Originally published September 11, 2023 9:00 am PDT
A recently uncovered email pertaining to the 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. Special Mission Compound in Benghazi, Libya, has reignited debates on the U.S. military’s response to the crisis.
The email was sent by then-Department of Defense Chief of Staff, Jeremy Bash, to State Department officials, suggesting that there were forces ready to assist in Benghazi shortly after the attack commenced, according to Judicial Watch.
Bash’s email, sent at 7:19 p.m. ET on September 11, 2012, only a few hours post the initial assault, stated: “we have identified the forces that could move to Benghazi. They are spinning up as we speak.”
However, the exact details regarding which military forces were available for deployment have been redacted, with the Obama administration citing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) exemption allowing the omission of “deliberative process” information.
Interestingly, this email appears to challenge the statements made by then-Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta during his 2013 testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Panetta had defended the Obama administration’s inaction, stating that “time, distance, the lack of an adequate warning, events that moved very quickly on the ground prevented a more immediate response.”
For context, the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi started around 9:40 pm local time, with a second assault at a nearby CIA annex occurring roughly three hours later.
This subsequent attack, lasting until approximately 5:15 a.m. local time, resulted in the deaths of security officers Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.
The email, addressed to high-ranking State Department officials including Jacob Sullivan, Wendy Sherman, and Thomas Nides, read:
“I just tried you on the phone but you were all in with S [apparent reference to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton]. After consulting with General Dempsey, General Ham and the Joint Staff, we have identified the forces that could move to Benghazi. They include a [REDACTED]. Assuming Principals agree to deploy these elements, we will ask State to procure the approval from host nation. Please advise how you wish to convey that approval to us [REDACTED].”
Gregory Hicks, who was the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. embassy in Tripoli during the attack, in his 2013 testimony to Congress, noted the potential impact of a quicker military response.
He mentioned, “if we had been able to scramble a fighter or aircraft or two over Benghazi as quickly as possible after the attack commenced, I believe there would not have been a mortar attack on the annex in the morning because I believe the Libyans would have split. They would have been scared to death that we would have gotten a laser on them and killed them.”
Ultimately, it was Special Operations forces, acting on their initiative, who moved from Tripoli to support Benghazi.
Other military resources were only deployed for the evacuation of U.S. personnel and to recover the deceased and injured.
Documents released earlier by Judicial Watch raised concerns about the availability of U.S. planes for evacuation and whether the delay in military support could have led to more casualties.
This email was unveiled due to a FOIA lawsuit initiated by Judicial Watch in 2014.
In response to the recent findings, Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton commented, “The Obama administration and Clinton officials hid this compelling Benghazi email for years. The email makes readily apparent that the military was prepared to launch immediate assistance that could have made a difference, at least at the CIA Annex. The fact that the Obama Administration withheld this email for so long only worsens the scandal of Benghazi.”
