Dark Forces: The Truth About What Happened in Benghazi (48 page)

39
  “Krauthammer: WH ‘Held Affair Over Petraeus’ Head’ For Favorable Testimony On Benghazi,” Fox News, Nov. 11, 2013.

40
  “Sharyl Attkisson on Benghazi Attack Investigation,” C-SPAN, May 12, 2013. The short clip of her comments on Petraeus can be viewed here: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/clip/4451039.

41
  Terrence Jeffrey, “Sen. Burr: CIA Has ‘Flatly Refused’ to Give Intel Committee Some Benghazi-Related Documents,” CNS News, Feb. 13, 2013.

42
  Communications with Kevin Shipp, September 2013. Shipp made similar comments at the first public hearing of the People’s Commission on Benghazi, where I also testified, at the Heritage Foundation on Sept. 16, 2013. Video of the public portion of the hearing, including Shipp’s presentation and my own, is available at http://www.aim.org/aim-column/citizens-commission-on-benghazi-conference-video-now-online.

43
  Trey Gowdy on Greta Van Susteren, Fox News, Aug. 18, 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX5WwWSuL3k.

44
  Communication with the author, Feb. 4, 2014.

45
  “Rolled her eyes”: Confidential source interview, October 2013. “Nonsense”: Feinstein on NBC’s
Meet the Press
, May 12, 2013, http://www.mediaite.com/tv/meet-the-press-sen-feinstein-says-its-nonsense-that-benghazi-should-preclude-hillary-from-presidency.

46
  http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1312/01/sotu.01.html.

47
  House Oversight and Government Reform, Mullen interview, 143. Mullen couldn’t remember saying that to Maxwell, but in his interview with the committee he stated that in his view, responsibility for the security decisions in Benghazi “rests inside the State Department at the assistant secretary level.” Ibid., 115.

48
  Ibid., 132. See also House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, “Benghazi Attacks: Investigative Update, Interim Report on the Accountability Review Board,” Staff Report prepared for Chairman Darrell Issa, Sept. 16, 2013, 37. “In the specific case of Benghazi, we were aware that, you know, the villas they had rented would not meet [the department’s security standards for overseas facilities]. Everybody was aware of it. Ambassador Stevens was aware of it. The Department as a whole was aware that this did not meet standards. But what we did was put as much effort into it as we could to get as close as possible to the standards,” said Eric J. Boswell, the former Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security. Boswell was one of the four officials put on administrative leave following the ARB report.

49
  House Oversight and Government Affairs Committee, “Reviews of the Benghazi Attacks and Unanswered Questions,” Sept. 19, 2013, GPO Serial 113–59; exchange with Representative Patrick Meehan (R-PA), 71.

50
  Amy Chozick, “Clinton Seeks State Dept. Legacy Beyond That of Globe-Trotter,”
New York Times
, Nov. 26, 2013.

51
  John McCormick, “Americans don’t believe Christie on Jam, Clinton on Libya,” Bloomberg, March 12, 2014.

APPENDIX I: QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

  
1
  A more complete list is available through Representative Wolf’s website: http://wolf.house.gov/benghazi.

  
2
  Representative Nunes sent his questions in a letter to House Speaker John Boehner on Nov. 6, 2013, http://nunes.house.gov/uploadedfiles/rep._nunes_letter_to_speaker_boehner.pdf.

Index

The pagination of this electronic edition does not match the edition from which it was created. To locate a specific entry, please use your e-book reader’s search tools.

ABC News, 142, 254, 339–40

Abdallah, George Ibrahim, 18

Abdel-Rahman, Sheikh Omar, 198, 199

Abdul-Jalil, Mustapha, 106, 111, 119, 120, 123, 147–48, 149

Abdul-Rahman, Omar.
See
Blind Sheikh

Abdullah, Crown Prince, 85

Abedin, Huma, 199

Abraham, Spencer, 29–30

Abu al-Azm, Tarek Taha, 351–52

Abu Ismail, Sheikh Hazim, 356

Abu Khattala, Ahmed, 121, 353

Abu Nidal (terrorist group), 15

Abu Obeida al-Jarrah Brigade, 121, 122

Abu Omar barracks (Benghazi), attacks on, 77–78

Abu Selim Martyrs Brigade, 259

Abu Selim prison (Libya), 40, 80, 121, 259, 352

Accountability Review Board (ARB), State Department, report of, 105, 143, 152–53, 190, 196, 223, 255–56, 264, 265, 277, 283, 284, 287, 292
n,
296, 297, 304, 305, 306, 307, 317, 319, 326, 356, 368–69

