[119][120][121] CNN,[119] the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace,[122] Commentary Magazine[121] and The Daily Telegraph[120] have listed this group as a chief suspect. 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General Assembly", "The Attack on the American Mission in Benghazi, Libya", "Islamists targeted U.S. diplomats with gunfire, RPGs in planned assault, witness says", "Libyan witnesses recount organized Benghazi attack", "Timeline of comments on attack on US Consulate", "Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Charlene Lamb: Testimony Before House Oversight Committee Washington, DC Wednesday, October 10, 2012", "Timeline: How Benghazi attack, probe unfolded", "Top CIA officer in Benghazi delayed response to terrorist attack, U.S. security team members claim", "New Book Says CIA Official in Benghazi Held Up Rescue", "New Book Claims Top CIA Officer In Benghazi Told Commandos To 'Stand Down' During Attack", "Benghazi Bombshell: Security Team Told to 'Stand Down' By CIA Officer", "Benghazi hero David Ubben still recovering at Walter Reed", "The Army Is Training Specialized Companies Of Green Berets To Crack "Hard Targets", "Africa's fast-reaction force ready to go from Colorado", "U.S. military poised for rescue in Benghazi", "The Benghazi Transcripts: Top Defense officials briefed Obama on 'attack,' not video or protest", "Pentagon labeled Benghazi a terrorist attack as Obama administration wavered: newly declassified testimony", "The Benghazi Memo Drafts, as They Evolved", "Who was Glen Doherty? Fox News, Hannity, Aug. 5, 2015 State Department, FOIA document search, accessed Aug. 10, 2015 State Department, Accountability Board Review of Benghazi attack, accessed Aug. 11, 2015 . [244], On the edition of October 24 of Fox News' Special Report with Bret Baier, syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer claimed that a State Department e-mail, which passed along a report from Embassy Tripoli that Ansar al-Sharia had claimed responsibility for the attack on Facebook and Twitter,[245][246] proved that the White House knew of terrorist connections to the attack almost immediately. Before the attack, the CIA was monitoring Ansar al-Sharia and suspected members of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, as well as attempting to define the leadership and loyalty of the various militias present and their interaction with the Salafi elements of Libyan society. That's the first version of events we heard. [142] A few days later, on October 21, 2013, the United Nations Security Council designated the Muhammad Jamal network "as being associated with Al-Qaida". [31][32][34][35], Stevens had his last meeting of the day with a Turkish diplomat (Consul General Ali Sait Akn), and escorted the Turkish diplomat to the main gate at about 8:30p.m. local time. [234], Robert Gates, former CIA director and Defense Secretary under Republican Presidents and then President Obama, said that some critics of the government's response have a "cartoonish" view of military capabilities. On September 12, U.S. President Barack Obama condemned "this outrageous attack" on U.S. diplomatic facilities[173] and stated that "since our founding, the United States has been a nation that respects all faiths. It is our job to figure out what happened and do everything we can to prevent it from ever happening again, Senator. Previous reports have found that requests for security improvements were not acted upon in Washington. Dionne, Rachel Maddow, Carly Fiorina, David Brooks [Transcript]", "Tom Ricks to Fox News: The network operates 'as a wing of the Republican Party', "Ricks: Fox doesn't care about story behind Benghazi story", "Does Fox News's Ed Henry agree with Tom Ricks? citizens.[185]. "[161], On September 21, about 30,000 Libyans marched through Benghazi calling for support of the rule of law and for an end to the armed militias that had formed during the Libyan Civil War to oppose Colonel Gaddafi. "[204], On September 26, Clinton acknowledged a possible link between Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and the Benghazi attack.[205]. [75] Stevens retired to his room at about 9:00p.m.[76], About 9:40p.m. local time, large numbers of armed men shouting "Allhu Akbar" (God is great) approached the compound from multiple directions. [40]:16, J. Christopher Stevens was named the first liaison with the Libyan opposition in March 2011. [113] It was later reported that 3 operatives from the group did take part in the attack. [173], After the attack, Obama ordered that security be increased at all such facilities worldwide. While this intelligence was effectively shared within the Intelligence Community (IC) and with key officials at the Department of State, it did not lead to a commensurate increase in security at Benghazi nor to a decision to close the American mission there, either of which would have been more than justified by the intelligence presented. On September 13, Rachel Maddow, during her show on MSNBC, stated: An organized attack. Diplomatic security agent David Ubben located Smith,[85] who was unconscious and later declared dead, but the team was unable to find Stevens in the smoke-filled building. It will not dim the light of the values that we proudly present to the rest of the world.