Libya…simplified
In todays
world news is updated by the second, and with multiple stories flying through
the internet on a minute-by-minute basis it’s easy to lose track.
One of the most important stories of the month, and of the
year (in terms of the election and foreign policy) is of course the mess in
Libya. The following is a time line approach to the Libyan events with a few
thoughts on how and why certain events happened. It is my firm belief that the
average voter does not understand what happened or why it’s significant or what
it means. So let’s start at the beginning—not September 11, but in the days and
weeks leading up to the attack.
Each note will have a source link for verification.
April/May/June:
The US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya is targeted by Islamic terrorists. The
House Intelligence Committee chair says the consulate was targeted for an IED
attack. 3
June 6: An IED is
thrown at the American Consulate in Benghazi.3, 12
June 11: The
British Ambassador is the target in an RPG attack3, 12
July, and August
2012: American Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens writes in his
journal about his concerns over security threats, possible attacks, and being
on an Al-Qaeda hitlist.1, 16 These fears proved to be well-founded
in light of events in June and early August. (See also 12).
August 5: The Red
Cross building in Benghazi is struck by an RPG attack.3
September 8:
Libyan officials meet with the American diplomats in Benghazi, Libya, and warn
them that the situation there is “deteriorating” and “frightening”. 2 Officials
later say that this wasn’t the first time they warned Americans about impending
attacks.2
September 10:
Obama appears on The Late Show with
David Letterman.6
September 11: Around
4 PM local time the US Embassy in Cairo is stormed by protestors and the
American flag is taken down and possibly burned. It is replaced by the black
flag of Islam.9
The compound in Benghazi is attacked. News outlets report
that witnesses say the compound was quiet before the attack: there were no
protestors.8, 16 President Obama is briefed an hour and a half after
the attack begins. The ambassador is missing during the attack. President Obama
goes to bed while his ambassador’s fate is unknown.4
The Libyan guard at the gate is armed with a radio and the
attackers with machine guns and RPGs. The compound is eventually set on fire.5
September 11/12: The
Ambassador Stevens is discovered alive—though just barely—and taken to a
hospital by looters going through the US Consulate.2 (video)
The ambassador dies either en route or possibly later at the
hospital. A Lebanese news outlet reports that he had been raped and dragged
through the streets. This is still neither confirmed nor debunked.7
September 11/12:
Around 12-2 A.M. another attack is made on remaining American personnel in the
compound. The attack is described as “complex . . . sophisticated . . . an
ambush.” It is suspected that during this attack the two American security personnel, Tyrone
Woods and Glen Doherty are killed. By 6:30 A.M. the evacuation of American
personnel is complete.8
September 12: WH
Press Secretary Jay Carney is asked, “Why did the President
feel it was so important to continue with his campaign schedule today?” Carney
insists the President is receiving briefings on the road from the intelligence
community he travels with.18
September 13:
Obama cancels intel briefing as the riots continue and heads to Las Vegas for a
fundraiser.9 Some information persists that the President did not
often attend intel briefings in the days leading up to the attack, but it is
highly unlikely that said information could or would be confirmed or debunked.
One fact remains: the spokesman for the National Security Council, Tommy Vietor
refused to answer whether the president has attended any of his daily briefings since September 5.9
September 14: Senate
Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Senator John McCain both call
the attack, “planned” and “premeditated”.12 McCain added that, "People
don't go to demonstrate and carry RPGs and automatic weapons," he said,
adding that the facts suggest "this was not a 'mob' action [or] a group of
protesters."12
CNN Reports State Department Under Secretary Patrick Kennedy
alluded to the attack being preplanned by the amount of light and medium
weaponry on the scene.
The site reported that the remarks had been made earlier in the week (IE the 12th
or 13th).20
The same day, WH Press Secretary Jay Carny says there was no
intelligence suggesting an attack, and “we have no information
to suggest that it was a preplanned attack.”13 Carney blames the Innocence of Muslims video as what
“sparked” the outcry. When asked if they would apologize for the video Carney
says, “Absolutely not . . . we have said we find it offensive and reprehensible,
but we will not -- we cannot and will not squelch freedom of expression in this
country.”
Carney takes one final question that unfolds as follows:
Q:
Jay, one last question -- while we were sitting here -- Secretary
Panetta and the Vice Chair of the Joint Chiefs briefed the Senate Armed
Services Committee. And the senators
came out and said their indication was that this, or the attack on Benghazi was
a terrorist attack organized and carried out by terrorists, that it was
premeditated, a calculated act of terror.
Levin said -- Senator Levin -- I think it was a planned, premeditated
attack. The kind of equipment that they
had used was evidence it was a planned, premeditated attack. Is there anything more you can -- now that
the administration is briefing senators on this, is there anything more you can
tell us?
