1 00:00:16,271 --> 00:00:22,910 Speaker 1: Pushkin. Hey Leon here, Before we get to this episode, 2 00:00:22,991 --> 00:00:24,631 Speaker 1: I want to let you know that you can binge 3 00:00:24,671 --> 00:00:28,911 Speaker 1: the entire season of Fiasco Benghazi right now, add free 4 00:00:28,951 --> 00:00:32,311 Speaker 1: by becoming a Pushkin Plus subscriber. Sign up for Pushkin 5 00:00:32,351 --> 00:00:35,711 Speaker 1: Plus on the Fiasco Apple podcast show page, or visit 6 00:00:35,751 --> 00:00:41,431 Speaker 1: Pushkin dot fm slash Plus Now onto the show. Please 7 00:00:41,471 --> 00:00:44,790 Speaker 1: note this episode contains descriptions of violence some listeners may 8 00:00:44,790 --> 00:00:53,911 Speaker 1: find disturbing. Previously on Fiasco. 9 00:00:54,671 --> 00:00:57,111 Speaker 2: The Arab Spring had arrived in Libya. 10 00:00:57,351 --> 00:01:00,031 Speaker 1: They were saying, wake up, wake up, Benghazi. 11 00:01:00,231 --> 00:01:00,990 Speaker 3: This is the day. 12 00:01:01,031 --> 00:01:02,431 Speaker 4: If you are waiting. 13 00:01:02,151 --> 00:01:06,751 Speaker 2: Forward, It's not usual to send in a diplomat and 14 00:01:06,791 --> 00:01:08,071 Speaker 2: basically say make your way. 15 00:01:08,511 --> 00:01:10,231 Speaker 5: I was very worried about it. Secure it eight. 16 00:01:10,271 --> 00:01:13,671 Speaker 1: Six months after the uprising, Olivia is flooded with weapons 17 00:01:13,671 --> 00:01:16,511 Speaker 1: and faces a potential power vacuum. The country is now 18 00:01:16,551 --> 00:01:19,151 Speaker 1: at risk of being taken over by extremists. 19 00:01:19,231 --> 00:01:22,431 Speaker 2: You Americans need to watch out because the people who 20 00:01:22,431 --> 00:01:26,991 Speaker 2: you're dealing with are not your friends. 21 00:01:33,431 --> 00:01:37,351 Speaker 3: Man plus X equals Islamic terrorist. 22 00:01:39,271 --> 00:01:41,471 Speaker 5: Islamic terrorist minus X. 23 00:01:46,191 --> 00:01:46,951 Speaker 4: Equals man. 24 00:01:47,751 --> 00:01:49,031 Speaker 3: But what is X? 25 00:01:50,591 --> 00:01:53,911 Speaker 1: You're listening to a scene from a low budget movie 26 00:01:54,031 --> 00:01:58,871 Speaker 1: called Innocence of Muslims. It's not even really a movie technically, 27 00:01:59,031 --> 00:02:01,551 Speaker 1: it's a fourteen minute trailer for a movie that was 28 00:02:01,591 --> 00:02:04,791 Speaker 1: never released. The trailer was posted on YouTube in July 29 00:02:04,911 --> 00:02:05,711 Speaker 1: of twenty twelve. 30 00:02:05,871 --> 00:02:09,671 Speaker 3: Muhammed is all a messenger and the Kuwan is a constitution. 31 00:02:12,431 --> 00:02:15,471 Speaker 1: The Innocence of Muslims video is a crude piece of 32 00:02:15,511 --> 00:02:20,471 Speaker 1: anti Islamic propaganda. In it, the Islamic prophet Mohammad is 33 00:02:20,511 --> 00:02:23,791 Speaker 1: played by a boyish white actor, and he's depicted as 34 00:02:23,831 --> 00:02:26,791 Speaker 1: a charlatan, a womanizer, and a bloodthirsty tyrant. 35 00:02:27,111 --> 00:02:32,711 Speaker 6: He kills men, captures women, and chills men, and what's more, 36 00:02:33,511 --> 00:02:36,031 Speaker 6: he does this all in the. 37 00:02:36,151 --> 00:02:37,631 Speaker 3: Name of God. 38 00:02:39,351 --> 00:02:40,911 Speaker 7: What God is this? 39 00:02:41,471 --> 00:02:44,911 Speaker 1: The video was produced in California by an Egyptian American 40 00:02:44,951 --> 00:02:48,831 Speaker 1: man named Nicula Basselli. Nicula he said he made the 41 00:02:48,871 --> 00:02:52,071 Speaker 1: film in protest of violence perpetrated around the world by 42 00:02:52,151 --> 00:02:58,311 Speaker 1: Islamic extremists. It was an amateurish production. Nicula used his 43 00:02:58,351 --> 00:03:01,391 Speaker 1: own house as a sound stage. He hired the actors 44 00:03:01,391 --> 00:03:04,351 Speaker 1: through backstage dot Com and told them they were shooting 45 00:03:04,351 --> 00:03:08,031 Speaker 1: an epic called Desert Warriors. According to the script he 46 00:03:08,111 --> 00:03:11,631 Speaker 1: gave them, the film wasn't about Mohammed at all, but 47 00:03:11,991 --> 00:03:15,311 Speaker 1: just some guy named George. It was only in post 48 00:03:15,311 --> 00:03:18,431 Speaker 1: production that the name Mohammad was dubbed. In raised him 49 00:03:18,471 --> 00:03:19,511 Speaker 1: as one of your slaves. 50 00:03:19,511 --> 00:03:21,391 Speaker 5: If you must, what shall I call you? 51 00:03:22,231 --> 00:03:25,191 Speaker 3: His name is Mohammed the father unknown. 52 00:03:25,311 --> 00:03:27,710 Speaker 1: Nikola had his twenty one year old son post the 53 00:03:27,791 --> 00:03:32,150 Speaker 1: video online and for a while it went virtually unseen. 54 00:03:33,551 --> 00:03:37,391 Speaker 1: Then about two months later, in September of twenty twelve, 55 00:03:37,711 --> 00:03:40,871 Speaker 1: a new version of the video appeared on YouTube, this 56 00:03:40,991 --> 00:03:42,791 Speaker 1: time translated into Arabic. 57 00:03:43,151 --> 00:03:44,791 Speaker 5: A mis alhand. 58 00:03:47,111 --> 00:03:50,631 Speaker 1: Soon miss when clips from the video aired an Egyptian 59 00:03:50,631 --> 00:03:53,871 Speaker 1: television with heated commentary from a pundit who called it 60 00:03:54,071 --> 00:03:57,231 Speaker 1: unspeakable and asked how long will I be called a 61 00:03:57,311 --> 00:04:06,511 Speaker 1: terrorist for growing my beard? The video exploded in Egypt. 62 00:04:07,391 --> 00:04:11,351 Speaker 1: Political leaders and preachers publicly denounced it, and popular Facebook 63 00:04:11,351 --> 00:04:15,951 Speaker 1: groups called for protests. As tensions continued to rise, the 64 00:04:15,991 --> 00:04:20,591 Speaker 1: American Embassy in Cairo decided to address the video. Around 65 00:04:20,630 --> 00:04:24,191 Speaker 1: noon on September eleventh, they released a written statement. 66 00:04:23,911 --> 00:04:26,551 Speaker 8: Saying quote the Embassy of the United States and Cairo 67 00:04:26,671 --> 00:04:31,671 Speaker 8: condemns the continuing efforts misguided individuals to hurt the religious 68 00:04:31,711 --> 00:04:35,631 Speaker 8: feelings of Muslims. As we condemn efforts to offend believers 69 00:04:35,871 --> 00:04:36,951 Speaker 8: of all religions. 70 00:04:37,311 --> 00:04:39,951 Speaker 1: The statement did little to quell the outrage in Cairo. 71 00:04:40,951 --> 00:04:44,270 Speaker 1: Within a matter of hours, hundreds of protesters had gathered 72 00:04:44,311 --> 00:04:45,831 Speaker 1: outside the American embassy. 73 00:04:46,551 --> 00:04:51,031 Speaker 6: Developing story out of Cairo, Egypt. I understand that protesters 74 00:04:51,111 --> 00:04:53,150 Speaker 6: are outside the US embassy. They are there are about 75 00:04:53,151 --> 00:04:56,751 Speaker 6: a thousand of them, and protesters have, from what we understand, 76 00:04:56,751 --> 00:05:00,471 Speaker 6: storm the walls of the embassy and pull down US flags. 