The key to figuring out who had the ultimate authority on this situation (and would have had to OK a ‘rescue’ mission) is to realize that there is the CIA, and then there is the DEPT of STATE CIA.
What’s interesting to me is that I’ve seen elsewhere that an Ambassador being taken captive is an “all hands on deck go ASAP” operation and there isn’t supposed to be any CIA CYA.
Nice to know that an Ambassador is expendable with this administration.