Sources: Key task force not convened during Benghazi consulate attack
AP Photo/Mohammad Hannon, File
CBS News has learned that during the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Mission in Benghazi, the Obama Administration did not convene its top interagency counterterrorism resource: the Counterterrorism Security Group, (CSG).
"The CSG is the one group that's supposed to know what resources every agency has. They know of multiple options and have the ability to coordinate counterterrorism assets across all the agencies," a high-ranking government official told CBS News. "They were not allowed to do their job. They were not called upon."
Information shared with CBS News from top counterterrorism sources in the government and military reveal keen frustration over the U.S. response on Sept. 11, the night Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed in a coordinated attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya.
The circumstances of the attack, including the intelligence and security situation there, will be the subject of a Senate Intelligence Committee closed hearing on Nov. 15, with additional hearings to follow.
Counterterrorism sources and internal emails reviewed by CBS News express frustration that key responders were ready to deploy, but were not called upon to help in the attack.
CBS News has agreed not to quote directly from the emails, and to protect the identities of the sources who hold sensitive counterterrorism posts within the State Department, the U.S. military and the Justice Department.
As to why the Counterterrorism Security Group was not convened, National Security Council Spokesman Tommy Vietor told CBS News "From the moment the President was briefed on the Benghazi attack, the response effort was handled by the most senior national security officials in governments. Members of the CSG were of course involved in these meetings and discussions to support their bosses."
Absent coordination from Counterterrorism Security Group, a senior U.S. counterterrorism official says the response to the crisis became more confused. The official says the FBI received a call during the attack representing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and requesting agents be deployed. But he and his colleagues agreed the agents "would not make any difference without security and other enablers to get them in the country and synch their efforts with military and diplomatic efforts to maximize their success."
Another senior counter terrorism official says a hostage rescue team was alternately asked to get ready and then stand down throughout the night, as officials seemed unable to make up their minds.
U.S. consulate attack in Libya
A third potential responder from a counter-terror force stationed in Europe says components of AFICOM -- the military's Africa Command based in Stuttgart, Germany -- were working on course of action during the assault. But no plan was put to use.
"Forces were positioned after the fact but not much good to those that needed it," the military source told CBS News.
"The response process was isolated at the most senior level," says an official referring to top officials in the executive branch. "My fellow counterterrorism professionals and I (were) not consulted."
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The official says a protocol set forth in a classified presidential directive calls for the Counterterrorism Security Group (CSG) to be convened in the event of a possible terrorist attack. According to a public military document, the directive was designed to "synchronize the efforts of all the government agencies that have a role to play in the Global War on Terrorism."
The Administration also didn't call on the only interagency, on-call, short notice team poised to respond to terrorist incidents worldwide: the Foreign Emergency Support Team (FEST). FEST's seasoned experts leave within four hours of notification and can provide "the fastest assistance possible."
FEST Teams deployed immediately after al Qaeda bombings of U.S. embassies in East Africa in 1998, and the USS Cole in 2000, but were not used for Benghazi, to the chagrin of some insiders. It's likely that the CSG task force, if contacted, would have recommended FEST aid.
"First a tactical response was needed," says a senior U.S. counterterrorism official, "and while that was being implemented, the holistic response could have been developed and deployed within hours" which could have allowed the FBI investigate safely on site well ahead of the "24 days it took."
When asked why the FEST wasn't utilized, a State Department official said it was used previously in East Africa because of damage sustained to a U.S. Embassy "to help restore communications and other infrastructure support. In this case, that was unnecessary at Embassy Tripoli."
A White House official told us that at the start of the attack, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Martin Dempsey and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta "looked at available options, and the ones we exercised had our military forces arrive in less than 24 hours, well ahead of timelines laid out in established policies." He also said a "small group of reinforcements" was sent from Tripoli to Benghazi, but declined to say how many or what time they arrived. The Pentagon moved a team of special operators from central Europe to Sigonella, Italy but gave no other details.
Ambassador Stevens and three other Americans died in a protracted battle over the course of eight hours. It's believed two of the victims, Navy SEALs Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty, died in a mortar attack some six or seven hours after the U.S. Mission was first overrun by a terrorist mob that burned buildings and used AK-47 rifles, bombs, and mortars.
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it's just so sick to listen to Obama, Hillary and other top officials talking about the video over and over immediately after the attack. what's their problem not to protect those 4 people there, and to divert the attention to a stupid video instead?
Obama 2012: Dope
https://twitter.com/CharlesDharapak/status/245893711257563136/photo/1/large
You are one disgustingly sick individual!
There's more mounting evidence that a CIA team reached the consulate in about a half-hour after the first call for assistance went out and the consulate was evacuated in about an hour.
See Reuters, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Business Week and many more.
This seven hour nonsense is just that nonsense.
In other words, your stories are pure lies put out by Axelrod, Obama's campaign manager. Pure lies.
Saving American lives was not a part of Obama's political agenda and that is why Obama had to search for yet another lie to tell the American people in order to cover up his incompetence as president and what better ploy than an Anti-Muslim video. Obama knew from the beginning that it was Al Qaeda that had attacked the American Embassy in Libya (the same TERROIST group that had attacked America on 9/11), but how would this look for him before elections if he had been able to kill the leader of Al Qaeda but was incapable of controling Osama's Islamist Militant terroist organization.
The ex-Navy seals at the CIA annex near the consulate had asked officials at the White House numerous times for permission to help those under attack at our consulate and they were told each time to stand down. The ex-Navy seals had decided to disobey the callous orders coming from the White House and decided to instead follow their Navy Seal Creed "To Never Leave a Man Behind"
After aiding in the escape of the American Citizens from the consulate they again asked for help and were once again denied and shortly after their last plea they were killed by mortar fire.
The irony of this whole situation is that Obama has constantly reminded Americans of the great INTEL work that went into finding and killing the TERRORIST Osama Bin Laden, yet he is now telling the American people that he was completely unaware of the circumstances in Libya.
CBS, NBC, MSNBC, ABC, CNN are all in bed with this administration and they are all well aware of the evidence and circumstances of the attack on our U.S. embassy in Libya, yet they have decided to not inform the American people of the truth. Unfortunately, true honest journalism is practically dead in this country and the news media knows its power of influence. Why do you think communist countries have state ran media.
There were many more events that took place on that fateful night in Libya and it will only be a matter of time before the truth will be known and justice will be served for those American whose lives were denied by our government.
it's 4 people's lives we are talking about, and Obama should take the responsibility for these 4 deaths.