77 00:05:00,751 --> 00:05:04,031 Speaker 1: Some of the protesters scaled the walls, tearing down an 78 00:05:04,031 --> 00:05:06,111 Speaker 1: American flag and setting it on fire. 79 00:05:06,751 --> 00:05:09,431 Speaker 6: Egyptian riot police are on the scene and they are 80 00:05:09,431 --> 00:05:11,070 Speaker 6: trying to protect the walls. 81 00:05:11,191 --> 00:05:14,671 Speaker 8: They are protesting a video they say the fames the 82 00:05:14,671 --> 00:05:16,431 Speaker 8: prophet Muhammad Egyptian. 83 00:05:16,511 --> 00:05:19,111 Speaker 1: The Cairo protest was only the latest flare up in 84 00:05:19,151 --> 00:05:22,071 Speaker 1: a long running conflict over the depiction of Mohammad. 85 00:05:23,631 --> 00:05:27,431 Speaker 6: Muslim protesters directed more violent anger today against newspapers in 86 00:05:27,511 --> 00:05:30,831 Speaker 6: Denmark and other European countries that have printed cartoons of 87 00:05:30,911 --> 00:05:32,711 Speaker 6: Mohammad from Cairo day. 88 00:05:32,751 --> 00:05:36,551 Speaker 1: In most Islamic practices, it's considered blasphemists to create any 89 00:05:36,671 --> 00:05:41,471 Speaker 1: visual representation of Mohammed. Over the years, some self described 90 00:05:41,471 --> 00:05:44,151 Speaker 1: secularists have made a point of violating that rule in 91 00:05:44,151 --> 00:05:45,591 Speaker 1: the name of free speech. 92 00:05:45,311 --> 00:05:49,631 Speaker 8: Against cartoons portraying the prophet Mohammed as violent womanizing, first 93 00:05:49,671 --> 00:05:52,511 Speaker 8: published in Denmark and since in seventeen other countries. 94 00:05:52,751 --> 00:05:55,431 Speaker 1: One of the most dramatic examples occurred back in two 95 00:05:55,431 --> 00:05:59,311 Speaker 1: thousand and six, after a Danish newspaper published several cartoons 96 00:05:59,311 --> 00:06:02,511 Speaker 1: of Mohamed and protests broke out across the Arab world. 97 00:06:02,991 --> 00:06:10,511 Speaker 1: They were Muslim protests in at least a dozen countries today, 98 00:06:11,631 --> 00:06:15,031 Speaker 1: now in Cairo. In twenty twelve, it looked like the 99 00:06:15,071 --> 00:06:18,630 Speaker 1: same thing again, with Egyptians rising up against the deliberate 100 00:06:18,711 --> 00:06:22,190 Speaker 1: provocation that had originated in the West. And it was 101 00:06:22,231 --> 00:06:25,831 Speaker 1: happening on the anniversary of the September eleventh attacks, when 102 00:06:25,871 --> 00:06:28,591 Speaker 1: American embassies across the region were on high alert. 103 00:06:28,631 --> 00:06:32,791 Speaker 2: Anyway, the embassy was closed for business that day as 104 00:06:32,791 --> 00:06:38,511 Speaker 2: a security measure, and we were working from our compound 105 00:06:38,831 --> 00:06:39,831 Speaker 2: for the most part. 106 00:06:40,431 --> 00:06:43,871 Speaker 1: This is Gregory Hicks. In twenty twelve, he was the 107 00:06:43,911 --> 00:06:47,830 Speaker 1: deputy Chief of the American Mission in Libya, Chris Stevens's 108 00:06:47,911 --> 00:06:51,471 Speaker 1: number two at the embassy in Tripoli. On September eleventh, 109 00:06:51,751 --> 00:06:54,151 Speaker 1: Hicks had been left in charge while Stevens took a 110 00:06:54,191 --> 00:06:56,111 Speaker 1: short trip to Benghazi. 111 00:06:55,991 --> 00:07:00,071 Speaker 2: And I remember texting Chris in Benghazi and asking him, 112 00:07:00,111 --> 00:07:02,391 Speaker 2: are you watching what's going on in Cairo? 113 00:07:03,191 --> 00:07:06,231 Speaker 1: Stevens told Hicks he had been unaware of the protests 114 00:07:07,071 --> 00:07:09,471 Speaker 1: for all the tensions erupting in Egypt over the Innocence 115 00:07:09,551 --> 00:07:10,311 Speaker 1: Muslims video. 116 00:07:10,991 --> 00:07:13,911 Speaker 2: Libya was quiet, and then when the sun went down, 117 00:07:14,431 --> 00:07:17,711 Speaker 2: we were kind of relieved, wiping the sweat off our brows, 118 00:07:17,751 --> 00:07:21,031 Speaker 2: that we had not been targeted in Tripoli and they 119 00:07:21,031 --> 00:07:22,911 Speaker 2: had not been targeted in Benghazi. 120 00:07:23,311 --> 00:07:26,671 Speaker 1: It seemed like the day had passed without incident. Hicks 121 00:07:26,751 --> 00:07:27,351 Speaker 1: was relieved. 122 00:07:27,951 --> 00:07:30,751 Speaker 2: I had basically said, Okay, we're good, We're through the day. 123 00:07:31,271 --> 00:07:34,191 Speaker 2: Nine to eleven is going to be over. And the 124 00:07:34,231 --> 00:07:37,391 Speaker 2: only thing that happened was in Cairo. And so I 125 00:07:37,431 --> 00:07:46,551 Speaker 2: went to watch a television program and about nine forty 126 00:07:46,631 --> 00:07:50,311 Speaker 2: five or thereabouts, John Martinick, the RSO, ran up to 127 00:07:50,351 --> 00:07:53,591 Speaker 2: my room. He's yelling Greg, Greg the consulates under attack. 128 00:07:54,111 --> 00:07:56,631 Speaker 1: Hicks checked his phone and saw missed calls from both 129 00:07:56,711 --> 00:08:00,351 Speaker 1: Ambassador Stevens and a number he didn't recognize. He tried 130 00:08:00,391 --> 00:08:03,391 Speaker 1: to call back, but no one picked up. Then Hicks 131 00:08:03,391 --> 00:08:06,271 Speaker 1: got through to Stevens by dialing the unknown number and he. 132 00:08:06,311 --> 00:08:09,871 Speaker 2: Said, Greg, we're under attack. I think I said okay, 133 00:08:10,031 --> 00:08:12,791 Speaker 2: and before I could say anything else, he cut the line. 134 00:08:13,471 --> 00:08:18,031 Speaker 1: I'm Leon Navak from Prologued Projects and Pushkin Industries. This 135 00:08:18,351 --> 00:08:20,031 Speaker 1: is fiasco Benghazi. 136 00:08:20,351 --> 00:08:23,271 Speaker 7: I could hear these shots. I can heard the greenades. 137 00:08:23,511 --> 00:08:25,711 Speaker 5: I turned to the ambassador and said, I'm going to 138 00:08:25,751 --> 00:08:28,831 Speaker 5: start shooting, and when I die I want you to 139 00:08:28,871 --> 00:08:30,711 Speaker 5: pick up my rifle and keep on fighting. 140 00:08:30,831 --> 00:08:34,871 Speaker 2: It's taken to a hospital and the government won't tell 141 00:08:35,030 --> 00:08:36,391 Speaker 2: us where it is. 142 00:08:36,511 --> 00:08:38,751 Speaker 3: We already got the buddy, we got the remains. 143 00:08:38,871 --> 00:08:41,391 Speaker 5: I thought I was alone. I thought everybody else was dead. 144 00:08:43,430 --> 00:08:54,430 Speaker 1: Episode three, Barefoot, The Attack in Benghazi. We'll be right back. 145 00:08:59,271 --> 00:09:04,271 Speaker 3: Chris arrived to Bengazi Airport Monday morning, Monday. This is 146 00:09:04,351 --> 00:09:07,631 Speaker 3: the day, was September tenth, So I was there at 147 00:09:07,670 --> 00:09:08,910 Speaker 3: the airport to we'll come here. 148 00:09:09,550 --> 00:09:13,391 Speaker 1: This is Baker Habib, born and raised in Libya. He 149 00:09:13,471 --> 00:09:16,350 Speaker 1: started working with the State Department when the US reconciled 150 00:09:16,351 --> 00:09:20,710 Speaker 1: with the Gadafi regime after the Libyan Revolution. Habib became 151 00:09:20,790 --> 00:09:24,030 Speaker 1: especially close with Chris Stevens. When Stevens was posted in 152 00:09:24,070 --> 00:09:28,071 Speaker 1: Benghazi as an envoy to the anti Gaddafi opposition. Now 153 00:09:28,271 --> 00:09:31,670 Speaker 1: with Gaddafi gone, Stephens was coming back to Benghazi to 154 00:09:31,751 --> 00:09:33,350 Speaker 1: check in with his local contacts. 