Senate: DSS “did not fire a shot” in Benghazi
As the Senate intelligence committee report comes out in drips and drabs, our buddy, Rowan Scarborough at the Washington Times, reports that the committee discovered that the Diplomatic Security Service agents did not fire a shot during the entire engagement at the Benghazi consulate. Oh, they had guns and bullet thingies, but I guess they were just for appearances;
The Senate report says that as Islamist militants broke through the compound’s gate and began setting buildings on fire, diplomatic security agents retrieved their M4 carbine assault rifles. The agents then moved toward Building C to protect U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, who had holed up inside.
“They encountered armed attackers and decided to return to Building B to take cover rather than open fire,” the 85-page report says. “They eventually regrouped, made their way to a nearby armored vehicle, and then drove over to assist [an] agent on the roof of building C searching for the ambassador.”
“The DS agents did not fire a single shot that night during the attack on the Temporary Mission Facility,” the report states.
Douglas Frantz, the State Department’s assistant secretary for public affairs, said the agents followed protocol.
So, I guess protocol involves looking as cool as you can look during firefights without actually doing anything to turn the tide of the battle.
The thinking was, if they went in there guns ablaze, they would simply draw fire on themselves and reduce any chance they had of finding Sean Smith and Chris Stevens alive inside the building.
I hope they were all wearing their Oakleys, well, unless that’s not protocol, either. Yeah, I wasn’t there and I shouldn’t second guess anyone, but if people are shooting at me, and I have a gun and bullet thingies, you can bet that no reporter will be able to ever write truthfully that I never fired a round.
Category: Terror War
Are you fucking shitting me??!!
Didn’t fire a shot, huh? So they just let the fuckers waltz right in and murder the Ambassador? Why spend the taxpayers’ money to give these guys weapons and ammo?
Pathetic.
Wow……just wow.
Give the Torrance PD some range time (and instruction) and contract them out to DSS.
Just like in Hollywood. Look good, but be no more than props as the drama unfolds.
Unfortunately, all the talking, talking, talking about it doesn’t seem to have accomplished much either.
Well that is something those involved will have to live with the rest of their lives… Unreal.
Just no words!
I wasn’t there but here is some stuff from the Senate Report. The sentence from the report: The DS agents did not fire a single shot that night during the attack on the Temporary Mission Facility, according to testimony before the Committee. 18 Footnote 18 said: However, on page 47 of its classified report, the ARB concluded: “While none of the five DS agents discharged their weapons, the Board concluded that this was a sound tactical decision, given the overwhelming degree to which they were outgunned and outnumbered: A decision to discharge their weapons may well have resulted in more American deaths that night, without saving lives. The multiple trips that DS agents and Annex security team members made into a burning, smoke-filled building showed readiness to risk life and limb to save others.” That phrase is not in the unclassified version of the ARB report. The next paragraphs: Outside the compound, the security team asked 17th February Brigade members to “provide cover” for them to advance to the gate of the Temporary Mission Facility with gun trucks. The 17th February Brigade members refused, saying they preferred to negotiate with the attackers instead. Eventually, the security team initiated their plan of assault on the Mission compound. Some members of the 17th February Brigade “jump[ed] into the vehicle” and “a few 17 Feb members follow[ed] behind on foot to support the team” according to the informal CIA notes provided to the Committee.19 When the security team from the Annex arrived on the grounds of the Mission facility, “the officers exchanged fire with the attackers.” The CIA security team carried [redacted]. After pushing back the attacker, the security team joined in the search for the Ambassador. “Annex” is the CIA annex two clicks away where Woods and Doherty died later in a mortar attack. I note the phrase “gun trucks” – plural – so maybe there were more CIA guys than DS guys. A few paragraphs later, the report says that the DS and CIA guys left in two armored trucks that later made it back to the Annex. You gotta love… Read more »
If people are so incompetent that it costs lives they are supposed to protect, why are they still working for us?