Adams, Mark, 165–66, 263

Adia, Mohammed, 144–45

Afghan Mujahideen, 51, 53, 54, 96–97, 116, 261

Afghan National Army, 135–36

Afghan National Director for Security, 135–36

Afghan National Police Force, 135–36

Afghanistan

al-Hasidi in, 87

al Qaeda in, 87, 183, 231

bin Laden and, 124

Bush and, 138, 140

CIA and, 93, 94, 100

drones in, 194

Extortion 17
and, 47

and good and bad Islamists, 124

helicopter crashes in, 1, 51, 52–53, 130–40, 168, 253

Iran and, 64–65

jihadi fighters in, 78

JSOC operations in, 186

Libyan WMD/MANPADS in, 51, 52–53, 98, 136–37, 145, 167, 168, 254, 261

Libyans in, 18, 21

mujahideen in, 88, 93

NATO and, 52, 53, 135, 136

Obama and, 51, 54, 136, 138, 139–40, 174

Reagan administration and, 3, 86, 116, 261

as “right” war, 51

SEAL Team 6 helicopter crash in, 1, 53, 130

and shift in U.S. foreign policy, 8, 54

Soviet Union in, 51, 88, 198, 254, 261

Stinger hit in, 224–25

Taliban in, 51, 52–53, 80, 87, 88, 130–40, 145, 224–25, 231, 253

and U.S. clandestine arms deliveries to Islamist groups, 9

WikiLeaks about, 136

See also
Extortion 17; specific person or organization

African Command (AFRICOM), 155, 171, 192–93, 221, 237, 255, 280, 282, 309–10, 314, 315, 324.

See also
Ham, Carter

African National Congress (ANC), 32

Agadez, Niger, 183–84, 247, 261

Agence France-Presse, 229

Ahmadinejad, Mahmoud, 58–59, 60–61, 300

Ahmed Jibril PFLP-GC, 18

Air Force, U.S., 116–17, 132, 168–69

Air National Guard, 116–17

Akin, Ali Sait, 5, 272–73, 275–76, 286–88, 289

al-Aqiq, Wach, 88

al-Arabiya (Dubai TV), 54, 79

Al Entisar
(Libyan fishing boat), 2, 257–60, 261, 270, 272, 273, 275

Al-Haraka Al-Islamiya Al-Libya Lit-Tahghir (Libyan Islamic Movement for Change), 122

Al Jazeera (TV), 9, 78, 79

al-Libi, Abu Yayha, 183, 195, 196

Al Marfa Shipping and Maritime Services Company, 271, 286

al-Moqawama (Libyan Resistance), 194

Al-Nayda security force, 160

al Qaeda

in Afghanistan, 87, 183, 231

and aftermath of Benghazi attacks, 349, 350, 359

in Algeria, 142, 145

Allen-Kusa discussion and, 21

Belhaj and, 183

in Benghazi, 148, 188, 227

black flag of, 201, 215, 277, 289

and Brennan’s “secret war,” 187

CIA and, 57, 281–82

and cooperation among Islamic terrorist organizations, 240

and cover-up, 288, 336–37, 341

and democracy in Libya, 220

drone attacks on, 195

in Egypt, 10, 57, 281–82

El Al attack by, 90

and elections in Libya, 219, 220

formation of, 86

funding for, 56, 187, 227, 240

goals of, 239

and good and bad Islamists, 128, 129

Hamedi statements about, 116

intelligence warnings about, 238–40, 281–82

Iran and, 64, 187, 215, 227, 240–41

in Iraq, 51, 67, 188

and Islamist victory in Libya, 148

jihad of, 125–26

in Kenya, 152, 316

in Libya, 21, 22, 39, 42, 47, 81, 86, 87, 121, 148, 170, 190, 219, 220, 238–39, 255, 341, 350