155 00:09:33,710 --> 00:09:35,751 Speaker 3: And I remember when I told him was came back, 156 00:09:36,070 --> 00:09:38,151 Speaker 3: and he said, I'm pretty glad to be back home. 157 00:09:38,950 --> 00:09:40,511 Speaker 3: So he considered Bengazi as home. 158 00:09:41,550 --> 00:09:44,751 Speaker 1: Why exactly Stephens decided to make his trip to Benghazi 159 00:09:44,790 --> 00:09:47,991 Speaker 1: when he did has never been firmly established, but the 160 00:09:48,070 --> 00:09:51,030 Speaker 1: general reason was that he understood the city's importance as 161 00:09:51,030 --> 00:09:55,311 Speaker 1: one of Libya's cultural and political centers. Benghazi was the 162 00:09:55,430 --> 00:09:59,151 Speaker 1: seat of the revolution that had toppled Gadafi. If Tripoli 163 00:09:59,190 --> 00:10:02,871 Speaker 1: was Libya's Washington d C. Benghazi was New York or LA. 164 00:10:03,790 --> 00:10:06,790 Speaker 1: Stephens believed that the US needed a strong presence there 165 00:10:10,030 --> 00:10:13,391 Speaker 1: Island Town, Stevens was going to preside over the opening 166 00:10:13,471 --> 00:10:15,631 Speaker 1: of a kind of study center at a local school 167 00:10:15,950 --> 00:10:19,111 Speaker 1: that was owned and operated by Baker Habib. It would 168 00:10:19,111 --> 00:10:22,671 Speaker 1: be called the American Corner. The idea was that Libyans 169 00:10:22,670 --> 00:10:25,951 Speaker 1: could take English classes there, find information on college admissions 170 00:10:25,991 --> 00:10:28,591 Speaker 1: in the US, and so on. It would be an 171 00:10:28,631 --> 00:10:32,870 Speaker 1: engine of what some might call American soft power. When 172 00:10:32,871 --> 00:10:36,790 Speaker 1: Stevens arrived in Benghazi. He and Habib set about finalizing 173 00:10:36,830 --> 00:10:38,030 Speaker 1: the details for the opening. 174 00:10:38,670 --> 00:10:42,350 Speaker 3: I spent all day long with him on Monday and Tuesday. 175 00:10:42,830 --> 00:10:44,391 Speaker 7: I went out a little bit. 176 00:10:44,471 --> 00:10:46,991 Speaker 3: I'm back again. Last time I saw him it was 177 00:10:47,030 --> 00:10:51,710 Speaker 3: about fiveish. He had an appointment with the Turkish councilor 178 00:10:51,751 --> 00:10:53,910 Speaker 3: at that time, so I would say the last time 179 00:10:53,950 --> 00:10:56,751 Speaker 3: I saw Chris Stevens, I walked with him, it was 180 00:10:56,790 --> 00:10:59,871 Speaker 3: about five five ten something like that. 181 00:11:00,471 --> 00:11:03,670 Speaker 1: After Habib left, Stevens took his last meeting of the 182 00:11:03,710 --> 00:11:06,231 Speaker 1: day with a Turkish diplomat at the American Compound. 183 00:11:07,070 --> 00:11:10,351 Speaker 5: Our compound was in a residential neighborhood and it didn't 184 00:11:10,471 --> 00:11:13,551 Speaker 5: look unlike any of the other houses in the area, 185 00:11:13,710 --> 00:11:17,231 Speaker 5: so about as long as one of their blocks, like 186 00:11:17,271 --> 00:11:21,551 Speaker 5: a city block almost. It had cement walls all the 187 00:11:21,550 --> 00:11:22,310 Speaker 5: way around it. 188 00:11:23,030 --> 00:11:26,111 Speaker 1: This is Scott Wickland, trained in the Navy as a 189 00:11:26,111 --> 00:11:29,630 Speaker 1: specialist in conducting rescue missions. In twenty twelve, he was 190 00:11:29,670 --> 00:11:33,071 Speaker 1: working for the State Department as a DS agent DS 191 00:11:33,111 --> 00:11:37,591 Speaker 1: short for Diplomatic Security. On September eleventh, Wickland was on 192 00:11:37,710 --> 00:11:40,151 Speaker 1: day forty one of a seventy day posting at the 193 00:11:40,151 --> 00:11:41,270 Speaker 1: compound in Benghazi. 194 00:11:42,231 --> 00:11:46,751 Speaker 5: We had four buildings on it a little orchard on it. 195 00:11:47,231 --> 00:11:51,790 Speaker 5: We had a pool. We had a soccer field where 196 00:11:51,871 --> 00:11:54,231 Speaker 5: the guards would play soccer, and sometimes we would go 197 00:11:54,310 --> 00:11:55,550 Speaker 5: play with them. 198 00:11:55,670 --> 00:11:58,870 Speaker 1: As you heard in episode two, the American compound in 199 00:11:58,910 --> 00:12:01,670 Speaker 1: Benghazi had been leased by the State Department after the 200 00:12:01,670 --> 00:12:05,391 Speaker 1: Libyan Revolution. The four structures on the grounds included a 201 00:12:05,391 --> 00:12:09,071 Speaker 1: barracks for local Libyan guards, a canteen, and a building 202 00:12:09,231 --> 00:12:12,791 Speaker 1: known as Villas, where Stevens slept and met with visitors. 203 00:12:13,950 --> 00:12:16,790 Speaker 1: After Stevens's final meeting of the night, business at the 204 00:12:16,790 --> 00:12:21,351 Speaker 1: compound began to wind down, Stevens retired to his residence 205 00:12:21,351 --> 00:12:24,591 Speaker 1: in Villa C. One of his State Department colleagues, an 206 00:12:24,631 --> 00:12:27,431 Speaker 1: IT specialist named Sean Smith, was in his bedroom in 207 00:12:27,471 --> 00:12:30,551 Speaker 1: the same building, playing a video game called Evonline and 208 00:12:30,631 --> 00:12:33,711 Speaker 1: chatting with other gamers. One DS agent was in the 209 00:12:33,710 --> 00:12:37,591 Speaker 1: compound security center. Scott Wickland and two other agents were outside. 210 00:12:38,190 --> 00:12:41,391 Speaker 5: At the end of the evening. We were sitting by 211 00:12:41,430 --> 00:12:45,591 Speaker 5: the pool and talking. You know, I was wearing flip flops, 212 00:12:46,151 --> 00:12:47,190 Speaker 5: just kind of relaxing. 213 00:12:49,310 --> 00:12:53,670 Speaker 1: Then a little after nine thirty pm, Wickland heard a 214 00:12:53,710 --> 00:12:54,711 Speaker 1: sound in the distance. 215 00:12:55,190 --> 00:12:58,511 Speaker 5: It sounded like chanting to me, you know, like a 216 00:12:58,590 --> 00:13:03,471 Speaker 5: crowd chanting something. I didn't know what it was, and 217 00:13:03,511 --> 00:13:07,510 Speaker 5: then the sound kind of came nearer and nearer, approaching 218 00:13:08,070 --> 00:13:14,030 Speaker 5: the compound, and when I made out alahu Akbar. With 219 00:13:14,151 --> 00:13:16,830 Speaker 5: our current risk profile, we need to do something. 220 00:13:17,231 --> 00:13:19,991 Speaker 1: Wickland and the other DS agents snapped into action. 221 00:13:20,790 --> 00:13:24,511 Speaker 5: We're already stressed out because the ambassadors here. It's a 222 00:13:24,590 --> 00:13:27,910 Speaker 5: dangerous location at September eleventh, we're on this kind of 223 00:13:27,991 --> 00:13:30,030 Speaker 5: high alert. We don't know if they're armed, we don't 224 00:13:30,070 --> 00:13:33,271 Speaker 5: know if they're peaceful. We just don't know. And the 225 00:13:33,351 --> 00:13:36,310 Speaker 5: automatic response from my end was I need to go 226 00:13:36,310 --> 00:13:39,671 Speaker 5: get ready in case. So I turned to the other 227 00:13:39,710 --> 00:13:41,950 Speaker 5: guys and I said, go get your stuff. 