By José Carlos Palma *
The Benghazi attack of September 11-12, 2012, was a terrorist attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. The attack resulted in the deaths of U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, as well as extensive damage to the compound.
The attack began on the evening of September 11, when militants armed with heavy weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades and mortars, attacked the U.S. compound in Benghazi. The attackers set fire to the main building and engaged in a prolonged firefight with security personnel. U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and Information Management Officer Sean Smith were killed in the initial attack.
A group of U.S. security personnel, including former Navy SEALs Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, attempted to rescue the remaining personnel at the compound. However, their efforts were hampered by the lack of reinforcements and support from the U.S. government.
The attack continued into the early morning hours of September 12, when the attackers launched a second assault on a nearby CIA annex. During this attack, former Navy SEALs Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods were killed.
The initial response from the U.S. government to the attack was heavily criticized, with many arguing that the Obama administration failed to provide adequate security for the U.S. compound and failed to respond effectively to the attack. In the weeks following the attack, the U.S. government launched an investigation into the incident, with the findings ultimately leading to a significant shakeup in the State Department leadership.
Subsequent investigations by the U.S. government revealed that the attack was premeditated and carried out by militants with ties to terrorist organizations. The attack was planned and coordinated by Ansar al-Sharia, an Islamist militant group that had emerged in Libya following the overthrow of longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
The Benghazi attack has had significant political consequences, with many critics of the Obama administration using it as a rallying cry for increased scrutiny of government policies related to national security and foreign affairs. The incident has also highlighted the ongoing instability and violence in Libya, which has continued to be plagued by conflict and political turmoil in the years since the attack.
In conclusion, the Benghazi attack of September 2012 was a tragic event that resulted in the deaths of four Americans and significant damage to the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi. The attack was carried out by militants with ties to terrorist organizations, and it has had significant political consequences in the United States. While the attack has faded from the headlines in recent years, it remains a significant event in the ongoing conflicts and instability in the Middle East and North Africa.
The U.S. government conducted several investigations into the Benghazi attack, including a review by the State Department’s Accountability Review Board (ARB) and congressional inquiries by the House Select Committee on Benghazi and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
The ARB report, released in December 2012, found that “systemic failures and leadership and management deficiencies” at the State Department were contributing factors to the security failures at the Benghazi compound. The report made a number of recommendations for improving the State Department’s security posture and crisis management capabilities.
The House Select Committee on Benghazi was established in 2014 and conducted a multi-year investigation into the attack. The committee’s final report, released in 2016, concluded that “senior government officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, approved a plan to intentionally mislead the American people” about the nature of the attack and its causes. The report was controversial and heavily criticized by Democrats, who accused the committee of pursuing a politically motivated investigation.
The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs also conducted an investigation into the attack, releasing a bipartisan report in 2014 that found “no evidence of an intelligence failure” related to the attack. The report did, however, criticize the State Department for its security posture in Benghazi and its response to the attack.
Overall, the investigations into the Benghazi attack revealed significant deficiencies in the U.S. government’s security posture and crisis management capabilities, as well as political disagreements about the causes and consequences of the attack.
* Expert in international relations, such as foreign policy, international trade, domestic security, international security, developing nations, and domestic security, intelligence, and military.