Published September 13, 2012 / Associated Press
BENGHAZI, Libya – Heavily armed militants (click here) used a protest of an anti-Islam film as a cover and may have had help from inside Libyan security in their deadly attack on the U.S. Consulate, a senior Libyan official said Thursday.
As Libya announced the first four arrests, the clearest picture yet emerged of a two-pronged assault with militants screaming "God is great!" as they scaled the consulate's outer walls and descended on the compound's main building.
The rampage killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans.
Eastern Libya's deputy interior minister, Wanis el-Sharef, said a mob first stormed the consulate Tuesday night and then, hours later, raided a safe house in the compound just as U.S. and Libyan security arrived to evacuate the staff. That suggested, el-Sharef said, that infiltrators within the security forces may have tipped off the militants to the safe house's location.
The attacks were suspected to have been timed to coincide with the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist strike in the United States, el-Sharef added, with the militants using the film protest by Libyan civilians to mask their action....
There was no misinformation except what was misstated in the press and by the Romney camp surrounding this attack. Secretary Clinton had it correct from the beginning. It was picked up and reported correctly by the AP. If the Romney Camp wants to exaggerate the press reports for their own purpose that is their strategy. They are trying to discredit the President and his administration for the election. That is Romney's methodology. He hasn't got a case against President Obama so he has to make things up.
The security company for this consulate would have been dispatched by the Regional Security Officers. It was probably a very routine assignment for them to hire private contractors for small contingencies. The one chosen was more than likely immediately available with qualifications to meet the requirements of State Department policy. I think the security personnel were qualified, they put their lives on the line, they died protecting the Ambassador, they miss judged the danger. It happens sometimes. There is no crimes or misdirection of policy by the State Department.