LIFG and, 43–44, 87, 241

and military presence in Libya, 255

and missing MANPADS/WMD, 145, 171, 184–85, 186, 217, 254, 359, 360, 361

mujahideen and, 88

Muslim Brotherhood and, 75, 128

Obama and, 167, 170, 238, 311, 350

in Pakistan, 19, 196, 351

postelection violence and, 220

as prisoners of war, 80

Qaddafi and, 21, 22, 86, 170

resilience of, 167

and security in Libya, 190

and security in Tripoli, 238

and Shia versus Sunni, 240

and shift in U.S. foreign policy, 8

in Sinai, 181, 182, 360

and Stevens’ concerns about security in Benghazi, 276

and Stevens’ emergency security meeting, 215

in Sudan, 359

and suspects in Benghazi attacks, 352

Syria and, 87, 209

Taliban and, 231

Transitional National Council and, 81

in Tunisia, 145, 240

U-28A spy plane crash and, 168

underwear bomber of, 70

U.S. clandestine arms deliveries to, 1, 9, 86–87

and White House report to Congress, 117, 118

See also specific person

al Qaeda in the Lands of the Arabian Peninsula, 240

al Qaeda Senior Leadership (AQSL), 238–39

al Qaeda Shura, 240

al Qaida in the Islamic Magreb (AQIM), 86, 89, 116, 167, 170

Al Raya Media Productions Foundation, 201

al-Rimi, Muhammad Mansur, 44, 88

al-Sadiq, Abdullah, 39–40.
See also
Belhaj, Abdelhakim

al-Shabaab (al Qaida affiliate), 168, 169

al-Sisi, Abdul Fattah, 360, 361

al-Suri, Yasin.
See
Khalil, Ezedin Abdel Aziz

al-Watan (Nation Party), 219–20, 259

Alamoudi, Abdulrahman, 85

Alasala Watanmia (Syria rebel group), 361

Albania, 115

Alfoneh, Ali, 227–28

Algeria, 70, 142, 145, 171, 182, 217, 350

Allen, Mark, 20–22, 24, 25, 26–27, 38, 39, 85

Alooshe, Noy, 79

American Enterprise Institute, 227

American Media Institute, 239

Amnesty International, 80

Andrews Air Force Base, ceremony for Benghazi casualties at, 345

Anonymous (hacker), 107

Ansar al-Sharia

arrest of Egyptian members of, 355

and Benghazi attacks, 10–11, 44, 121, 170, 188, 286, 293, 301, 323, 326, 336, 351

Benghazi Medical Center and, 326

bin Hamed and, 277

claim of responsibility for Benghazi attacks by, 121, 170, 323, 336, 351

and cover-up, 336, 341

founding of, 44, 89, 240, 351

funding for, 89, 202

intelligence warnings about, 238, 239

Iran and, 164, 214, 241, 242

and Iranian planning of Benghazi attacks, 244

and jihad on parade in Benghazi, 201

Khattala and, 121

Muslim Brotherhood and, 202

postelection violence and, 220

and pro-Sharia
katiba
gathering in Benghazi, 239

Quds Force and, 241, 242

retaliation for JSOC operations against, 188

and Stevens’ security concerns, 235

training of, 164

Wood’s concerns about buildup of, 214

Apakan, Ertugrul, 178

Arab League, 82

Arab Spring

beginning of, 69

in Egypt, 8, 72–73, 74–75, 109

Iran and, 241

in Libya, 8, 77–80, 109

Obama and, 70, 72–73

and security at U.S. diplomatic outposts, 75–76

spread of, 8, 75, 175

State Department and, 70, 75

in Tunisia, 8, 70–72, 109

West as hijacking, 147

Wiktorowicz and, 127

Arabian Gulf Oil Company (AGOCO), 285

Arafat, Yasser, 18, 33

Armed Services Committee, U.S. Senate, 11, 98, 280, 311

Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA), 29

Arms R Us, 143–44

Army Ranger, U.S., 132, 134–35

Army Reserve, U.S., 132, 134

Army Special Operations Aviation (ARSOA), 134

Aron, Michael, 350

Asharq al-Awsat
newspaper, 182

Asquith, Sir Dominic, 204–7, 213

Assad, Bashar al-, 176, 209, 244, 246, 261, 355

Associated Press, 106, 262, 328

Attkisson, Sharyl, 316, 345–46, 364

Aujali, Ali, 98

Awlaqi, Anwar al-, 300

Axelrod, David, 72–73, 199

Azazi, Mohsen al-, 357

Aziz, Abdullah Abd al-, 54

Baja, Fatih, 286

Banna, Hassan al-, 126

Barasi, Awad al-, 277

BBC, 79, 327

BBC China,
26

Beacon Global Strategies, 344

Belhaj, Abdelhakim (aka Abdullah al-Sadiq)

