how many libyans died in benghazihow many libyans died in benghazi

[63], United States Security Officer Eric Nordstrom twice requested additional security for the mission in Benghazi from the State Department. In my three years in Libya, this is one of my most depressing duties. A Libyan militant was sentenced on Thursday to more than 19 years in prison by a federal judge for his role in the 2012 Benghazi attacks that killed four Americans . At least 75 people were killed in militia clashes in Benghazi on May 16 and 17, and 140 were injured. [165][166][169], Hundreds of Libyans, mainly former rebel fighters, gathered in the city centers of Tripoli and Benghazi to hand over their weapons to the government on September 29. [25][26][27] Khattala was captured in Libya by United States Army Special Operations Forces, who were acting in coordination with the FBI, in June 2014. [40]:31, On the day of the attack, two consulate security guards spotted a man in a Libyan police uniform taking pictures of the consulate with his cell phone from a nearby building that was under construction. The investigation is ongoing, and the U.S. government is working with Libyan authorities to bring to justice those responsible for the deaths of U.S. Diplomatic Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 1112, 2012, United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, "Timeline: Here's how the Benghazi attacks played out", "US officials: CIA ran Benghazi consulate", "Clinton says Benghazi is her biggest regret", "House intel panel debunks many Benghazi theories", "State Department: No Protest at the Benghazi consulate", "CIA witnesses offer more evidence Benghazi attack planned", "Panetta: Terrorists 'clearly' planned Benghazi attack", "Brazen Figure May Hold Key to Mysteries", "Suspect in Libya Attack, in Plain Sight, Scoffs at U.S.", "Exclusive:Libyan Islamist says he was at U.S. consulate during attack", "N.Y. Times probe finds no al-Qaeda link to Benghazi raid", "New York Times report casts doubt on al Qaeda involvement in Benghazi", "In Benghazi, US Intelligence Wasn't Focused On 'Homegrown Militants', "Transcript: In Benghazi, US Intelligence Wasn't Focused On 'Homegrown Militants', "US won't rule out Islamist militant link to attack on US consulate in Libya", "CIA talking points for Susan Rice called Benghazi attack 'spontaneously inspired' by protests", "Egypt May Be Bigger Concern Than Libya for White House", "Libya: Islamist militia bases stormed in Benghazi", "Angry Libyans Target Militias, Forcing Flight", "G.O.P.-Led Benghazi Panel Bolsters Administration", "Libya Is Obama's Biggest Regret And Hillary's Biggest Threat", "In Final Report, Benghazi Committee Finds No New Evidence of Clinton Wrongdoing", "Four State Dept. Though they took him to be a foreigner, no one recognized him as Stevens. [13][14] The Libyan Government condemned the attacks and took steps to disband the militias. "[128] However, on the same day of the Clinton phone call, Ansar al-Sharia issued a statement saying it "didn't participate as a sole entity; rather, it was a spontaneous popular uprising in response to what happened by the West," an apparent reference to the release of the video. Magariaf, Amb. "[214] In the article, Kessler accused Obama of "revisionist history" for stating he had called the attack an "act of terrorism" when in fact he had used the term "act of terror", observing that Obama had gone out of his way to avoid calling the incident an "act of terrorism" or blame the ambassador's death on terrorism.[214][225]. The earliest attacks were straightforward, targeting the Qaddafi-era state security forces and judiciary. Instead of patting a weak government on the back, concerned countries should focus on Libya's fragmented justice and security sector. "[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. The killers' brutality is also growing. [145] Al-Shibli was detained after he returned from a trip to Pakistan, though his exact role in the attack is unclear. One Libyan guard who was wounded in the attack was quoted as saying "there wasn't a single ant outside [before the attack]. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, intelligence about who carried it out and why was contradictory, the report found. ET, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton telephoned CIA Director David Petraeus to coordinate. Prior to her appearance, Rice was provided with "talking points" from a CIA memo,[184] which stated: The currently available information suggests that the demonstrations 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. diplomatic post in Benghazi and subsequently its annex. I think it's clear that there were extremist elements that joined in and escalated the violence. "Citizen groups," mostly former soldiers and lumpenproletariat, joined in and began guerrilla actions against Libya Dawn in Benghazi. According to witnesses interviewed by Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Misrata militias were the first to open fire on the unarmed protesters. 3. "[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. None of that is true, according to the House Intelligence Committee report. The 2012 Benghazi attack was a coordinated attack against two United States government facilities in Benghazi, Libya, by members of the Islamic militant group Ansar al-Sharia. citizens.