The best military leaders know when to take risks. War is constant risk, there is no absolute guarantees. The best military leaders have faith in their soldiers and their abilities.
A poor politician seeks to avoid risk and never trusts those not under their direct control.
In summary, I think it was a politician making a political decision based on their desire to win an election.
Benghazi is where Obama the man met Obama the myth and came up short.
To what extent were decisions influenced by the “Blackhawk Down” disaster which was like the worst possible tar baby scenario. If you haven’t seen the movie watch it to see just how badly a situation can deteriorate with inadequate information. Incidentally, I have a son in Afghanistan and think about this stuff a lot.