228 00:13:46,070 --> 00:13:48,551 Speaker 1: The DS agents who were with Wickland by the pool 229 00:13:48,790 --> 00:13:51,910 Speaker 1: ran to get their weapons. Wickland already had some of 230 00:13:51,950 --> 00:13:54,271 Speaker 1: his gear with him, so he took the role of 231 00:13:54,271 --> 00:13:58,511 Speaker 1: securing Ambassador Stevens and Sean Smith, the IT specialist. Both 232 00:13:58,550 --> 00:14:00,391 Speaker 1: of them were in the living quarters of Villa C, 233 00:14:01,030 --> 00:14:03,470 Speaker 1: which were separated from the main area by what Wickland 234 00:14:03,511 --> 00:14:05,591 Speaker 1: describes as a metal jail cell door. 235 00:14:06,190 --> 00:14:12,710 Speaker 5: I ran into Phili C and the building ran over 236 00:14:12,910 --> 00:14:15,870 Speaker 5: into kind of our living area, and I locked this 237 00:14:16,070 --> 00:14:19,751 Speaker 5: jail cell door. You could like stick your arm through 238 00:14:19,751 --> 00:14:23,311 Speaker 5: the door, but a person could not crawl through. 239 00:14:24,431 --> 00:14:27,551 Speaker 1: As Wickland secured the villa's living quarters, he could tell 240 00:14:27,590 --> 00:14:29,991 Speaker 1: that the group he had heard approaching the compound was 241 00:14:30,031 --> 00:14:33,710 Speaker 1: breaching the main gate outside. It appeared that most of 242 00:14:33,751 --> 00:14:37,350 Speaker 1: the Libyan guards on duty had scattered, allowing the attackers 243 00:14:37,391 --> 00:14:41,591 Speaker 1: to rush in effectively unopposed. Sean Smith tapped out a 244 00:14:41,590 --> 00:14:43,711 Speaker 1: message to the people he was playing video games with. 245 00:14:44,631 --> 00:14:44,871 Speaker 5: Fuck. 246 00:14:44,911 --> 00:14:50,791 Speaker 1: He wrote, gunfire. Wickland ran into his bedroom and put 247 00:14:50,791 --> 00:14:52,151 Speaker 1: on body armor and a helmet. 248 00:14:52,391 --> 00:14:54,871 Speaker 5: And as soon as I came out of my bedroom, 249 00:14:55,111 --> 00:14:59,231 Speaker 5: Investor Stevens was standing kind of in this common area. 250 00:15:00,031 --> 00:15:02,191 Speaker 5: He was ready for bed, you know. He was wearing 251 00:15:02,231 --> 00:15:05,231 Speaker 5: shorts and like a white T shirt. He had his 252 00:15:05,271 --> 00:15:07,351 Speaker 5: body armor with him in his helmet and he was 253 00:15:07,431 --> 00:15:11,031 Speaker 5: kind of finishing putting that on, and right away I 254 00:15:11,111 --> 00:15:13,111 Speaker 5: told him that we needed to get him in the 255 00:15:13,111 --> 00:15:16,830 Speaker 5: safe haven. Seawn Smith came out shortly after that, and 256 00:15:17,111 --> 00:15:21,871 Speaker 5: I put Shawn Smith in the safe haven and we sat. 257 00:15:24,271 --> 00:15:27,071 Speaker 1: The safe haven was essentially a big closet surrounded by 258 00:15:27,071 --> 00:15:30,871 Speaker 1: cement walls. Wickland turned off the lights as he ushered 259 00:15:30,871 --> 00:15:32,470 Speaker 1: Stevens and Smith inside. 260 00:15:32,991 --> 00:15:36,711 Speaker 5: There was a sliding door on it that I had opened. 261 00:15:36,751 --> 00:15:40,071 Speaker 5: And I was kind of kneeling in the entryway of 262 00:15:40,111 --> 00:15:43,391 Speaker 5: the save haven, and I had a shotgun, a pistol 263 00:15:44,151 --> 00:15:46,231 Speaker 5: and an M four And I think that this is 264 00:15:46,271 --> 00:15:49,551 Speaker 5: actually where I kicked off my sandals, because crouching down 265 00:15:49,590 --> 00:15:52,470 Speaker 5: on sandals it just wasn't comfortable. 266 00:15:54,511 --> 00:15:57,631 Speaker 1: Now barefoot, Wickland steadied his M four rifle in the 267 00:15:57,671 --> 00:16:11,470 Speaker 1: darkness of the safe haven and waited. Around nine pm, 268 00:16:11,631 --> 00:16:14,751 Speaker 1: Chris Stevens's friend, Baker Habib got a call from one 269 00:16:14,791 --> 00:16:18,191 Speaker 1: of the DS agents in the compound. He addressed Habibe 270 00:16:18,191 --> 00:16:20,511 Speaker 1: by the nickname Stevens had given him Bo. 271 00:16:20,911 --> 00:16:23,471 Speaker 3: The diplomatic security agents. One of them he called me 272 00:16:23,791 --> 00:16:29,591 Speaker 3: and tell me, hey, Bo aranda attack. So for me, 273 00:16:30,111 --> 00:16:34,031 Speaker 3: I couldn't possess my reaction. Oh and there is sand 274 00:16:34,830 --> 00:16:37,631 Speaker 3: at that time. What he meant by attack, it cannot be. 275 00:16:38,431 --> 00:16:41,311 Speaker 1: Habib didn't want to believe that the compound was under attack, 276 00:16:42,031 --> 00:16:43,231 Speaker 1: but he knew what he was hearing. 277 00:16:43,631 --> 00:16:46,510 Speaker 7: I could hear these shots. I can heard the grenades. 278 00:16:47,431 --> 00:16:49,791 Speaker 1: Habib jumped in his car and headed to the compound 279 00:16:49,830 --> 00:16:52,231 Speaker 1: where he had been with Chris Stevens four hours earlier. 280 00:16:57,991 --> 00:17:00,671 Speaker 1: From his position in the safe haven, Scott Wickland could 281 00:17:00,710 --> 00:17:04,271 Speaker 1: hear the gunfire too. He could also hear the attackers 282 00:17:04,311 --> 00:17:07,031 Speaker 1: begin to hit the main doors of villas trying to 283 00:17:07,071 --> 00:17:11,111 Speaker 1: break in. Then suddenly he could see them. 284 00:17:11,431 --> 00:17:16,071 Speaker 5: I could see through the jail cell door into this 285 00:17:16,830 --> 00:17:20,511 Speaker 5: entryway into Villa C, which is where I saw all 286 00:17:20,511 --> 00:17:25,791 Speaker 5: the attackers rush in when they finally blew open the doors. 287 00:17:27,590 --> 00:17:30,231 Speaker 5: I saw him come in the building and I saw, 288 00:17:30,711 --> 00:17:34,350 Speaker 5: you know that they were carrying weapons. I saw AK 289 00:17:34,551 --> 00:17:42,031 Speaker 5: forty seven's the RPG, I saw grenades. I knew that 290 00:17:42,071 --> 00:17:47,991 Speaker 5: we were in trouble. I was immediately on the radio saying, 291 00:17:49,110 --> 00:17:53,390 Speaker 5: where is everybody? Where's my backup? Where are you guys? 292 00:17:53,671 --> 00:17:55,831 Speaker 5: And I had to whisper because people were in the building, 293 00:17:56,031 --> 00:18:00,031 Speaker 5: and I said, they're in the building. I need immediate assistance. 294 00:18:00,590 --> 00:18:04,551 Speaker 5: And I said this over and over, and I didn't 295 00:18:04,590 --> 00:18:05,630 Speaker 5: hear a response. 296 00:18:07,390 --> 00:18:10,751 Speaker 1: There were four other DS agents in the compound, but 297 00:18:10,830 --> 00:18:12,670 Speaker 1: none of them were answering Wicklan's calls. 298 00:18:13,551 --> 00:18:18,711 Speaker 5: I was scared, wondering if, like the other guys, okay, 299 00:18:19,791 --> 00:18:23,950 Speaker 5: were they killed, you know, were they captured? You know? 300 00:18:23,991 --> 00:18:26,311 Speaker 5: I had no idea. 301 00:18:26,830 --> 00:18:29,830 Speaker 1: As the attackers rushed into the villa, Wickland could hear 302 00:18:29,870 --> 00:18:32,711 Speaker 1: the commotion they were causing. It sounded like they were 303 00:18:32,711 --> 00:18:36,350 Speaker 1: breaking glass, ripping paintings off the walls, and destroying furniture. 