Immediately after the attack I viewed a number of articles, some of which showed the wall around the compound. It was about 8 feet high it looked like something that with the help of a friend I could climb over (I was 73 at the time). Here is one of the more interesting comments at this site which has a lot of detail and photos:
“Well if you want to fracture the transitional government so you can put in your own people it would make sense to take out Ambassador Stevens. It would appear that he was well liked and was able to bring multiple groups together and get them working for a common purpose. From the limited information we have so far it would seem that both the Embassy and the “secret safe house” were both hit indicating an inside job and NOT a spontaneous protest of a low budget film. Not only did the attackers manage to kill Stevens but according to the Independent they also were able to capture sensitive information. I tend to see bad things in Libya’s future.”
I looked for other images of Benghazi consulate, and found the following, but none really show the wall that was attacked and climbed with ease. The consulate compound was in a neighborhood of other properties, not anything fortified. Nothing here was made to withstand an armed assault by large numbers:
Another link:
http://gsnmagazine.com/article/28088/despite_security_upgrades_benghazi_consulate_secur
E.g., in the New York Times, we have this account, by Ethan Chorin, who was there, as a co-founder of the Avicenna Group, a nonprofit organization working on Libya’s medical facilities.
Chorin was in Benghazi along with Dr. Thomas Burke, of Mass General, Boston. They were there to assist Libyan doctors in setting up an emergency room operation at the Benghazi Medical Center. They and the Libyan doctors were slated to meet with Ambassador Stevens the morning after the attack.
The evening of the attack, Chorin was on the phone with the Ambassador's security detail arranging the meeting, when the call ended abruptly with a shout of "We've got a problem here". Then Chorin and Burke were left to hole up in their hotel listening to sounds of the distant violence.
IOW, no demonstration, no popular Arab-street build-up caused by a YouTube. Just a sudden surprise attack by Al Qaeda. Which we now know would not have been a surprise, but for the incompetence of the Obama State Department.
>> Nothing here was made to withstand an armed assault by large numbers:
And factor in the SOS’ refusal to provide for the frequently requested security assets.