“While none of the five DS agents discharged their weapons, the Board concluded that this was a sound tactical decision, given the overwhelming degree to which they were outgunned and outnumbered….” Okay, stop right there. Is it only Monday-morning quaterbacking if one agrees with that conclusion? I think not, given the wonderful mission statements on the DSS website (e.g., “DS plays a vital role in protecting 275 U.S. diplomatic missions and their personnel overseas….”) How about this alternative explanation: The guys were outnumbered and outgunned and beat feet out of Dodge. Screw job #1, protection of consulate personnel. Considering this was the Dept of State’s baby (Wide Load then, Kerrinski today) I’m not buying that sound tactical decision stuff. The quoted line which includes that goes on to say that a “decision to discharge their weapons may well have resulted in more American deaths that night, without saving lives.” Whose lives? My guess is that the lives the report is referring to is the lives of the agents. No doubt the five were either promoted, decorated, or both. That’s always good cover in these type situations.
Maybe they did not fire their weapons because Hillary declared it a gun free zone.
Forgive me for my Wyoming cowboy attitude, but outgunned & outnumbered means you fight till the last. The last round & the last man standing. You hold out until help arrives. Unfortunately there was never any plan to help these men. Just left to die.
WTF?
Scratch that!
WHAT THE FU@K?
Maybe the policy said: “In the event of a spotaneous demostration, because of a bad USPERS who made a bad movie about Mohofu@k (redacted editorial deemed insensitive) or whatever his iliterate name was … Ok … Don’t shoot.”
Must be missing something here. Had the ambassador lived, perhaps the “sound tactical decision” argument would play (OK, seriously, I doubt it, but hey!). Since the ambassador did NOT survive, how can anyone even say the words that it was a good tactical decision?
Must have changed the meaning of the word. This old Air Force type sees Benghazi as a huge, tactical failure. We who don’t
@ 12 … Don’t apologize. You boys up there are leading our counrty in gun ownership.
Run for office!
I agree with you SFC D. If they were not willing to fight they were in the wrong line of work.
Not one casualty among the DSS?
Their Ambassador was killed and not one casualty among his guard force?
Worthless sacks of offal.
My personal guess (only a guess, mind you) is that the five DSS peeps were hiding in a bathroom with the light off, hoping that the whole thing would pass them by.
Whatever, if they didn’t shoot back and actually do what they were paid to do, they are incompetent cowards.
Well we know why they weren’t SEALs.
@ Air Cav. I would have been found dead.
My weapon empty … All mags expended … The blood of Hagi #1, #2 and #3 on my shirt, the heart of the goat in my pocket and an big KMRIA grin on my face.
Screw the failures … I would have fought like others.
On Sept 11 2001 … Covered in cement dust … I felt the same.
“Okay, we have observed for long enough. Your assessment?”
“I say we haul ass.”
“Which way?”
“Where’s the fire coming from?”
“Looks like North and East of us.”
“Then we go West or South.”
“That’s a sound tactical decision, agent. Now move!”
“Wait!”
“What?”
“Do you think we should at least make it look good and fire some?”
“Hell no! Are you nuts? That will draw attention and foul up our tactical response.”
“Oh.”
@15 & 16;
Army kept me in Arizona most of my career, retired there & I’m staying. Brought my Wyoming attitude here & it fits. Hey, I can see Mexico from my house!
Or, they could have executed the plan their learned in their mandatory active shooter scenario. Shelter in place, and maybe they will pass on by.
While this report provided some truths, it was seemingly political since it doesn’t mention any bigwigs by name and proclaims the state department security force “wise tacticians” because they didn’t fire a shot, yet their principle was killed.
My son’s favorite prayer (and he’s not religious):
Lord, make me fast and accurate. Let my aim be true and my hand faster than those who would seek to destroy me. Grant me victory over my foes and those that wish to do harm to me and mine. Let not my last thought be “If only I had my gun”; and Lord if today is truly the day that You call me home, let me die in a pile of brass.
This is pretty shocking. My experience with DSS was the opposite. They volunteered to go out with us and offered their vehicles for us since we didn’t any. They were all about getting some while the local forces shit their pants and his in closets.
I can’t help but believe they had strict orders not to engage here.
A Wow and a WTF. Over?
Have you ever met one of those DoS agents? I met one at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and, if his behavior is indicative of the rest of them, dear Zeus they all suck. Think cowardly 2nd lieutenant on a power trip because he outranks everyone. The one I met was just a college kid that had gone through the 90 day training program by the DoS and was so full of himself…I’ll leave it there. I’m sure there are some good ones but first impressions and all
Run away! Run Away!