Libyan newspaper The Tripoli Post noted that Libya's National Congress also condemned the attack, saying it "led to the regrettable injury and death . 6 of 30 7 of 30 A man looks at documents at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, after an attack that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2012. "[149], There were demonstrations in Benghazi[150] and Tripoli[151] on September 12, condemning the violence and holding signs such as "Chris Stevens was a friend to all Libyans", "Benghazi is against terrorism", and other signs apologizing to Americans for the actions in their name and in the name of Muslims. "[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. While being interviewed on Fox News by Jon Scott, Ricks accused Fox News of being "extremely political" in its coverage of the attack and said that "Fox was operating as a wing of the Republican Party." [219] The incident prompted Republican Rep. Allen West to claim that the illness was a ruse intended to avoid testifying. [231], With the attack and subsequent criticism occurring in the last two months of the 2012 U.S. presidential election, Democrats and liberal media figures accused Republicans of politicizing the attacks in an unprecedented manner. At least 30,000 Libyans died in the civil war. After some discussion, the CIA's Global Response Staff (GRS) at the CIA annex, which included Tyrone S. Woods, decided to attempt a rescue. Hanan Salah is the Libya researcher at Human Rights Watch. Libyan officials should make every effort to support the justice sector and keep the prosecutions ongoing -- and the international community should help them. It remains unclear if any group or person exercised overall command and control of the attack, and if extremist group leaders directed their members to participate. Two British protection officers were injured in the attack when their convoy was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade 300 meters from their consulate office. Ahmed Shams, a 22-year-old arts student, told the Associated Press that they were happy when they found Stevens alive and tried to rescue him. [162][163] At least 10 people were killed and dozens more wounded as militiamen fired on demonstrators at the headquarters of Sahaty Brigade, a pro-government militia "operating under the authority of the ministry of defence". "[134] Obama spoke accurately, because five American embassies were the sites of violent protests due to the video, but Benghazi was not an embassy, it was a "diplomatic post." . The Pentagon ordered an unmanned aerial vehicle that was in the air conducting surveillance on militant camps to fly over Benghazi. Obama administration officials, most notably Susan Rice, were provided this early assessment and repeated it to media outlets, only to be later contradicted as further intelligence assessments were made. For all these crimes, there have been no real investigations, no known arrests (except of one man, who managed to break out of prison in May 2013), and no known prosecutions. [8][9], There is no definitive evidence that al-Qaeda or any other international terrorist organization participated in the Benghazi attack. 30,000 Libyans marched through Benghazi condemning Ansar al-Sharia, which had been formed during the 2011 Libyan civil war to topple Muammar Gaddafi. Debunking a series of persistent allegations hinting at dark conspiracies, the investigation of the politically charged incident determined that there was no intelligence failure, no delay in sending a CIA rescue team, no missed opportunity for a military rescue, and no evidence the CIA was covertly shipping arms from Libya to Syria. Libya: Crackdown on Nongovernmental Groups, Joint Statement on the Implementation of the Yazidi Survivors Law, Indian Girls Alleged Rape and Murder Sparks Protests, Ukraine: New Light on Russias Rail Station Attack, Video: Violence and Rape by Zimbabwe Gov't Forces After Protests. Freedom of Information Act requests have been made since the attack. On December 15, it was reported that she had become dehydrated from the flu, fainted, and sustained a concussion. In November, a largely peaceful demonstration turned violent in Tripoli, as demonstrators marched to a neighborhood occupied largely by militias from Misrata and called on them to quit the capital. On September 13, Rachel Maddow, during her show on MSNBC, stated: An organized attack. [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. [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". [267] John Dickerson of Slate says the e-mail refers to the worldwide protests against Innocence of Muslims and not the Benghazi attack.