Benghazi Murdered Ambassador Chris Stevens Warned Consulate 'Co

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Ambassador murdered in Benghazi warnedConsulate 'could not withstand coordinatedattack', secret cable reveals

Chris Stevens expressed concerns that Consulate was not adequately protectedeven on the day he was killed by Al-Qaeda attackOfficials had held an emergency meeting three weeks earlier and asked Tripoliconsulate for a strengthening of securityIntelligence revealed ten Al-Qaeda training camps in the area as Libyan

Government lost grip on the cityIt follows claims made on Facebook that President Obama denied SEALs back-upas Benghazi was overrun

By Adam Shergold

PUBLISHED: 04:50 EST, 1 November 2012 | UPDATED: 06:33 EST, 1 November 2012

Killed: The American Ambassador Chris Stevens died in the attack by Al-Qaeda militantson the US Consulate in Benghazi on September 11

hazi: Murdered Ambassador Chris Stevens warned Consulate 'coul... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2226160/Benghazi-Mu

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Officials feared the US Consulate in Benghazi was vulnerable to a 'co-ordinated attack' and had convened an'emergency meeting' just weeks before Ambassador Chris Stevens was killed in an assault by Al-Qaeda, aclassified cable reveals.

Mr Stevens and three other Americans were killed in a six-hour, commando-style attack on the US Mission inthe Libyan city on September 11, for which Al Qaeda in North Africa and Islamist militia Ansar al-Sharia wereimplicated.

Classified cables obtained by Fox News reveal concerns expressed by the State Department's senior security

officer in an emergency meeting on August 15 that the consulate could not be protected.

It also said that consular staff knew Al-Qaeda and their affiliates were running ten training camps in Benghaziand that an attack was likely.

'RSO (Regional Security Officer) expressed concerns with the ability to defend Post in the event of acoordinated attack due to limited manpower, security measures, weapons capabilities, host nation support,and the overall size of the compound,' the cable said.

The consulate's Emergency Action Committee had been briefed 'on the location of approximately ten Islamistmilitia and AQ (Al-Qaeda) training camps within Benghazi' and had asked the consulate in the capital Tripolifor 'additional physical security upgrades.'

The cable suggested there was no specific evidence that the US consulate would be attacked but warned thatthe Libyan Government was in danger of losing control in Benghazi.

It states: '...did not have information suggesting that these entities were targeting Americans but did caveatthat (there was not) a complete picture of their intentions yet.

'RSO noted that the Benghazi militias have become more brazen in their actions and have little fear of reprisalfrom the (government of Libya).'

Gutted: Secret cables have revealed that officials based in Benghazi feared a

'co-ordinated attack' on the consulate


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Scene of destruction: Glass, debris and overturned furniture inside the Benghazi

consulate. An emergency meeting had been held over security concerns three weeksbefore the attack

In a further three-page cable sent on the day he died, Mr Stevens wrote about 'growing problems with security'in Benghazi and 'growing frustration' with the security forces and Libyan police, who were 'too weak' toguarantee their security.

The US State Department said it would investigate the attack.

The revelations follow a message posted on Facebook by Navy SEALs claiming that President Obama deniedthem back-up as militants overran Benghazi.

The social networking site twice removed the message, which was contained in a meme suggesting Obamahad relied on the SEALs when he wanted to kill Osama Bin Laden, but had denied them help when they calledfor it in Libya.

The message was posted by the Special Operations Speaks PAC (SOS), an organisation founded by SpecialOperations veterans dedicated to protecting forces at home and abroad, and was shared 30,000 time within

24 hours of being posted.

It reignited the debate over how much the administration knew about the circumstances of the Benghazi attackand could influence the result of this month's presidential election.


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Astonishing claim: This message posted on Facebook suggested that President Obama

denied SEALs back-up in Benghazi

Also last week, ex-Navy SEAL Tyrone Woods, part of a small team at the CIA annex about a mile from the

consulate, claimed he twice asked his superiors if he could go and assist the consular staff during the attackbut was denied.

Sources claimed a desperate last request for military assistance made by the CIA when they were attacked

was denied, even though elite counter-terrorism units were only two hours away.


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Woods and two others defied the orders and made their way to the consulate, by this time ablaze, and startedfiring on the attackers.

Their presence helped an evacuation of the main building and recovered the body of State Department staffmember Sean Smith, who had been killed in the initial attack.

However, the CIA team were unable to locate Ambassador Stevens and returned to their own base aroundmidnight, where they came under attack themselves.

At this point, they called for assistance from Sigonella Air Base in Italy, two hours away, but air support wastold to wait - despite the gun battle raging for four hours.


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Rescue: Former SEAL Tyrone Woods (left), who worked at the CIA annex a mile awayfrom the besieged consulate, twice asked his superiors if he could go to their aid. After

twice being denied permission, he went anyway and managed to recover the body of

State Department staff member Sean Smith (right)

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.......and why hasn't Hillary Clinton been held accountable for this cover-up!!!!??????

- Mari Santos , USA, 01/11/2012 13:42

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Benghazi Murdered Ambassador Chris Stevens Warned Consulate 'Co