MR.
CARNEY: Well, I think we wait to hear
from administration officials. Again,
it's actively under investigation, both the Benghazi attack and incidents
elsewhere. And my point was that we
don't have and did not have concrete evidence to suggest that this was not in
reaction to the film.
Carney does not use the word “terrorist” in his answer—or
much at all in relation to the attacks during the course of the Q&A
session.
September 16: US
Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice is hosted on CBS’ Face the Nation. She repeatedly calls the attack “spontaneous” and
said, “We do not have information at present that leads us to conclude that
this was premeditated or preplanned.”10
On the same program, the president of Libya’s General
National said, “The way these perpetrators acted and moved, and their choosing
the specific date for this so-called demonstration, this leaves us with no
doubt that this was preplanned, predetermined.”10
On Fox News Sunday, Susan Rice tells Chris Wallace that,
“"a spontaneous incident."
"The best information we have today is that in fact
this was not a premeditated attack," Rice said.15
50 Arrests are made in relation to the death of Ambassador
Stevens by the Libyan government.27
September 17:
State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland declined to label the strike.
"I don't think we know enough," she said. "And we're going to
continue to assess ... and then we'll be in a better position to put labels on
things, OK?" 17
It’s reported that mortars were used in the strike on the
compound and/or safe houses.14
September 18: WH
Press Secretary refuses to say that there was enough (or not enough) security
for the consulate in Banghazi.14 His answer is “They were numerous
steps taken, as there have been every year on the anniversary of 9/11, and as
there have been at different times on the calendar when it is judged by the
experts that taking additional steps, security steps, is the right thing to
do.”14
However Ambassador Stevens was known to “travel
with a relatively small security detail.” 14 (Note how many
Americans were killed, including the Ambassador. If the security team were say
10 men strong, it’s certain more would have been killed. There is some evidence
suggesting that two other Americans (Woods and Doherty) were perhaps killed at
a different time and location than Stevens.8 Does this leave just one man
protecting Stevens?)
September 19: Counterterrorism
Center Director Matt Olsen called the strike in Libya a “terrorist attack”.17
Up until this day not one official has called the strike a “terrorist attack”.17
He also referred to Al-Qaeda as possibly being involved.19 (This
seems to be significant because in the Senate hearing video I saw, Olsen was
asked about this with a certain level of redundancy).
September 20:
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney finally calls the events in Libya a
terrorist attack—9 days later.11
Carney has this exchange with reporters:
Q
Can you -- have you called it a terrorist attack before? Have you said that?
MR. CARNEY: I haven’t, but -- I mean, people attacked our
embassy. It’s an act of terror by
definition.
Q Yes, I just hadn’t heard you --
MR. CARNEY: It
doesn’t have to do with what date it occurred.
Q No, I just hadn’t heard the White House say
that this was an act of terrorism or a terrorist attack. And I just --
MR. CARNEY: I don’t think the fact that we hadn’t is not
-- as our NCTC Director testified yesterday, a number of different elements
appear to have been involved in the attack, including individuals connected to
militant groups that are prevalent in eastern Libya, particularly in the
Benghazi area. We are looking at
indications that individuals involved in the attack may have had connections to
al Qaeda or al Qaeda’s affiliates, in particular al Qaeda in the Islamic
Maghreb.
He also pointed out
that -- I’ll point out as well -- that the FBI investigation into this tragedy
is ongoing, but according to the best information we have now, we believe it
was an opportunistic attack on our mission in Benghazi. It appears that some well-armed militants
seized on the opportunity as the events unfolded that evening. We do not have any specific intelligence
that there was significant advanced planning or coordination for this attack.
September 22: One
investigator tells a news outlet that the consulate was “staked out” and
“monitored” before the attack—further discrediting the narrative that the
attack was spontaneous. Reports of betrayal by Libyan security forces also
emerge. 19
September 23:
Obama speaks on 60 Minutes, calling
recent events in the Middle East, “bumps in the road”.21 The four
Americans have been buried less than two weeks.
The attack in Libya is called a huge setback for intel
efforts in the region, and “a catastrophic intelligence loss”.22
September 24: 50
detainess are cleared to leave Gitmo. Word surfaces that the attack may be been
planned by ex-gitmo detainee. 26
September 25:
Senators demand that Sec of State Clinton show them the last messages (aka
“cables”) from Ambassador Stevens.23
Obama addresses the General Assembly of the UN saying that,
“The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.”24
After repeatedly of blaming “the video” for the attacks and
having his staff blame the video, the President said it should be
“marginalized” by being “ignored.”25
September 26: NBC airs an exclusive interview with Libyan President Mohamed Magarief. Magarief says the video (which the Obama Administration constantly blames) had "nothing to do with" the attack on the US consulate.28
Cited Sources:
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