[268]. [179], On September 12, it was reported that the United States Navy dispatched two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, USSMcFaul and USSLaboon, to the Libyan coast. There are indications that extremists participated in the violent demonstrations. The United States Department of State designated Ansar al-Sharia as a terrorist organization in January 2014. [45][40]:56[38][46][47] Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh cites an anonymous former senior Defense Department Intelligence Official, saying "The consulate's only mission was to provide cover for the moving of arms. Using these talking points as a guide, Rice stated: Based on the best information we have to date, what our assessment is as of the present is in fact what began spontaneously in Benghazi as a reaction to what had transpired some hours earlier in Cairo where, of course, as you know, there was a violent protest outside of our embassysparked by this hateful video. [28] Another suspect, Mustafa al-Imam, was captured in October 2017. "[204], On September 26, Clinton acknowledged a possible link between Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and the Benghazi attack.[205]. custody.[104]. [162][163] Protesters burnt a car and a building of at least one facility, and looted weapons. [65], The desire of the State Department to maintain a low profile in Benghazi has been cited as the reason why the State Department circumvented their own Overseas Security Policy Board (OSPB) standards for diplomatic security. The head of the ICRC's delegation in Libya said the aid group was "appalled" by the attack and "extremely concerned" about escalating violence in Libya. But it was intelligence analysts, not political appointees, who made the wrong call, the committee found. "[183] He went on to say: There was no intelligence that in any way could have been acted on to prevent these attacks. The GNC also failed to reverse a 2012 law that grants immunity from prosecution for acts "promoting or protecting the [2011] revolution," which in practice propagated a culture of impunity and selective justice. The incident sparked controversy and ignited a political firestorm in the United States. [232][233] Romney was accused by the Obama campaign of trying to exploit the attacks for political gain, leading the father of Ambassador Stevens to call for both campaigns to avoid making it a campaign issue. [16][163][164], By early next morning, the protestors had forced militia members to flee and seized control of a number of compounds, releasing four prisoners found inside. Rice and Sen. McCain", Leila Fadel, "Consulate Attack Preplanned, Libya's President Says", "Protesting Libyans storm militant compound in backlash against armed groups", "Libyan protesters force Islamist militia out of Benghazi", "UPDATE 3-Libyan Islamist militia swept out of Benghazi bases", "Libya orders militias to operate under government control or disband", "Libyan troops raid rogue brigade's base", "Libya's army evicts unauthorized militias", "Hundreds of Libyans hand over their weapons", "Libyan militias amass weapons as rivalries surface", "President Obama Discusses the Attack in Benghazi, Libya", "Remarks by the President on the Death of U.S. Embassy Staff in Libya", "US Marine anti-terrorism team heads to Libya: official", "Marine anti-terrorism team dispatched to Libya after diplomats killed", "U.S. launching apparent terrorist hunt in Libya", "Obama vows to track down ambassador's killers", "Remarks on the Deaths of American Personnel in Benghazi, Libya", "Years of warning about embassy security preceded Libya attack", "U.S. vows to hunt down perpetrators of Benghazi attack", "U.S. struggles to determine whether Libya attack was planned", "Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 9/14/2012", "Explanation for Benghazi Attack Under Scrutiny", "Ambassador Susan Rice: Libya Attack Not Premeditated", "Ambassador Rice spends Sunday reinforcing White House position that Middle East violence was 'spontaneous', "Transcripts, State of the Union with Candy Crowley, interview with Susan Rice", "September 16: Benjamin Netanyahu, Susan Rice, Keith Ellison, Peter King, Bob Woodward, Jeffrey Goldberg", "Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 9/18/2012", "Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jay Carney en route Miami, FL, 9/20/2012", "As Carney labels Libya strike terrorism, Obama continues to incorrectly cite anti-Islam film", "Obama's Responses To Libya Questions At Univision Forum Contradicted By Reports Of The Attack", "Obama pressed on failures at Univision forum", "Obama defends embassy security during Univision town hall", "Univision's Town Hall Meeting With President Obama", "Republican senators decry 'useless, worthless' Clinton briefing on Libya attack", "Senate GOP furious newspaper got better briefing on Libya", "Anti-film ads in Pakistan feature Obama, Clinton", "Transcript: President Obama Talks to the U.N. about Mideast Peace, Iran", "Remarks by the President to the UN General Assembly", "Transcript: Obama address to U.N. General Assembly", Clinton Suggests Link to Qaeda Offshoot in Deadly Libya Attack, "Statement by the Director of Public Affairs for the Director of National Intelligence, Shawn Turner, on the intelligence related to the terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya", "Producer of anti-Islam film arrested, ordered held without bail", "State of the Union with Candy Crowley, Interview with John McCain; Interview with David Axelrod; Interview with Martin