304 00:18:36,870 --> 00:18:40,751 Speaker 5: As people started to flood into the building, I start thinking, well, 305 00:18:40,791 --> 00:18:43,110 Speaker 5: this is it. I mean, it's only a matter of 306 00:18:43,110 --> 00:18:47,910 Speaker 5: time before they come over and find us. And sure enough, 307 00:18:48,350 --> 00:18:52,590 Speaker 5: two individuals came over to the jail cell door. One 308 00:18:52,590 --> 00:18:55,830 Speaker 5: of the individuals started fumbling with one of his grenades, 309 00:18:55,870 --> 00:18:58,311 Speaker 5: and I thought, you know, he's going to blow the 310 00:18:58,311 --> 00:19:02,151 Speaker 5: locks up with his grenades. And that's when I turned 311 00:19:02,150 --> 00:19:05,471 Speaker 5: to the ambassador and said, if they blow the locks, 312 00:19:05,671 --> 00:19:09,311 Speaker 5: I'm going to start shooting, and when I die, I 313 00:19:09,390 --> 00:19:11,751 Speaker 5: want you to pick got my rifle and keep on fighting. 314 00:19:14,791 --> 00:19:17,231 Speaker 1: Wickland trained the site of his rifle on the chest 315 00:19:17,231 --> 00:19:19,271 Speaker 1: of one of the men standing at the jail cell door, 316 00:19:20,071 --> 00:19:22,510 Speaker 1: but he held his fire, figuring that as soon as 317 00:19:22,511 --> 00:19:25,071 Speaker 1: he pulled the trigger, he would reveal his location to 318 00:19:25,110 --> 00:19:26,950 Speaker 1: all the other attackers. 319 00:19:27,951 --> 00:19:31,791 Speaker 5: Instead of using the grenades, one of the guys uses 320 00:19:31,870 --> 00:19:33,990 Speaker 5: the butt of his rifle and just kind of bangs 321 00:19:34,031 --> 00:19:38,111 Speaker 5: on the door a little bit, but nothing happened. After that, 322 00:19:38,191 --> 00:19:42,191 Speaker 5: they turned and walked away. That was a massive sigh 323 00:19:42,271 --> 00:19:45,751 Speaker 5: of relief for me. I thought, my gosh, maybe we're 324 00:19:46,311 --> 00:19:48,590 Speaker 5: going to survive. Maybe we're going to be in the clear. 325 00:19:49,551 --> 00:19:52,830 Speaker 1: Shortly after that, Wicklan saw the attackers start to leave 326 00:19:52,870 --> 00:19:55,551 Speaker 1: the building and he breathed the tentative sigh of relief. 327 00:19:56,271 --> 00:19:59,110 Speaker 5: What I didn't realize was that they had taken some 328 00:19:59,231 --> 00:20:03,271 Speaker 5: fuel cans and started pouring it on all those broken 329 00:20:03,350 --> 00:20:08,630 Speaker 5: frames and the furniture, and they lit it on fire. 330 00:20:12,791 --> 00:20:16,271 Speaker 1: The compound had recently acquired a new generator. It was 331 00:20:16,311 --> 00:20:18,830 Speaker 1: stored near the main gate, next to big jugs of 332 00:20:18,870 --> 00:20:22,751 Speaker 1: diesel fuel. It seemed that before leaving the villa, the 333 00:20:22,791 --> 00:20:25,471 Speaker 1: attackers had poured the fuel all over the premises. 334 00:20:27,711 --> 00:20:30,271 Speaker 5: I got a hint of that smell, and it was smoke, 335 00:20:30,991 --> 00:20:33,950 Speaker 5: and I didn't know how bad it was. I didn't know, 336 00:20:34,511 --> 00:20:36,950 Speaker 5: you know, I couldn't see any fire. I couldn't tell it, 337 00:20:36,991 --> 00:20:40,871 Speaker 5: but I could smell it. And then I knew, well, 338 00:20:40,911 --> 00:20:47,150 Speaker 5: now we have a different problem on our hands. 339 00:20:49,390 --> 00:20:53,031 Speaker 1: From his post in Tripoli, four hundred miles away, Deputy 340 00:20:53,150 --> 00:20:55,470 Speaker 1: Chief of Mission Greg Hicks was trying to get a 341 00:20:55,471 --> 00:20:58,750 Speaker 1: handle on what was happening in ben Ghazi. He had 342 00:20:58,791 --> 00:21:02,230 Speaker 1: spoken to Stevens just after nine forty five PM when 343 00:21:02,271 --> 00:21:06,271 Speaker 1: Stevens told him the mission was under attack. Now Hicks 344 00:21:06,271 --> 00:21:07,551 Speaker 1: had to figure out how to help. 345 00:21:07,751 --> 00:21:10,431 Speaker 2: The first thing I'm doing is, Okay, track down all 346 00:21:10,431 --> 00:21:14,150 Speaker 2: of our embassy leadership people, get them to the operations center, 347 00:21:14,350 --> 00:21:17,990 Speaker 2: and say get on the horn with everybody you know 348 00:21:18,071 --> 00:21:20,871 Speaker 2: and find out what exactly is going on. 349 00:21:21,791 --> 00:21:24,190 Speaker 1: Hicks and his colleagues in Tripoli developed a kind of 350 00:21:24,231 --> 00:21:27,710 Speaker 1: phone tree. Some were trying to reach the DS agents 351 00:21:27,711 --> 00:21:31,990 Speaker 1: of the compound. Meanwhile, Hicks was communicating with Libyan government 352 00:21:31,991 --> 00:21:34,671 Speaker 1: officials in hopes of mobilizing some kind of rescue. 353 00:21:35,431 --> 00:21:39,551 Speaker 2: I was calling senior officials in the government in Tripoli 354 00:21:40,431 --> 00:21:45,791 Speaker 2: because they are the individuals who have the responsibility to react. 355 00:21:45,830 --> 00:21:49,390 Speaker 2: I mean, this was a criminal attack on a diplomatic 356 00:21:49,431 --> 00:21:51,870 Speaker 2: facility in Libyan territory. 357 00:21:52,671 --> 00:21:55,670 Speaker 1: But the process was hampered by the reality of telecommunication 358 00:21:55,830 --> 00:22:00,071 Speaker 1: in Libya. Service inside the embassy was so unreliable that 359 00:22:00,191 --> 00:22:02,711 Speaker 1: Hicks and his team had to go outside to their courtyard. 360 00:22:03,350 --> 00:22:07,350 Speaker 2: We're all walking around. It's dead dark except for the 361 00:22:07,390 --> 00:22:11,671 Speaker 2: stars overhead and the like that are on in our compound, 362 00:22:11,711 --> 00:22:17,830 Speaker 2: and we're all walking around dousing for telephone signals. When 363 00:22:17,870 --> 00:22:20,910 Speaker 2: we got the signal, we would immediately start dialing on 364 00:22:20,951 --> 00:22:23,590 Speaker 2: our phones frantically to try to make the next phone call. 365 00:22:24,110 --> 00:22:27,911 Speaker 2: And then we would ammeble like kind of come together 366 00:22:27,991 --> 00:22:31,391 Speaker 2: and we would share the information that we had gathered, 367 00:22:31,830 --> 00:22:36,750 Speaker 2: and then we would all spread out again, dousing for signal, 368 00:22:36,791 --> 00:22:38,471 Speaker 2: and then we would be on the phone again. 369 00:22:38,991 --> 00:22:41,110 Speaker 1: He was through these phone calls that Hicks and his 370 00:22:41,150 --> 00:22:44,190 Speaker 1: State Department colleagues formed a rough understanding of how the 371 00:22:44,231 --> 00:22:46,071 Speaker 1: attack in Benghazi was playing out. 372 00:22:46,271 --> 00:22:49,751 Speaker 2: We heard, you know. It was dozens of armed individuals 373 00:22:49,751 --> 00:22:54,630 Speaker 2: had entered the compound, rocket pelt grenades and rifle fire 374 00:22:54,671 --> 00:22:58,311 Speaker 2: and automatic fire and was taking place. 