Ambassador Stevens, who was visiting Benghazi at the time, retired to his room at about 9 pm and about 40 minutes later gunfire and explosions were heard near the front gate. A
Predator drone that was already performing Libyan surveillance missions was moved into position over the compound,
[24] which was protected by five diplomatic security agents and four Libyans who were members of a militia assisting the Libyan government.
[23] Large numbers of armed men shouting "
Allah Akbar" stormed the compound from multiple directions
[25][26] and entered the building occupied by the ambassador, but did not see him as he had retreated with a security agent, 31 year old David Ubben, to a "safe haven" behind a locked metal grill. Before leaving, however, the attackers poured diesel fuel in and around the building and set it on fire. The security agent, who later said he was unable to see more than three feet through the smoke, led the ambassador and information officer Sean Smith to an exterior window. Ubben exited through the window expecting the other two to follow but they did not.
[23]
A quick reaction force from the
CIA annex arrived and attempted to secure the perimeter and locate the ambassador but were unable to find Stevens in the smoke-filled building. The team then decided to return to the annex with the survivors and Smith's body, which they did find. While en route back to the annex, the group's armored vehicle was hit by
AK-47 rifle fire and hand grenades. The vehicle was able to make it to its destination with two flat tires, however.
[23]
At about 1 am the body of Ambassador Stevens was found by local citizens and taken to the Benghazi Medical Center. At the hospital Stevens was administered
CPR for 90 minutes by Dr. Ziad Abu Zeid.
[27] According to Abu Zeid, Stevens died from asphyxiation caused by smoke inhalation. A 22-year-old freelance videographer, Fahd al-Bakoush, later published a video
[28] showing Libyans trying to extract the unconscious ambassador from a smoke-filled room.
[29][30]
Abdel-Monem Al-Hurr, the spokesman for Libya's Supreme Security Committee, said roads leading to the Benghazi consulate compound were sealed off and Libyan state security forces had surrounded it
After the consulate attack and before the annex attack, Libyan government forces met up a group of Americans (believed to be eight reinforcements from Tripoli) that had arrived at the Benghazi airport and went with them to the CIA annex at about 4am to assist in transporting approximately 32 Americans at the annex back to the airport for evacuation. As they were at the annex arranging for the transportation back to the airport a single shot rang out, quickly followed by RPGs and then a mortar that hit the annex roof killing Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods while operating their machine gun
[24] while Ubben suffered
shrapnel injuries and several broken bones. According to Ubben's father, "The first [mortar] dropped 50 yards short and the next two were right on target."
[35]. Shooting at the annex went on for a quarter of an hour before it stopped as abruptly as it had started. There were no further attacks on the annex.
now LL tell everyone how many you send, who you send, and where you send them to avert sporatic attacks at 2 different locations ...
then kiss my ass.