O'Malley, Roy Blunt", "FBI came to Benghazi and left in past 24 hours", "Whistle-blower: Botched talking points hurt FBI probe of Benghazi attack", "U.S. to Help Create an Elite Libyan Force to Combat Islamic Extremists", "CNN Fact Check: A day after Libya attack, Obama described it as 'acts of terror', "The truth about what Candy Crowley said", "Obama's claim he called Benghazi an 'act of terrorism', "Issa's Benghazi document dump exposes several Libyans working with the U.S.", "Interview with Senator McCain re Benghazi", "Hillary Clinton Benghazi Testimony Postponed After Secretary Of State Sustains Concussion", "Rep. Allen West accuses Hillary Clinton of faking concussion to avoid Benghazi testimony", "In Context: Hillary Clinton's 'What difference does it make' comment", "Hunter wants Congressional medal awarded to slain Benghazi SEALs", "H.R.1186 To posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal to each of Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods in recognition of their contributions to the Nation", "After Benghazi, Marines approved for crisis response force", "Spain authorizes U.S. rapid reaction force in south", "Sources: 15 days after Benghazi attack, FBI still investigating from afar", "Congressman: Consulate attack in Libya was coordinated", "Intelligence chairman doubts Libya attack linked to video", "The Benghazi Transcripts: US military woefully unprepared for attack, documents show", "Romney Campaign, Media Collude in Unprecedented Politicization of Benghazi Attack", "White House: GOP Focus On Benghazi Tied To Mitt Romney", "Ambassador's dad says son's death in Libya shouldn't be politicized", "Gates: Some Benghazi critics have "cartoonish" view of military capability", "President Obama Dismisses Benghazi Criticism as 'Sideshow', "Obama calls Benghazi controversy a 'sideshow', "Carney Identifies Which Scandals Obama Thinks Are Phony: Benghazi And IRS", "Investigative Report on the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 1112, 2012", "The House Intelligence Committee's report on Benghazi (op-ed)", "Navy SEALs secret medals reveal heroism during past 15 years", "Delta Force Marine awarded Navy Cross for fight at CIA annex in Benghazi", "2 US commandos involved in Benghazi rescue to be privately honored for bravery", "Libyan tied to Benghazi attack sentenced to 19 and a half years", "Study: Media accepted Obama version of Benghazi attack", "White House told of militant claim two hours after Libya attack: emails", "E-Mails Offer Glimpse at What U.S. By 10:05p.m., the team was briefed and loaded into their armored Toyota Land Cruisers. Attack!" Haftar's forces renewed their air strikes on Islamist militia bases on June 1, triggering clashes that injured dozens and resulted in the deaths of at least eight people. [113] It was later reported that 3 operatives from the group did take part in the attack. F-2012-38774", "Knopf Email on Toria Nuland Information Page 2", "Lies, Damned Lies, and Garden-Variety Self-Deception", The House Republican Investigation of Benghazi: single-source site of all the unclassified information and findings from investigations into the attacks, Interactive Map of Attack at The New York Times, Background Conference Call With Senior State Department Officials, Washington, DC, October 9, 2012, What the Obama administration has said about the Libya attack, Accountability Review Board (ARB) Report on Benghazi Attack, Criminal Complaint Against Ahamed Abu Khatallah in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, The Security Failures of Benghazi: Hearing before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session, October 10, 2012, Benghazi and Beyond, Part I: What Went Wrong on September 11, 2012 and How to Prevent It From Happening at Other Frontline Posts: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session, November 15, 2012, Benghazi and Beyond, Part II: The Report of the Accountability Review Board: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session, December 20, 2012, Benghazi: The Attacks and the Lessons Learned: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session, December 20, 2012, Terrorist Attack in Benghazi: The Secretary of State's View: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session, January 23, 2013, Department of Defense's Response to the Attack on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, and the Findings of its Internal Review Following the Attack: Hearing Before the Committee on Armed Services, United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session, February 7, 2013, Benghazi: Exposing Failure and Recognizing Courage: Hearing before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session, May 8, 2013, Benghazi: Where is the State Department Accountability? Ambassador Stevens' body was found by a group of Libyans who had accessed the room through a window. [176] U.S. officials said surveillance over Libya would increase, including the use of unmanned drones, to "hunt for the attackers". "[251][252], There were ten investigations into the Benghazi matter: one by the FBI; one by an