Benghazi Attack , some thoughts, may not go over very well

State Department Throws Hillary And Obama Under The Bus, Denies Ever Concluding Movie Protest Led To Benghazi Attack « Pat Dollard

I understand it is fashionable for republicans like me to move the Benghazi Attack into a Political Event.

First may I point out some folks, very good folks, lost their lives that night, and that is something that I and I hope you mourn as a great loss to all of us and our country and the families and friends of the people that died.

Second, we do not know all the facts about this incident yet, and may I say, some very good people are making some assumptions that, while possibly true, may not reflect the way things happen.  If it went as I think it possibly did, then the lives of the two former Seal's rest on the actions of a Diplomat that was doing what he thought was right, and bet wrong.  The two Seal's may have come into a situation that was out of control before they could ever act.  If that happen then the weight of the souls of those two men, probably weighs very heavy on the soul of the diplomat.

From my limited, very limited experience, I have been in situations that were against all US security regulations as set by State SY.  I was a civilian working for an NGO under a US Aid contract.  I first went into the situation with a full contingent of local security in two pickup trucks leading and following our car.  This is some 10 men with AK-47's bouncing around some rough roads, with at least 4 in each truck hanging on to a metal frame in the back of little Datsun Pickup trucks.

It drew a lot of attention, many of whom where not supporters of my security team, making me more of a target than I felt I may have been with out them.

I avoided my security team, from then on when in the situation, and moved in a more low profile mode, relying on my sponsors to keep us out of trouble, which for the most part they did.

So I guess the first comment is the Ambassador may have opted to be a little lower key, and felt the risk was lower with a lower profile.

My second comment is that if local security is the option, you have to worry about their training, you have to worry about the people local who do not like the team that is your security.  In Benghazi right now, picking the right side is very difficult, so the Ambassador may have decided to once again think he was better off with a lower profile.

Going further as my situation got worse, I was advised to not to go into it, and finally a deal was reached for me to enter via another route, but with the stipulation that I wear a armored vest.  I had to call into the area, and ask if it was going to be a problem for me to wear a vest into the compound.  I was told yes, as long as I did not feel I had to wear it when there, an agreement was reached.

I say all this for my final comment on this issue for now, when you are in an area that you are out numbered by a group that is perhaps on your side at the moment, but could be against you in a second, and worse, the group on your side, is much smaller than the group that has said they want to kill you if you get out of line.  In situations like this, security is great, but in the end it is up to the people around you if you live or not.  Those people are not US security they are the people of the area, so anyone with me would have been in as much danger or even more than I.  Hence, it was my call, if it was a bad call, your only hope is no one is hurt trying to protect you in a situation like that.

Which is why I started this out with if the two former Seal's came into a situation like this because a decision the Ambassador made, his soul is probably weighed down by the lives of the brave men that came in to save him.

Ambassadors, and other State Department people make calls like this every day in this world.  Yes there are rules that they are supposed to follow, but at times they may feel the risk, is worth the effort to keep the USA the positive power in the world it is.  We all owe them a lot, and my prayers are for the 4 brave souls that died in this incident.

But remember I could be all wrong here, the investigation will have to continue, and books on the subject will have to be written.

Rich