Benghazi Security improvements didn’t come because Chris Stevens, U.S. Ambassador To Libya, rejected them.
That’s the latest Benghazi controversy-related news coming from U.S. Government Officials as told to McClachy News Service. It’s not known clearly why Chris Stevens made such a decision. Ambassador Stevens died of smoke inhalation in the first of two attacks that took place late Sept. 11 2012 and early Sept. 12, 2012.
The embassy drafted a cable explaining the dire situation and a meeting that was held August 15th to talk about them. The cable has not been made public but reportedly says “In light of the uncertain security environment, US Mission Benghazi will submit specific requests to US Embassy Tripoli for additional physical security upgrades and staffing needs by separate cover.”
Army Gen. Carter Ham, then the head of the U.S. Africa Command, reportedly did not wait for the separate cable. Instead, after reading the Aug. 16 cable, Ham phoned Stevens and asked if the embassy needed a special security team from the U.S. military. Stevens told Ham it did not, the officials said.
Weeks later, Stevens traveled to Germany for an already scheduled meeting with Ham at AFRICOM headquarters. During that meeting, Ham again offered additional military assets, and Stevens again said no, the two officials said.
“He didn’t say why. He just turned it down,” said a defense official who did not want to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject according to the McClatchy report.
Stay tuned.