Libya: U.S. Senate report says Benghazi attack was preventable
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 16 January 2014 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Libya: U.S. Senate report says Benghazi attack was preventable, 16 January 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5331440711.html [accessed 29 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
January 16, 2014
A Benghazi resident walks past the U.S. Consulate in the eastern Libyan city weeks after the deadly attack of September 11, 2012.
A U.S. Senate panel report has declared that the deadly assault on a U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11, 2012, could have been prevented.
The highly critical, bipartisan report on January 15 spread blame among the U.S. State Department, the U.S. military, and intelligence officials for failing to heed warning signs ahead of the attack.
It also notes that U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, who was killed by smoke from a fire that broke out during the violence, had twice refused offers for U.S. Special Forces to be posted as extra security at the diplomatic compound in the weeks before the attack.
The U.S. military is criticized in the report for failing to respond more quickly on the night of the assault.
Ambassador Stevens, information-technology specialist Sean Smith, and CIA security contractors Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty – both former Navy SEALs – were killed during the course of two battles that night.
Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