[185]. [141], On October 7, 2013, the Muhammad Jamal network (MJN) and Muhammad Jamal were designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorists by the U.S. Department of State, which noted in its designation that "Jamal has developed connections with al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), AQ senior leadership, and al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) leadership including Nasir 'Abd-al-Karim 'Abdullah al-Wahishi and Qasim Yahya Mahdi al-Rimi". Libyans are tiring of the chaos. Minutes after they drove through the gates, the annex came under heavy fire. [28] Another suspect, Mustafa al-Imam, was captured in October 2017. That being said, we do know that Islamic extremists with ties to al-Qa'ida participated in the attack. [10][11][12] The United States immediately increased security worldwide at diplomatic and military facilities and began investigating the Benghazi attack. [113] Furthermore, an intercepted phone call from the Benghazi area immediately after the attack reportedly linked senior Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar to the attack. The failure of authorities to deal with the violence now threatens to bring about a total collapse of Libya's key institutions. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens steps outside the consulate to say goodbye to a Turkish diplomat. 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. [174][175] It was announced that the FBI would investigate the possibility of the attack being planned. A look at the events surrounding the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, and the controversy that followed. [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. "Do they want us all to get killed before they respond?". [166] On September 24, the government commenced with a raid on a former military base held by a rogue infantry militia. According to al-Bakoush, the Libyans saw he was alive and breathing, his eyelids flickering. There have been at least 12 attacks against media headquarters in Tripoli, Benghazi, and Derna, in addition to dozens of threats, assaults, and kidnappings of journalists this year alone. After the attack, all diplomatic staff were moved to the capital, Tripoli, with nonessential personnel to be flown out of Libya. "[216] CBS News reported earlier on October 24 that the video of the assault was not recovered until 20 days after the attack, from the more than 10 security cameras at the compound. There is no easy answer to what happens next, and no magic wand. [7] Senior intelligence officials later . And make no mistake, justice will be done. [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. The consulate in Benghazi, Libya's second largest city, is a one-story villa in a large garden . "[36][37], In 2013, CNN reported that sources told it that around 35 US personnel were working in the diplomatic mission in Benghazi at the time of the attack, of whom around 21 were CIA agents. The State Department said that some time between 10:15 p.m. and 11:20 p.m . 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? Details emerge on former SEAL's final actions in Benghazi", US military's response questioned in wake, Dad of U.S. bodyguard 'blown up twice' in Benghazi says State Department should admit mistakes, "Video shows Libyans helping rescue U.S. ambassador after attack", "Libya witness: Stevens was alive when found", "Video shows Libyans trying to rescue U.S. ambassador", "President Obama on the Attack in Benghazi", "Diplomat: Ambassador in Benghazi Said, 'We're Under Attack'", "Video shows Libyans trying to save U.S. ambassador", "US ambassador killed in Libya attack: Chris Stevens 'given CPR for 90 minutes', says Benghazi doctor", "Diplomats' Bodies Return to U.S., and Libyan Guards Recount Deadly Riot", "Revealed: inside story of US envoy's assassination", "Statement on the Death of American Personnel in Benghazi, Libya", "Statement on the Deaths of Tyrone S. Woods and Glen A. Doherty in Benghazi, Libya", "Clinton Recognizes Victims of Benghazi Attacks", "Former Navy SEALs identified as consulate attack victims", "Libya Attack Brings Challenges for U.S.", "U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens killed in consulate attack in Libya", Paul Cruickshank, Tim Lister, Nic Robertson, and Fran Townsend, "Sources: 3 al Qaeda operatives took part in Benghazi attack", Paul Cruickshank, "Analysts search for clues in al-Zawahiri remarks on Benghazi", Paul Cruickshank, Tim Lister and Nic Robertson, "Phone call links Benghazi attack to al Qaeda commander", "Terrorist Designations of Ansar al-Sharia as an Alias for Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula", Attack by Fringe Group Highlights the Problem of Libya's Militias, Election-Year Stakes Overshadow Nuances of Libya Investigation, "US ambassador killed in Libya: investigators probe whether Benghazi assault was planned", "Libya Attack Pre-Planned By Terror Group? The Center for Media and Public Affairs at George Mason University described the conclusions of an unpublished study on November 2, 2012. [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. From top to bottom, left to right: President, Vice President updated on situation night of September 11, 2012; President Obama, with Secretary Clinton, delivering statement in the Rose Garden, September 12, 2012; two photographs released through a FOIA request; Secretary Clinton testifying before the Senate Committee on January 23, 2013; portion of "wanted" poster seeking information on the attack. We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. [38] Within months of the start of the Libyan revolution in February 2011, the CIA had begun building