375 00:22:58,870 --> 00:23:02,991 Speaker 1: As Hicks dialed out, he tried Ambassador Stevens again and again. 376 00:23:03,511 --> 00:23:07,191 Speaker 2: I was trying to call him every few minutes and 377 00:23:07,390 --> 00:23:11,231 Speaker 2: getting no answer. He probably had his phone on silence 378 00:23:11,551 --> 00:23:16,031 Speaker 2: to not attract attention to their presence. I don't know, 379 00:23:16,590 --> 00:23:18,311 Speaker 2: but he'd never answered the phone again. 380 00:23:21,231 --> 00:23:24,190 Speaker 1: When he wasn't calling Stevens's phone or his contacts in 381 00:23:24,231 --> 00:23:27,551 Speaker 1: the Libyan government, Deputy Chief of Mission Greg Hicks was 382 00:23:27,551 --> 00:23:31,430 Speaker 1: calling the CIA. Specifically, he was calling the station chief 383 00:23:31,431 --> 00:23:35,671 Speaker 1: at the CIA outpost in Benghazi, a facility known internally 384 00:23:35,751 --> 00:23:38,991 Speaker 1: as the CIA Annex. It was located less than a 385 00:23:38,991 --> 00:23:40,711 Speaker 1: mile from the State Department compound. 386 00:23:41,150 --> 00:23:44,430 Speaker 2: I was in touch with the Annex chief, so I 387 00:23:44,630 --> 00:23:48,510 Speaker 2: was talking to him about the security team from the 388 00:23:48,551 --> 00:23:53,510 Speaker 2: Annex in Benghazi moving expeditiously to rescue our people at 389 00:23:53,551 --> 00:23:54,311 Speaker 2: our facility. 390 00:23:54,911 --> 00:23:57,750 Speaker 1: The annex was home base for about two dozen Americans, 391 00:23:58,031 --> 00:24:02,031 Speaker 1: including some CIA agents and the team of private security contractors. 392 00:24:02,830 --> 00:24:05,391 Speaker 1: In an agreement between the CIA and the State Department, 393 00:24:05,951 --> 00:24:09,071 Speaker 1: those contractors could be tapped to respond to an emergency 394 00:24:09,271 --> 00:24:13,231 Speaker 1: at the diplomatic nearby. That was why Greg Hicks wanted 395 00:24:13,271 --> 00:24:14,710 Speaker 1: to talk to the station chief. 396 00:24:15,031 --> 00:24:18,471 Speaker 2: And I asked him quite pointedly, are you going to 397 00:24:18,511 --> 00:24:21,871 Speaker 2: be able to meet your obligations under our agreement? 398 00:24:22,511 --> 00:24:26,311 Speaker 1: Separately, the contractors at the CIA annex heard distress calls 399 00:24:26,311 --> 00:24:29,871 Speaker 1: from the compound. They pulled on their gear, grabbed their weapons, 400 00:24:29,911 --> 00:24:33,830 Speaker 1: and loaded up into armored cars. But before they could leave, 401 00:24:34,150 --> 00:24:36,870 Speaker 1: they were held up by the annex chief. He was 402 00:24:36,911 --> 00:24:39,471 Speaker 1: in charge of directing the contractors, and for reasons that 403 00:24:39,511 --> 00:24:42,110 Speaker 1: would later be litigated and re litigated in the media 404 00:24:42,191 --> 00:24:45,311 Speaker 1: and by Congress, he told the contractors to wait. 405 00:24:46,071 --> 00:24:51,150 Speaker 2: I know the Gazi Annex chief personally, and he's a 406 00:24:51,590 --> 00:24:56,390 Speaker 2: decent man. He was put in an awful position that 407 00:24:56,590 --> 00:25:01,190 Speaker 2: night where he had to make choices to risk the 408 00:25:01,311 --> 00:25:06,390 Speaker 2: people under his authority in his compound to save our 409 00:25:06,431 --> 00:25:07,870 Speaker 2: people and the consulate. 410 00:25:08,590 --> 00:25:10,950 Speaker 1: If the station chief were to send the contractors to 411 00:25:10,991 --> 00:25:15,311 Speaker 1: the compound, he would be leaving the CIA annex largely defenseless. 412 00:25:15,830 --> 00:25:18,751 Speaker 1: So instead of sending his own people out, he tried 413 00:25:18,791 --> 00:25:21,350 Speaker 1: to reach the leaders of friendly local militias to ask 414 00:25:21,390 --> 00:25:25,830 Speaker 1: for their help. The contractors got frustrated. They knew that 415 00:25:25,870 --> 00:25:30,031 Speaker 1: the passing minutes were only giving the attackers an edge. Eventually, 416 00:25:30,231 --> 00:25:31,991 Speaker 1: a call came on the radio from one of the 417 00:25:32,071 --> 00:25:35,111 Speaker 1: DS agents at the compound. If you guys don't get 418 00:25:35,110 --> 00:25:38,390 Speaker 1: here soon, we're going to die. With that, the CIA 419 00:25:38,471 --> 00:25:42,471 Speaker 1: contractors broke protocol. Twenty minutes after they had first heard 420 00:25:42,511 --> 00:25:45,190 Speaker 1: about the attack. They left for the compound without the 421 00:25:45,231 --> 00:25:56,551 Speaker 1: station chiefs go ahead. At the compound, Scott Wickland was 422 00:25:56,551 --> 00:25:57,830 Speaker 1: adjusting to a new threat. 423 00:25:58,711 --> 00:26:01,430 Speaker 5: Fire. Yeah. I turned to the Ambassador and John Smith 424 00:26:01,431 --> 00:26:03,031 Speaker 5: and I was like, hey, we got to get to 425 00:26:03,071 --> 00:26:04,271 Speaker 5: the bathroom now. 426 00:26:04,830 --> 00:26:07,551 Speaker 1: The idea behind moving to the bathroom was that Wickland, 427 00:26:07,630 --> 00:26:09,791 Speaker 1: Stevens and Smith would have access to water. 428 00:26:09,830 --> 00:26:10,271 Speaker 3: There. 429 00:26:10,031 --> 00:26:12,470 Speaker 1: They could wet a towel and shove it under the 430 00:26:12,471 --> 00:26:14,991 Speaker 1: base of the door, then open the small window vent 431 00:26:15,071 --> 00:26:18,271 Speaker 1: and wait out the fire. Wicklin figured the villa was 432 00:26:18,271 --> 00:26:21,231 Speaker 1: made of concrete. The stuff inside of it might catch fire, 433 00:26:21,551 --> 00:26:22,910 Speaker 1: but the structure itself would not. 434 00:26:23,471 --> 00:26:29,911 Speaker 5: I mean, outside there are attackers, inside, there's fire. I'm 435 00:26:29,911 --> 00:26:32,870 Speaker 5: more likely to survive fire if I'm in the bathroom 436 00:26:33,071 --> 00:26:37,150 Speaker 5: than i am to survive attackers who were outside. I 437 00:26:37,191 --> 00:26:40,751 Speaker 5: knew that going outside was not an option at all, 438 00:26:41,071 --> 00:26:42,311 Speaker 5: and so we started crawling. 