Brigate = Brigade.
“...which I will henceforth call the 17th February Brigade. It is a militia, a friendly militia, which has basically been deputized by the Libyan Government to serve as our security, our host government security.”
And they weren’t friendly either:
Administration Welcomed Wolves Into The Sheepfold
Imagine, pre-9/11/12, that you were responsible for arranging the defense of the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Would you have considered American interests and personnel best protected by bringing in a local security outfit called the February 17 Martyrs Brigade?
http://townhall.com/columnists/dianawest/2012/10/12/administration_welcomed_wolves_into_the_sheepfold/page/full/