24-09-2012, 02:11 AM
US Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens, the USA liaison to the Libyan revolutionaries, was in Benghasi to arrange for the USA to assist in the establishment of an emergency medical service - ambulance for the city - which still doesn't exist, and might have saved his life if it did.
The killings of the USambassador to Libyaand three of his staff were likely to have been the result of a serious andcontinuing security breach, The Independent can reveal.
American officials believe the attack was planned, but Chris Stevens had beenback in the country only a short while and the details of his visit to Benghazi,where he and his staff died, were meant to be confidential.
The US administration is now facing a crisis in Libya. Sensitivedocuments have gone missing from the consulate in Benghaziand the supposedly secret location of the "safe house" in the city,where the staff had retreated, came under sustained mortar attack. Other suchrefuges across the country are no longer deemed "safe".
Some of the missing papers from the consulate are said to list names of Libyanswho are working with Americans, putting them potentially at risk from extremistgroups, while some of the other documents are said to relate to oil contracts.
According to senior diplomatic sources, the US State Department had credibleinformation 48 hours before mobs charged the consulate in Benghazi, and theembassy in Cairo, that American missions may be targeted, but no warnings weregiven for diplomats to go on high alert and "lockdown", under whichmovement is severely restricted.
Mr Stevens had been on a visit to Germany,Austria and Swedenand had just returned to Libyawhen the Benghazi trip took placewith the USembassy's security staff deciding that the trip could be undertaken safely.
Eight Americans, some from the military, were wounded in the attack whichclaimed the lives of Mr Stevens, Sean Smith, an information officer, and two USMarines. All staff from Benghazihave now been moved to the capital, Tripoli,and those whose work is deemed to be non-essential may be flown out of Libya.
In the meantime a Marine Corps FASTAnti-Terrorism Reaction Team has already arrived in the country from a base in Spainand other personnel are believed to be on the way. Additional units have beenput on standby to move to other states where their presence may be needed inthe outbreak of anti-American fury triggered by publicity about a film whichdemeaned the Prophet Mohamed.
A mob of several hundred stormed the USembassy in the Yemeni capital Sanaa yesterday. Other missions which have beenput on special alert include almost all those in the Middle East,as well as in Pakistan,Afghanistan, Armenia,Burundi and Zambia.
Senior officials are increasingly convinced, however, that the ferocious natureof the Benghazi attack, in whichrocket-propelled grenades were used, indicated it was not the result of spontaneous anger due to the video,called Innocence of Muslims. Patrick Kennedy, Under-Secretary at the StateDepartment, said he was convinced the assault was planned due to its extensivenature and the proliferation of weapons.
There is growing belief that the attack was in revenge for the killing in adrone strike in Pakistan of Mohammed Hassan Qaed, an al-Qa'ida operative whowas, as his nom-de-guerre Abu Yahya al-Libi suggests, from Libya,and timed for the anniversary of the 11 September attacks.
Senator Bill Nelson, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said:"I am asking my colleagues on the committee to immediately investigatewhat role al-Qa'ida or its affiliates may have played in the attack and to takeappropriate action."
According to security sources the consulate had been given a "healthcheck" in preparation for any violence connected to the 9/11 anniversary.In the event, the perimeter was breached within 15 minutes of an angry crowdstarting to attack it at around 10pmon Tuesday night. There was, according to witnesses, little defence put up bythe 30 or more local guards meant to protect the staff. Ali Fetori, a59-year-old accountant who lives near by, said: "The security people justall ran away and the people in charge were the young men with guns andbombs."
Wissam Buhmeid, the commander of the Tripoligovernment-sanctioned Libya'sShield Brigade, effectively a police force for Benghazi,maintained that it was anger over the Mohamed video which made the guardsabandon their post. "There were definitely people from the security forceswho let the attack happen because they were themselves offended by the film;they would absolutely put their loyalty to the Prophet over the consulate. Thedeaths are all nothing compared to insulting the Prophet."
Mr Stevens, it is believed, was left in the building by the rest of the staffafter they failed to find him in dense smoke caused by a blaze which hadengulfed the building. He was discovered lying unconscious by local people andtaken to a hospital, the Benghazi Medical Centre, where, according to a doctor,Ziad Abu Ziad, he died from smoke inhalation.
An eight-strong American rescue team was sent from Tripoliand taken by troops under Captain Fathi al- Obeidi, of the February 17 Brigade,to the secret safe house to extract around 40 USstaff. The building then came under fire from heavy weapons. "I don't knowhow they found the place to carry out the attack. It was planned, the accuracywith which the mortars hit us was too good for any ordinaryrevolutionaries," said Captain Obeidi. "It began to rain down on us,about six mortars fell directly on the path to the villa."
Libyan reinforcements eventually arrived, and the attack ended. News hadarrived of Mr Stevens, and his body was picked up from the hospital and takenback to Tripoli with the other deadand the survivors.