independent board commissioned by the State Department; two by Democrat-controlled Senate Committees; and six by Republican-controlled House Committees. [39] By the time of the attack, dozens of CIA operatives were on the ground in Benghazi. United States officials stated the teams arrived at Sigonella after the attack was over. For example, Hassan al-Bakush, a young journalist with a local TV station, survived two assassination attempts in Benghazi this May. On September 11, 2012, the Islamic militant group, Ansar al-Sharia, attacked the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi, Libya. The conservative foundation Judicial Watch filed a FOIA request to the Department of State on December 19, 2012. In January, a report prepared bya Libyan parliamentary committee listed 643 killings in 2013. Ever since Qaddafi's fall, Libya's government has failed to afford its citizens the protections and security they deserve. April 27, 2011 / 4:03 PM / CBS/AP. Four Americans died in the 2012 Benghazi attack: Ambassador Chris Stevens, Information Officer Sean Smith, [1] and two CIA operatives, [2] Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, [3] [4] both former Navy SEALs. At about 1:15 a.m. on September 12, a rescue team from Tripoli arrived in Benghazi. [78][76] A Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agent viewed on the consulate's security cameras "a large number of men, armed men, flowing into the compound". Shortly after the Benghazi attack, Secretary of State Clinton commissioned an independent Accountability Review Board to investigate, chaired by retired ambassador Thomas R. Pickering with vice-chair retired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullen. And what did he do about it? Complete and utter nonsense. 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. [137] Ali Harzi was released by Tunisian authorities on January 8, 2013, because of a lack of evidence. [17] Carrying signs with slogans such as "We Want Justice For Chris" and "Libya Lost a Friend", the protestors stormed several militia headquarters, including that of Ansar al-Sharia, an Islamist militia who some allege played a role in the attack on U.S. diplomatic personnel on September 11. On September 11, 2012, at 9:40 pm local time, members of Ansar al-Sharia attacked the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi resulting in the deaths of both United States Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens and U.S. Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith. Also on September 20, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a classified briefing to U.S. USA Today reported that protests in Cairo that preceded the attack on Benghazi were intended to protest the imprisonment of Sheik Omar Abdul Rahman and announced as early as August 30. interests."[194][195][196][197][198]. 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. [155] A 2012 Gallup poll noted that "A majority of Libyans (54%) surveyed in March and April 2012 approve of the leadership of the U.S.among the highest approval Gallup has ever recorded in the region, outside of Israel. Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session, September 18, 2013, Reviews of the Benghazi Attacks and Unanswered Questions: Hearing before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, First Session, September 19, 2013, Report of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Review of the Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 1112, 2012 Together with Additional Views, January 15, 2014, Hearing 1: Hearing before the Select Committee on the Events Surrounding the 2012 Terrorist Attacks in Benghazi, Libya, House of Representatives, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, Second Session, held in Washington, DC, September 17, 2014, Hearing 2: Hearing before the Select Committee on the Events Surrounding the 2012 Terrorist Attacks in Benghazi, Libya, House of Representatives, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, Second Session, held in Washington, DC, December 10, 2014, Hearing 3: Hearing before the Select Committee on the Events Surrounding the 2012 Terrorist Attacks in Benghazi, House of Representatives, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, First Session, held in Washington, DC, January 27, 2015, Hearing 4: Hearing before the Select Committee on the Events Surrounding the 2012 Terrorist Attacks in Benghazi, House of Representatives, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, First Session, held in Washington, DC, October 22, 2015, September 2012 southern Israel cross-border attack, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2012_Benghazi_attack&oldid=1149756452, Attacks on diplomatic missions of the United States, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from August 2016, Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from September 2021, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, United States diplomatic post and CIA annex, This page was last edited on 14 April 2023, at 07:17. 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