a covert presence in Benghazi. On December 30, 2012, the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs released a report, "Flashing Red: A Special Report on the Terrorist Attack at Benghazi", wherein it was determined: In the months [between February 2011 and September 11, 2012] leading up to the attack on the Temporary Mission Facility in Benghazi, there was a large amount of evidence gathered by the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) and from open sources that Benghazi was increasingly dangerous and unstable, and that a significant attack against American personnel there was becoming much more likely. And at the same time, we expect the world to cooperate with us to confront to what is meant out of this kind of act of cowardice. Benghazi is marked by near-daily assassinations and attacks on military and security posts. 30,000 Libyans marched through Benghazi condemning Ansar al-Sharia, which had been formed during the 2011 Libyan civil war to topple Muammar Gaddafi. On Sept. 11, 2012, four Americans were killed during an attack on an American diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, triggering an intricate sequence of events that led to years of political debate. According to Bishari, it was launched without warning or protest and was led by the Islamist militia Ansar al-Sharia (different from the group called Ansar al-Sharia based in Yemen designated by the U.N. and the U.S. Department of State as a terrorist organization[116]). "Many Libyans believe that unrest in their country is in part the work of Gaddafi's loyalists who want to undermine efforts to rebuild the country after last year's ruinous civil war," said the AP. The moderator of the debate, Candy Crowley, agreed, stating "Hehe did call it an act of terror." [112], On September 10, 2012, at least 18 hours before the attack in Benghazi, al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri released a video to coincide with the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in 2001, which called for attacks on Americans in Libya in order to avenge the death of Abu Yahya al-Libi in a drone strike in Pakistan in June 2012. Share this via LinkedIn "[192], On September 20, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney answered a question about an open hearing with the National Counterterrorism Center Director, Matthew G. Olsen, which referenced which extremist groups might have been involved. [113] It is uncertain how much prior knowledge of the attack al-Zawahiri had, though he praised the attackers on October 12, 2012, in another video. Two former Navy SEALs who were among four Americans killed last week in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, died after rushing to the aid of their colleagues, according to sources . [40]:16, J. Christopher Stevens was named the first liaison with the Libyan opposition in March 2011. By the end of October 2014, the city was . 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. He said, "I have made it clear that the United States government had nothing to do with this video, and I believe its message must be rejected by all who respect our common humanity. More than a thousand people died, many cities were shelled by artillery or hit by airstrikes, oil terminals were set alight and the economy continued to collapse. [103] According to Dr. Zeid, Stevens died from asphyxiation caused by smoke inhalation, and had no other apparent injuries. 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. The brutal death of Chris Stevens shows Libya is home to many unregulated, well-equipped radicals who are hostile to the US. [262], On April 18, 2014, the conservative group Judicial Watch released more than 100 pages of documents obtained through a FOIA lawsuit. [39] During the war, elite counterterrorist operators from the United States Delta Force were deployed to Libya as analysts, instructing the rebels on specifics about weapons and tactics. [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. 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. Films can be used as powerful political weapons - and director Michael Bay's latest film, 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, is a case in point . They will need a broader vision than what has so far been on display: The current crisis can't be fixed with only the usual post-conflict capacity-building and training workshops. [79] Phone calls were made to the embassy in Tripoli, the Diplomatic Security Command Center in Washington, the February 17th Martyrs Brigade and a U.S. quick reaction force located at the annex compound a little more than a mile (1.6km) away. On June 16, 2014, in a joint effort by U.S. Special Operations and the FBI near Benghazi, Libya, an alleged ringleader of the Benghazi . That's the first version of events we heard. Please give now to support our work. [102] There he was administered CPR for 90 minutes by Dr. Ziad Abu Zeid. Foreigners living in Libya have not escaped the violence. So, again, that's self-evident. "[68], The Benghazi attack was conducted by separate military factions on two separate United States compounds. [39], Eastern Libya and Benghazi were key intelligence-gathering hubs for intelligence operatives. Ambassador Chris Stevens. [166][167] The government also mandated that bearing arms in public was now illegal, as were armed checkpoints. The Benghazi attack was conducted by separate military factions on two separate United security! 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