Mr Stevens' mother, Mary Commanday, spoke of her son yesterday. "He didlove what he did, and he did a very good job with it. He could have done a lotof other things, but this was his passion. I have a hole in my heart," shesaid.
The killings of the USambassador to Libyaand three of his staff were likely to have been the result of a serious andcontinuing security breach, The Independent can reveal.
American officials believe the attack was planned, but Chris Stevens had beenback in the country only a short while and the details of his visit to Benghazi,where he and his staff died, were meant to be confidential.
The US administration is now facing a crisis in Libya. Sensitivedocuments have gone missing from the consulate in Benghaziand the supposedly secret location of the "safe house" in the city,where the staff had retreated, came under sustained mortar attack. Other suchrefuges across the country are no longer deemed "safe".
Some of the missing papers from the consulate are said to list names of Libyanswho are working with Americans, putting them potentially at risk from extremistgroups, while some of the other documents are said to relate to oil contracts.
According to senior diplomatic sources, the US State Department had credibleinformation 48 hours before mobs charged the consulate in Benghazi, and theembassy in Cairo, that American missions may be targeted, but no warnings weregiven for diplomats to go on high alert and "lockdown", under whichmovement is severely restricted.
Mr Stevens had been on a visit to Germany,Austria and Swedenand had just returned to Libyawhen the Benghazi trip took placewith the USembassy's security staff deciding that the trip could be undertaken safely.
Eight Americans, some from the military, were wounded in the attack whichclaimed the lives of Mr Stevens, Sean Smith, an information officer, and two USMarines. All staff from Benghazihave now been moved to the capital, Tripoli,and those whose work is deemed to be non-essential may be flown out of Libya.
In the meantime a Marine Corps FASTAnti-Terrorism Reaction Team has already arrived in the country from a base in Spainand other personnel are believed to be on the way. Additional units have beenput on standby to move to other states where their presence may be needed inthe outbreak of anti-American fury triggered by publicity about a film whichdemeaned the Prophet Mohamed.
A mob of several hundred stormed the USembassy in the Yemeni capital Sanaa yesterday. Other missions which have beenput on special alert include almost all those in the Middle East,as well as in Pakistan,Afghanistan, Armenia,Burundi and Zambia.
Senior officials are increasingly convinced, however, that the ferocious natureof the Benghazi attack, in whichrocket-propelled grenades were used, indicated it was not the result of spontaneous anger due to the video,called Innocence of Muslims. Patrick Kennedy, Under-Secretary at the StateDepartment, said he was convinced the assault was planned due to its extensivenature and the proliferation of weapons.
There is growing belief that the attack was in revenge for the killing in adrone strike in Pakistan of Mohammed Hassan Qaed, an al-Qa'ida operative whowas, as his nom-de-guerre Abu Yahya al-Libi suggests, from Libya,and timed for the anniversary of the 11 September attacks.
Senator Bill Nelson, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said:"I am asking my colleagues on the committee to immediately investigatewhat role al-Qa'ida or its affiliates may have played in the attack and to takeappropriate action."
According to security sources the consulate had been given a "healthcheck" in preparation for any violence connected to the 9/11 anniversary.In the event, the perimeter was breached within 15 minutes of an angry crowdstarting to attack it at around 10pmon Tuesday night. There was, according to witnesses, little defence put up bythe 30 or more local guards meant to protect the staff. Ali Fetori, a59-year-old accountant who lives near by, said: "The security people justall ran away and the people in charge were the young men with guns andbombs."
Wissam Buhmeid, the commander of the Tripoligovernment-sanctioned Libya'sShield Brigade, effectively a police force for Benghazi,maintained that it was anger over the Mohamed video which made the guardsabandon their post. "There were definitely people from the security forceswho let the attack happen because they were themselves offended by the film;they would absolutely put their loyalty to the Prophet over the consulate. Thedeaths are all nothing compared to insulting the Prophet."
Mr Stevens, it is believed, was left in the building by the rest of the staffafter they failed to find him in dense smoke caused by a blaze which hadengulfed the building. He was discovered lying unconscious by local people andtaken to a hospital, the Benghazi Medical Centre, where, according to a doctor,Ziad Abu Ziad, he died from smoke inhalation.
An eight-strong American rescue team was sent from Tripoliand taken by troops under Captain Fathi al- Obeidi, of the February 17 Brigade,to the secret safe house to extract around 40 USstaff. The building then came under fire from heavy weapons. "I don't knowhow they found the place to carry out the attack. It was planned, the accuracywith which the mortars hit us was too good for any ordinaryrevolutionaries," said Captain Obeidi. "It began to rain down on us,about six mortars fell directly on the path to the villa."
Libyan reinforcements eventually arrived, and the attack ended. News hadarrived of Mr Stevens, and his body was picked up from the hospital and takenback to Tripoli with the other deadand the survivors.
Mr Stevens' mother, Mary Commanday, spoke of her son yesterday. "He didlove what he did, and he did a very good job with it. He could have done a lotof other things, but this was his passion. I have a hole in my heart," shesaid.