al Qaeda and, 183

and al-Watan party, 259

and arms smuggling, 183, 184, 247, 259

arrest of, 122, 149

and elections in Libya, 219, 220

Haroun and, 259

as head of Tripoli Military Council, 120–21, 122, 141, 183

and Islamist motiviation for Benghazi attack, 346–47, 352

McCain meeting with, 146

and missing MANPADS, 146, 149, 213

Muslim Brotherhood and, 122, 123

and planning of Benghazi attacks, 244–45

and Qatar as arms pipeline, 122

Qayed and, 195

Salafist worldview of, 149

Stevens and, 40, 118, 141, 146, 213, 220, 262

and suspects in Benghazi attacks, 352

and Syrian rebels, 149, 213, 244, 247, 259

Younis murder and, 120–21, 123

Belmokhtar, Mokhtar, 142

Ben Ali, Zine al-Abidine, 8, 70, 71, 72, 75, 79, 353, 355

Benghazi

al Qaeda in, 148, 188, 227, 350

Arab Spring in, 77, 79

as center of intrigue, 107–10

as CIA post, 8

Clinton proposed trip to, 263–64

congressional delegation visit to, 321

deterioriation of security in, 264

drones over, 194

elections in, 217, 219

Feltman memo about, 151–53

first battle of, 77–80

intelligence warnings about, 237–42

jihad on parade in, 200–202, 241

maximum security alert in, 265–66

Muslim Brotherhood and, 78

postelection violence in, 220

pro-Sharia
katiba
gathering in, 239

Quds Force in, 103

reduction of U.S. presence in, 150

security concerns in, 153–54, 157–62, 200, 219, 235–37, 276–78

Stevens’ concerns about security in, 235–37, 276–78

total U.S. forces in, 103

Wood’s views about events in, 214

See also
Benghazi attacks; CIA Annex; Mission, Benghazi Special;
specific incident

Benghazi attacks

acceleration of, 194–95

aftermath of, 347–48, 349–70

Ansar al-Sharia and, 10–11, 44, 121, 286, 293, 301, 336, 351

breakout from, 318–20

Cairo demonstrations and, 288–90

casualties in, 328, 332

CIA Annex and, 320–22

CIA talking points about, 340–47

claims of responsibility for, 121, 336, 351

Clinton’s stand-down orders for, 314–17

cover-up about, 7, 11, 323, 333–48

evacuation and, 308, 322–26

Fatwa and, 300–301

FBI forensics team at site of, 348

incoming help and, 328–32

initial response to, 298–99

intelligence warnings about, 11, 280–82

Libyan investigation of, 355

planning of, 242–44

as preventable, 11

questions about, 6–7

reconnaissance before, 282–88

rescue attempts during, 301–3, 305–9

as retaliation for JSOC attacks on al Qaeda, 188

and search for Stevens, 326–28

and Smith’s activities, 290–92

suspects in, 350–57

TOC and, 292–97, 298, 301–2, 305, 307

White House meeting about, 309–14

See also
CIA Annex; Mission, Benghazi Special

Benghazi Local Council, Stevens meeting with, 276–77, 278

Benghazi Medical Center, 326, 327–28

Benjamin, Daniel, 170

Benotman, Norman, 122

Berlusconi, Silvio, 85

Biden, Joe, 34–38, 45, 46, 47, 130–31, 138

bin Hamed, Wisam, 276–77

bin Laden, Osama, 18–19, 88, 93, 124, 130–31, 147, 167, 182, 198, 238, 288, 311, 352

bin Laden, Saad, 240

bin Qumu, Abu Sufian Ibrahim Ahmed Hamuda, 44, 87–88, 89, 239–40, 351

bin Sultan, Bandar (Saudi Prince), 19, 20, 93

bin Zayed, Mohammed, 95

Blackwater operation, 154

Blackwater/Xe (Select), 107

Blair, Tony, 22–23, 25

Blind Sheikh (Oman Abdul-Rahman), 196, 197–200, 234, 281, 282, 356

Blue Mountain Group, 107, 196, 248, 267, 268–69, 282–83, 293–94, 295

Boal, Mark, 131

Boehner, John, 210, 212, 344

Bojinka plot (1995), 184–85

Boko, Haram, 167

Bolton, John R., 26, 29

Bombs R Us, 25

Bonk, Ben, 19–20

Bouazizi, Mohamed, 68–70

Bouchar, Fatima, 39–40

Bouckaert, Peter, 144

Bouzid, Sidi, 70

Bowman, James, 232

Boykin, Jerry, 212

Boyle, Michael, 147

Brauer, Dick, 169

Brega, Libya

Arab Spring/protests in, 78–79

battles at, 119

Brennan, John

and arms transfers to Syria, 247

and Benghazi attacks, 315–16

Cairo embassy attack, 290

CIA and, 186–87

and Clinton’s stand-down orders, 315–16

confirmation of, 342