439 00:26:42,671 --> 00:26:45,150 Speaker 1: It was eight meters from the safe haven to the bathroom, 440 00:26:45,431 --> 00:26:49,031 Speaker 1: about the length of two cars. Wicklin strapped his rifle 441 00:26:49,031 --> 00:26:51,551 Speaker 1: across his chest and began to guide Stevens in a 442 00:26:51,551 --> 00:26:54,110 Speaker 1: crawl with his left hand holding the body armor on 443 00:26:54,150 --> 00:26:57,551 Speaker 1: Stevens's back. Sean Smith followed behind them. 444 00:26:57,951 --> 00:27:00,590 Speaker 5: By the time we reached the corner, so two meters, 445 00:27:00,671 --> 00:27:05,551 Speaker 5: the smoke was super thick. I mean, that's how quickly 446 00:27:05,551 --> 00:27:09,430 Speaker 5: it filled up with smoke. And it wasn't smoke like 447 00:27:09,471 --> 00:27:13,751 Speaker 5: a campfire. This was smoke like it just it entered 448 00:27:13,791 --> 00:27:17,350 Speaker 5: your eyeballs, it went in your mouth, and it was 449 00:27:17,471 --> 00:27:22,830 Speaker 5: just putrid. It was black, thick smoke that's a mixture 450 00:27:22,870 --> 00:27:28,390 Speaker 5: of burning rubber and plastic and caustic fumes that just 451 00:27:28,590 --> 00:27:30,471 Speaker 5: choke you. 452 00:27:30,471 --> 00:27:31,471 Speaker 2: Could you see it all? 453 00:27:31,951 --> 00:27:41,191 Speaker 5: No, nothing, There was no breathable air from like the 454 00:27:41,231 --> 00:27:44,751 Speaker 5: ceiling all the way down to you know, the floor, 455 00:27:46,150 --> 00:27:49,271 Speaker 5: and so I was like kind of cupping my hands 456 00:27:49,870 --> 00:27:54,031 Speaker 5: on the floor and breathing, you know, the last inch 457 00:27:54,071 --> 00:27:57,991 Speaker 5: of air that was left. And that's how I was 458 00:27:58,031 --> 00:28:02,110 Speaker 5: still talking. And so I was still saying follow me, 459 00:28:02,311 --> 00:28:05,791 Speaker 5: follow me, and I was hitting the floor so it 460 00:28:05,830 --> 00:28:08,590 Speaker 5: would make like a popping noise, and so they could 461 00:28:08,590 --> 00:28:12,791 Speaker 5: hear me where I was is where to go? And 462 00:28:12,830 --> 00:28:14,511 Speaker 5: I was just saying, come on, we can make it. 463 00:28:14,551 --> 00:28:17,870 Speaker 5: Come on, we can make it. Come on. You know. 464 00:28:17,951 --> 00:28:21,430 Speaker 5: I went at a slow pace and I could feel 465 00:28:21,471 --> 00:28:25,271 Speaker 5: Ambassador Stevens on my left side, and then I didn't, 466 00:28:28,191 --> 00:28:31,150 Speaker 5: you know, I thought, well, he's right there, he's right 467 00:28:31,311 --> 00:28:34,311 Speaker 5: behind me. Anyway, no big deal, Like he can still 468 00:28:34,311 --> 00:28:38,071 Speaker 5: hear my voice, he can hear my hands. And I 469 00:28:38,111 --> 00:28:41,071 Speaker 5: was still saying, come on, we can make it, come on, 470 00:28:41,231 --> 00:28:44,111 Speaker 5: follow me, follow this on in my voice, follow me, 471 00:28:44,311 --> 00:28:50,391 Speaker 5: follow me. And I made it to the bathroom and 472 00:28:50,471 --> 00:28:57,911 Speaker 5: they didn't show up. So I started feeling out into 473 00:28:57,951 --> 00:29:00,631 Speaker 5: the hallway that led to the bathroom to see if 474 00:29:00,631 --> 00:29:05,791 Speaker 5: I could feel them and pull them in, and I 475 00:29:05,831 --> 00:29:11,711 Speaker 5: didn't feel anything. I searched until I was like about 476 00:29:11,831 --> 00:29:14,831 Speaker 5: to pass out, Like I could feel the lightheadedness and 477 00:29:14,911 --> 00:29:20,750 Speaker 5: like my body like losing motor skills, and I was 478 00:29:20,791 --> 00:29:26,191 Speaker 5: really getting scared. At that point, I realized, well, it's 479 00:29:26,231 --> 00:29:32,711 Speaker 5: either I'd die here or I go outside. 480 00:29:32,751 --> 00:29:35,431 Speaker 1: Wickland knew he could get outside through his bedroom window. 481 00:29:36,151 --> 00:29:39,111 Speaker 1: He just had to get there in the darkness. Wicklan's 482 00:29:39,191 --> 00:29:42,031 Speaker 1: rifle had somehow gotten tangled or stuck in the bathroom sink, 483 00:29:43,071 --> 00:29:45,791 Speaker 1: so he left it behind, stood upright, and ran to 484 00:29:45,871 --> 00:29:48,791 Speaker 1: his room. Once inside, he felt his way to the 485 00:29:48,791 --> 00:29:50,311 Speaker 1: window and cranked it open. 486 00:29:50,431 --> 00:29:53,511 Speaker 5: And I kind of collapsed onto this little patio area 487 00:29:53,551 --> 00:29:57,511 Speaker 5: that I have and shortly after it was just gunfire. 488 00:29:58,151 --> 00:30:01,031 Speaker 5: I mean I believed, you know, it was right on 489 00:30:01,111 --> 00:30:01,751 Speaker 5: my position. 490 00:30:03,831 --> 00:30:06,911 Speaker 1: Wickland took cover behind a knee high wall that surrounded 491 00:30:06,911 --> 00:30:10,391 Speaker 1: the patio area outside his bedroom. He could feel shards 492 00:30:10,431 --> 00:30:12,751 Speaker 1: of cement hitting his face from where bullets were making 493 00:30:12,791 --> 00:30:14,031 Speaker 1: contact around him. 494 00:30:14,431 --> 00:30:16,510 Speaker 5: It was just like getting blast in the face by 495 00:30:16,591 --> 00:30:20,511 Speaker 5: a shotgun. And so I turned around and went back 496 00:30:20,591 --> 00:30:24,071 Speaker 5: into the building to search for Ambassador Stevens and Shawn Smith. 497 00:30:25,471 --> 00:30:28,031 Speaker 5: I went back in the window, and I was just 498 00:30:28,191 --> 00:30:32,311 Speaker 5: yelling and screaming, hoping that one of the two of 499 00:30:32,351 --> 00:30:37,191 Speaker 5: them could hear me and keep fighting, Like keep crawling 500 00:30:37,231 --> 00:30:40,431 Speaker 5: towards my bedroom. I was yelling, I'm in my bedroom. 501 00:30:40,471 --> 00:30:44,191 Speaker 5: I'm in my bedroom. Follow my voice. Follow me. There 502 00:30:44,231 --> 00:30:46,631 Speaker 5: was like a desk right by my doorway, and I 503 00:30:46,711 --> 00:30:50,711 Speaker 5: was slamming that thing, hitting it, like follow me, come 504 00:30:50,751 --> 00:30:52,751 Speaker 5: to this noise, Come to my voice. 505 00:30:53,431 --> 00:30:56,271 Speaker 1: Wicklan stayed inside until once again he felt like he 506 00:30:56,351 --> 00:30:59,671 Speaker 1: was going to pass out. Then he turned around, climbed 507 00:30:59,671 --> 00:31:01,911 Speaker 1: out the window, caught his breath, and went back in 508 00:31:02,031 --> 00:31:02,671 Speaker 1: to try again. 509 00:31:03,231 --> 00:31:05,671 Speaker 5: I thought, if I turned my lamp on, maybe they'll 510 00:31:05,671 --> 00:31:08,111 Speaker 5: be able to see it, and so I went over 511 00:31:08,871 --> 00:31:11,871 Speaker 5: by feel on my lamp on the side of my bed, 512 00:31:13,311 --> 00:31:15,591 Speaker 5: turned it on, and I held it up to my 513 00:31:16,151 --> 00:31:20,031 Speaker 5: face because I couldn't see it, and I remember feeling 514 00:31:20,551 --> 00:31:24,270 Speaker 5: the heat from the light bulb and I could just 515 00:31:24,311 --> 00:31:28,791 Speaker 5: barely make out a light. That's how thick the smoke was. 516 00:31:29,671 --> 00:31:32,431 Speaker 1: Wicklan says that each time he went back into the villa, 517 00:31:32,711 --> 00:31:35,991 Speaker 1: he could only stay for about a minute. Eventually he 518 00:31:36,071 --> 00:31:38,950 Speaker 1: knew he couldn't go back in at all. He was 519 00:31:38,991 --> 00:31:41,911 Speaker 1: also certain that By this point, after spending so much 520 00:31:41,951 --> 00:31:45,470 Speaker 1: time inside the burning building, Chris Stevens and Sean Smith 521 00:31:45,671 --> 00:31:46,391 Speaker 1: had to be dead. 522 00:31:47,311 --> 00:31:51,791 Speaker 5: My body didn't have any energy left, and I had 523 00:31:51,831 --> 00:31:56,111 Speaker 5: been breathing in that smoke. Oh man, it just makes 524 00:31:56,151 --> 00:31:59,391 Speaker 5: me sick thinking about it. I knew that if I 525 00:31:59,471 --> 00:32:02,151 Speaker 5: went in one more time, that would have been it. 526 00:32:02,271 --> 00:32:05,271 Speaker 5: I wouldn't have been coming back out. I wouldn't be 527 00:32:05,311 --> 00:32:09,230 Speaker 5: able to help out anybody if I was another casualty. 