Benghazi Notes

Documenting the worst betrayal in US history. Sources include @HouseBenghazi @KenTimmerman @SharylAttkisson Mitchell Zuckoff @BenghaziAttacks @BradleyPodliska

[Benghazi Notes @BenghaziNotes]

After 2 near misses, the attackers had adjusted their targeting and landed a direct hit on the roof of Building C, halfway between Rone and Oz in the NW corner, and Ubben in the NE corner. (4/4)

[Benghazi Notes @BenghaziNotes]

Another explosion from a mortar hit almost directly atop the north wall, 30 feet from Ubben's post. Ubben yelled out that he was hit and sat on a wooden box with his hands pressed to his head. (1/4)

[Benghazi Notes @BenghaziNotes]

Rone and Oz intensified their return fire after the explosion. As Oz reloaded, Rone increased his rate of fire as the primary defender of all Americans in the Annex. Then another mortar exploded. Rone stopped firing. (3/4)

[Benghazi Notes @BenghaziNotes]

The response he got was that the team had received orders from the Commander of the Libya Shield militia, Wissam bin Hamid, to immediately return to their base on the other side of town instead of staying to help defend the Annex. (3/3)

[Benghazi Notes @BenghaziNotes]

An American witness testified to the @HouseBenghazi committee that a Libya Shield sub-commander with the motorcade that transported Team Tripoli to the Annex also joined them inside Building C when the evacuation plan was being discussed before the mortar attack commenced. (1/3)

[Benghazi Notes @BenghaziNotes]

The sub-commander that the witness was referring to was Libya Shield Two Captain Fathi al-Obeidi. When the motorcade sped off after the first mortar explosion, Fathi was alarmed and frantically called his departed team, asking them why they had left him behind. (2/3)

[Benghazi Notes @BenghaziNotes]

Tanto hoped that the motorcade was leaving only to find the source of the mortar attacks, but considered it was just as likely that they were fleeing the assault. (5/5)

[Benghazi Notes @BenghaziNotes]

At around 5:15AM an RPG or mortar slammed outside the Annex's north wall. Immediately shots were fired at the men on Building C from gunmen hiding in Zombieland. Rone and Oz responded instantly, unleashing a lethal torrent of return fire wherever they saw muzzle flashes. (1/5)

[Benghazi Notes @BenghaziNotes]

But he soon speculated that the mortar fire may be setting up an assault from the field on the south. When he turned around to look over the south wall he saw the 10-vehicle militia motorcade speed away to parts unknown. (4/5)

[Benghazi Notes @BenghaziNotes]

No sooner had Tanto ended his radio call when he heard a strange whooshing sound. He pressed the call button on the radio again and asked "Incoming?" (4/4)

[Benghazi Notes @BenghaziNotes]

Bub greeted his longtime friend Rone on the Building C roof, with Oz a foot to his right. Dave Ubben stood watch at the far NE corner of the roof about 45 ft. from Oz. Rone introduced Bub to Oz. "Glen's a sniper too. We need another good shooter up here." (1/4)

[Benghazi Notes @BenghaziNotes]

Atop Building A, Tanto noticed that the Libya Shield motorcade had remained stationary outside the front gate. He radioed to ask why the militia hadn't used their vehicles to create blocking positions on surrounding streets to prevent a 3rd attack on the Annex. (3/4)

[Benghazi Notes @BenghaziNotes]

@jonkessler20 @sarahadams Gaddafi's men.

[Benghazi Notes @BenghaziNotes]

The evacuation plan called for Team Tripoli to lead a tightly controlled withdrawal of the 5 compound survivors and most of the Annex staff. Americans would be staggered among the Libya Shield motorcade that were parked outside the front gate. The motorcade would retrace their route to Benina Airport, and the Americans would fly back to Tripoli on the small jet that Team Tripoli had chartered for the flight to #Benghazi. However the plane was too small for the roughly 30 Americans to fly together. As a result, the initial evacuation wouldn't include GRS team and the other #Benghazi fighters or the remains of Sean Smith. They would stay behind at the Annex until they got word that another plane had arrived for them. (1/2)

[Benghazi Notes @BenghaziNotes]

@sarahadams An important clarification thank you! The timeline will be corrected going forward.

[Sarah Adams @sarahadams]

Remember it wasn’t Libya Shield, it was Libyan Military Intelligence, that info is incorrect in 13 hours and most US government publication except the Select Committee on Benghazi report, when we were in Benghazi a few weeks ago we asked who the senior most commander of the unit was to see if we could meet him, he’s unfortunately deceased now and never got a thank you in anyway from the U.S. government for moving the CIA and State Officers to the airport after the 6 attacks

[Benghazi Notes @BenghaziNotes]

When the 2nd plane landed, the plan was for the Libya Shield motorcade to return to the Annex and escort the remaining Americans and Sean Smith's remains to the Airport. Attempts were under way to work with local contacts to retrieve Chris Stevens's body from Benghazi Medical Center to be brought on the 2nd plane to Tripoli. From there, operators could arrange flights back to the US, and the 2 fallen Americans to Andrews AFB in Maryland. (2/2)