[182]. T hose caught up in the excitement and . On September 16, the U.S. Minutes after they drove through the gates, the annex came under heavy fire. [60][61], On June 18, 2012, the Tunisian Consulate in Benghazi was attacked by individuals affiliated with Ansar al-Sharia, allegedly because of "attacks by Tunisian artists against Islam". And make no mistake, justice will be done. Sameer Singh @SinghingSam. [81][82] The rest of the agents left to retrieve their weapons and tried to return to the main building. ", "New York Times stands by Benghazi story", "U.S. captures Benghazi suspect in secret raid", "Mustafa al-Imam Sentenced to 236 Months in Prison for September 2012 Terrorist Attack in Benghazi, Libya", "Man seized over Benghazi attack is Syrian linked to suspected ringleader -Libyan officials", "Benghazi under scrutiny at congressional hearing live blog", "Benghazi witness points finger at Clinton on lapses in consulate security", "Clinton's role in the Benghazi fiasco and blame-shifting", Committee on Oversight and Government Reform House of Representatives, "U.S. officials blocked rescue efforts while Benghazi burned, Congress told", "Exclusive: Dozens of CIA operatives on the ground during Benghazi attack", "Deadly Attack in Libya Was Major Blow to C.I.A. Main article: 2012 Benghazi attack. [165][166] According to a Libyan interviewed in Tripoli, the government gained the ability to push back against the militias because of a "mandate of the people". This latest spasm of violence is not unique. [114] On September 14, 2012, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula released a statement arguing the attack was revenge for the death of al-Libi, though they did not claim official responsibility for the Benghazi attack. [186][187][188][189][190], Since Rice's five television appearances, there have been persistent accusations that she had intentionally and repeatedly lied. A look at the events surrounding the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, and the controversy that followed. [40]:3943, The GRS team from the CIA annex arrived at the consulate and attempted to secure the perimeter and locate the ambassador and Sean Smith. When I think of Benghazi, in my mind I am counting the dead: How many today, how many the week before, how many this year, how many since 2011? Their words were subtitled in Urdu. He said the interim government had entered into negotiations with "Islamist groups" about their presence and activities in Benghazi. Chris Hondros. [23], On August 6, 2013, it was reported that the United States had filed criminal charges against several individuals alleged to have been involved in the attacks, including militia leader Ahmed Abu Khattala. [148] Mohamed Yousef el-Magariaf, the President of the General National Congress of Libya, said: "We apologize to the U.S., to the American people and to the government and also to the rest of the world for what happened yesterday. Share this via LinkedIn State Department officials said they do not know who took Stevens to the hospital or transported the body to the airport and into U.S. In her remarks Clinton said, "One young woman, her head covered and her eyes haunted with sadness, held up a handwritten sign that said 'Thugs and killers don't represent Benghazi nor Islam.' [+] following an overnight attack on the building. He stated that he would have responded with equal caution given the risks and the lack of intelligence on the ground, and that American forces require planning and preparation, which the circumstances did not allow for. Complete and utter nonsense. The steady drumbeat of violence over the past three years has undermined the authority of successive governments, and laid the groundwork for Haftar's campaign. The U.S. ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, and three other U.S. nationals were killed during the attack. By the end of October 2014, the city was . United States officials stated the teams arrived at Sigonella after the attack was over. American UAVs were also sent to fly over Libya to search for the perpetrators of the attack.[181]. Share this via Printer. Investigators have learned he has had contact with both the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and Al-Qaeda members in Pakistan. The assassinations have been driven by revenge killings, score-settling, tribal feuds, religious disagreements and ordinary criminal acts. The incident sparked controversy and ignited a political firestorm in the United States. [145] Al-Shibli was detained after he returned from a trip to Pakistan, though his exact role in the attack is unclear. [146] In July 2014 he was found dead in Libya. In the aftermath of the attacks, Republicans criticized the Obama administration and its then-secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is expected to run for president in 2016. "[191], For actions in Benghazi during the attack, a Marine was awarded the Navy Cross, and a Soldier was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross; their names have been held in secret. Now you're saying dozens of Americans are dead and yet there's zero . [81] The attackers entered the main building and attempted to enter the safe haven. His credibility was reduced,' Hicks said, adding that the president was apparently 'still steamed' two weeks later. So, again, that's self-evident. [89][verification needed], However, through September 14, CIA analysts made a contradictory assessment, stating "We believe based on currently available information that the attacks in Benghazi were spontaneously inspired by the protests at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and evolved into a direct assault against the U.S. Consulate and subsequently its annex. A Libyan man was sentenced to more than 19 years in prison on Thursday for his role in the 2012 terrorist attack on two U.S. government facilities in Benghazi that killed four Americans. 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