Over the weekend, Fox News interviewed the authors of a new book, 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi, written by security contractors at the CIA annex compound in Benghazi, that contained fresh perspective on CIA delays in Benghazi that left the consulate unprotected during the attacks.
A previous Senate Select Committee report found that “there was no formal written agreement about how security should be handled between the {State Department and CIA facilities} in Benghazi” which could have led to delays and confusion. Such formal agreements are under the purview of the Secretary of State per U.S. code.
The top 3 takeaways from the Fox interview:
1. CIA contractors understood that the diplomatic facility in Benghazi was insecure and bluntly told the mission that a terrorist attack would be deadly.
2. During the attack, the CIA contractors were repeatedly told to stand down and not rush to the diplomatic facility and defend Ambassador Stevens and the rest at the facility.
3. The contractors believe that had they not been told to stand down, Ambassador Stevens and Sean Smith would be alive today.