In her new book “Hard Choices,” former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reportedly claims there were Marines guarding the U.S. embassy in Tripoli at the time of the infamous Sept. 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya–a statement that appears to contradict the sworn testimony of senior officers.
The book, due out tomorrow, dedicates a full chapter to Benghazi, which has become a symbolic event for many characterizing the perceived failures of the current administration. Four Americans were killed in those attacks as the Defense Department scrambled to deploy a Marine Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team from Rota, Spain to Libya. Controversy still swirls about why the troops were unable to reach the site of the attack sooner, and the incident prompted Congress to fund an additional 1,000 Marine security guards for U.S. embassies around the globe.
Reportedly, Clinton seems to avoid the issue in her retelling of events.
Writes CNN Chief Washington Correspondent Jake Tapper on The Lead blog:
Noting how many members of the public and Congress were surprised upon discovering “there were no U.S. Marines assigned to our Benghazi compound,” Clinton notes that Marines are assigned to only slightly more than 50% of the diplomatic posts throughout the globe, focused primarily on protecting, and if need be destroying classified items.
“So while there were Marines stationed at our embassy in Tripoli, where nearly all of our diplomats worked and which had the capability to process classified material, because there was no classified processing at the diplomatic compound in Benghazi, there were no Marines posted there,” Clinton writes.
It’s accurate that there were no Marines at the U.S. compounds in Benghazi – Clinton doesn’t go into it, but one of those compounds was a CIA compound with its own force protection.
But, as Gen. Carter Ham, the former commander of Africa Command, testified before Congress on June 26, 2013, “there was no Marine security detachment in Tripoli.”
A Clinton aide told Tapper that Clinton is not wrong here, but is talking about the period after the attack, when a Marine guard unit was sent to Tripoli. But the passage itself hardly makes that clear.
As a prospective presidential frontrunner for 2016, Clinton’s actions and words are already under heavy scrutiny. She has come under fire particularly from the Republican right, which has championed the victims of the Benghazi attacks and criticized Clinton’s handling of the tragedy.
This passage will undoubtedly raise even more questions for Clinton in the days ahead.
13 Comments
I just want to get to the bottom of this with no redacted and blacked out e-mails and testimony from those on the ground
My opinion is that we’ve lost so much trust over the past few years. I’m not saying this is a newfound loss as much as I’m saying that social media makes us all much more connected. Because of this tighter connection we all feel, the American People are able to voice their opinions louder than ever before. The American People don’t trust the administration. The American People don’t trust Congress. And it’s only gonna get worse for subsequent administrations. So the best advice I can give is to come clean and tell the truth. If it’s a screw up, say it’s a screw up and move on. The American People are also forgiving. But to continue to lie to us and pretend that we are too ignorant or lazy to care is probably the most dangerous mistake any politician or administration can make.
There is a MEU stationed in the Mediterranean 24 hours a day. The type of scenario is why the MEUs were created and deployed. They can be summoned 24 hours a day. Why weren’t they deployed to Ben-excuseme? Probably because they were not ordered to. That comes from the top down, not the other way around.
BS……..Yes there are Marines at a little over 50% of the posts, but at 100% of the Embassies and everywhere there is an Embassador……So I call BS
And I am a former watchstander
Who gives a shit anymore. Don’t you idiots realize your Government is the scum of the earth and are total losers. Lies, scandals, corruption etc. etc. Blow up your television and throw away all the propaganda bullshit papers, magazines etc. and live your own lives. Stop letting his Government and reality T.V. and CNN brainwash your minds. Stop with foreign policy shit too. Fucking take care of our own interests here at home and all the people sufferin in our own backyard. Clinton is a fucking tool everything that comes outta that pie hole is nothing but lies.
The families care, Eric, that is who! Plus the millions of people who want the truth. You sound just like Hillary with that comment. what difference does it make now or words to that effect. Do you vote Eric? Then punch the ballot where it will make a difference.
Hillary sent Stingers to terrorists which were then used to kill American soldiers http://spookdblog.blogspot.com/2014/06/hillarys-missile-deal-cost-us-lives.html
For some there is a difference between a Marine Security Detachment and a Marine Embassy Security Guard Detachment. The Embassy Guard Marines protect the classified documents and equipment at the embassy and normally is quite small in size, not large enough to repel a group as large as those attacking in Benghazi. They would have still needed to protect the embassy. Normally they are understaffed. Marine Security Detachment would be more likely referred to as a FAST team. A larger team for rapid deployment into hostile areas. Semper Fi, Former MSG
The whole myth around Benghazzi is around making the POTUS illegitimate, it happened around the election and so we then had some who thought this would be a big Scandel and Romney would win. We now have a group who somehow think if we can just retroactively find the Scandel we will cancel the election and Romney will be POTUS. However most of what is going on is people who know better making money off it.
There were 2 attacks that night and the first one was over in about an hour and at that point Ambassador Stevens was dead. No one can react with special forces from overseas in minutes.
The second attack the following morning killed 2 security contractors including one who was part of a group who had just frown from Tripoli. I’m sorry but they were security contractors being well paid in a dangerous situation, where is the outcry about those killed in Iraq, Afghanistan or elsewhere.
There were no Marines in Benghazi because there was no diplomatic post there. It was a CIA post and operation. There were 15 security with Stevens at the time of the attack. They screwed up .
The navy knew what was happening and the Admiral in charge wanted to send in marines from the MAU. He was told to stand down. When he refused, POTUS relieved him.
Ya I stopped voting years ago and came to realize your vote doesn’t count for shit. Your voice is voiceless Bonione don’t you know that yet. The politicians with the most money win their seat not some lame ass vote, get a fucking clue. Every time I vote for something then gets put into law it always gets overturned a couple years later by some loser judge who got kickbacks and bribes for example, Prop 8 in California. Now ever FAG in the state can get married, that’s Democracy at it’s best fucking right on. Here’s a news flash for you Bonione those families will never get the truth nor will all the other famalies that lost loved ones due to this Governments fuck ups. Stop believing everything you read in the paper and CNN stupid and stop being a sheep and think for yourself. Your nothing but a tool.