaped, too. In the face of an attack like that, retreating, buying time for others to escape, and going for help, is about all one could expect. The “help” when it arrived, fought, and eventually prevailed. Now, I’m not saying all the Libyan security guards did their job, but I think it is unfair to damn them all. IMO.
Along that line, do we know how many Libyan defenders were killed and injured?