528 00:32:09,591 --> 00:32:13,031 Speaker 5: So I made the decision to climb up the ladder 529 00:32:13,191 --> 00:32:14,911 Speaker 5: from the patio up to the roof. 530 00:32:20,311 --> 00:32:23,551 Speaker 1: It's worth underscoring that, in that moment, climbing up onto 531 00:32:23,591 --> 00:32:26,751 Speaker 1: the roof of a burning building felt like Wickland's best option. 532 00:32:27,391 --> 00:32:29,951 Speaker 5: It was like a frying pan, it was so hot. 533 00:32:30,511 --> 00:32:33,351 Speaker 1: Wickland pulled the aluminum ladder up behind him and took 534 00:32:33,391 --> 00:32:36,911 Speaker 1: stock of his surroundings. Perched up on the roof, he 535 00:32:36,991 --> 00:32:38,951 Speaker 1: now had a slightly better sense of what was going 536 00:32:38,991 --> 00:32:41,871 Speaker 1: on around him. He tried again to reach the other 537 00:32:41,951 --> 00:32:43,990 Speaker 1: DS agents who had been in the compound with him 538 00:32:44,031 --> 00:32:45,031 Speaker 1: when the attack started. 539 00:32:45,631 --> 00:32:47,351 Speaker 5: The first thing that I did was I got on 540 00:32:47,391 --> 00:32:51,311 Speaker 5: the radio and I was like, where the fuck is everybody? 541 00:32:53,151 --> 00:32:56,031 Speaker 5: And I said Ambassador Stephens and Sean Smith are still 542 00:32:56,031 --> 00:33:00,471 Speaker 5: in the burning building. I need immediate assistance. And there 543 00:33:00,551 --> 00:33:04,231 Speaker 5: wasn't a response. Nobody got over the radio and said, yeah, 544 00:33:04,271 --> 00:33:07,311 Speaker 5: we're coming to help you out. It was just silence. 545 00:33:11,631 --> 00:33:14,191 Speaker 5: I thought I was alone. I thought everybody else was dead. 546 00:33:14,711 --> 00:33:22,031 Speaker 5: I thought the other agents were dead. And I had 547 00:33:22,071 --> 00:33:27,031 Speaker 5: blisters in my throat and in my mouth. My feet 548 00:33:27,111 --> 00:33:35,351 Speaker 5: were pretty messed up, my breathing was pretty bad. And 549 00:33:35,431 --> 00:33:38,551 Speaker 5: so I developed a plan. And my plan was that 550 00:33:38,671 --> 00:33:41,911 Speaker 5: I was going to jump off the roof without shoes, 551 00:33:42,231 --> 00:33:44,351 Speaker 5: and I was going to run to the edge of Benghazi. 552 00:33:44,391 --> 00:33:46,111 Speaker 5: I was going to steal a car and drive it 553 00:33:46,151 --> 00:33:49,231 Speaker 5: to Egypt. And that was my real plan. 554 00:33:57,711 --> 00:34:00,511 Speaker 1: While Wickland imagined ways of getting away from the compound, 555 00:34:00,671 --> 00:34:04,271 Speaker 1: Baker Habib, Chris Stevens's friend and colleague, was desperate to 556 00:34:04,311 --> 00:34:04,671 Speaker 1: get in. 557 00:34:05,471 --> 00:34:08,031 Speaker 3: I want to be inside the compound by Jokoba Kroc. 558 00:34:08,311 --> 00:34:10,671 Speaker 3: This is my aim at that time. I just want 559 00:34:10,711 --> 00:34:11,190 Speaker 3: to be there. 560 00:34:11,991 --> 00:34:14,631 Speaker 1: As Habib drew closer to the front gates, he was 561 00:34:14,631 --> 00:34:16,270 Speaker 1: stopped by a group of armed men. 562 00:34:17,231 --> 00:34:22,031 Speaker 7: So there I found two cars, two trucks with heavy 563 00:34:22,071 --> 00:34:25,230 Speaker 7: machine guns, and I told him he just wanted to 564 00:34:25,270 --> 00:34:28,151 Speaker 7: go in. They said, no way, you can't. 565 00:34:28,551 --> 00:34:31,350 Speaker 1: Habib didn't know who these men were or whether they 566 00:34:31,351 --> 00:34:34,991 Speaker 1: were working with the attackers. Either way, they had closed 567 00:34:34,991 --> 00:34:38,631 Speaker 1: off the street, so Habib turned his car around and 568 00:34:38,750 --> 00:34:41,270 Speaker 1: drove to the back of the compound, which looked out 569 00:34:41,311 --> 00:34:43,830 Speaker 1: onto a lively street where people had been dining when 570 00:34:43,831 --> 00:34:47,230 Speaker 1: the attack began. Habib got out of his car and 571 00:34:47,270 --> 00:34:49,351 Speaker 1: tried to get a sense of the scene. 572 00:34:49,710 --> 00:34:55,471 Speaker 3: I could hear clearly greenades and number of shots, and 573 00:34:55,511 --> 00:34:58,111 Speaker 3: the greenades again the comp. 574 00:34:57,831 --> 00:35:01,631 Speaker 7: Between the grenades. I will say one two minutes Maximo. 575 00:35:02,190 --> 00:35:04,631 Speaker 1: As Habib stood near the back of the compound, a 576 00:35:04,671 --> 00:35:07,190 Speaker 1: man carrying a missile launcher approached him and asked if 577 00:35:07,190 --> 00:35:09,750 Speaker 1: he was a civilian. Habib told him that he was 578 00:35:10,190 --> 00:35:11,511 Speaker 1: and said, I need. 579 00:35:11,391 --> 00:35:12,271 Speaker 7: To go to the building. 580 00:35:13,190 --> 00:35:15,911 Speaker 3: I have to be there. He said it's stager. I 581 00:35:15,911 --> 00:35:17,151 Speaker 3: said no, let me do it. 582 00:35:17,631 --> 00:35:21,151 Speaker 1: Eventually Habib left his car and began to walk back 583 00:35:21,151 --> 00:35:22,750 Speaker 1: around to the front of the compound. 584 00:35:23,230 --> 00:35:26,751 Speaker 3: What is so is people with guns, people without guns, 585 00:35:26,951 --> 00:35:30,350 Speaker 3: and many people. You cannot imagine. This was alike a flow. 586 00:35:30,391 --> 00:35:32,591 Speaker 3: It's like a three people getting. 587 00:35:32,311 --> 00:35:34,631 Speaker 7: In the gate. It's unbelievable. 588 00:35:34,631 --> 00:35:37,951 Speaker 3: The scene was unbelievable, and no one knows what was 589 00:35:38,031 --> 00:35:39,191 Speaker 3: going on at that time. 590 00:35:39,871 --> 00:35:42,390 Speaker 1: The flood of people Habib was seeing had shown up 591 00:35:42,391 --> 00:35:44,631 Speaker 1: at the compound. After a word of the attack spread 592 00:35:44,671 --> 00:35:48,431 Speaker 1: around Benghazi through text messages, facebook pages, and phone calls. 593 00:35:49,190 --> 00:35:51,310 Speaker 1: It was hard to tell who was an attacker and 594 00:35:51,351 --> 00:35:53,671 Speaker 1: who was just a rubbernecker trying to see what was 595 00:35:53,710 --> 00:35:57,830 Speaker 1: going on at the American mission. Later, this ambiguity would 596 00:35:57,871 --> 00:36:01,151 Speaker 1: determine almost everything about how the attack in Benghazi was 597 00:36:01,151 --> 00:36:10,231 Speaker 1: initially misunderstood in the United States. Up on the rooft 598 00:36:10,230 --> 00:36:12,551 Speaker 1: Wicklan didn't know what time it was or how long 599 00:36:12,591 --> 00:36:14,391 Speaker 1: it had been since he gave up on trying to 600 00:36:14,431 --> 00:36:18,551 Speaker 1: find Ambassador Stevens and Sean Smith. After a while, though, 601 00:36:18,710 --> 00:36:21,431 Speaker 1: it seemed like the attackers had moved away from his position, 602 00:36:21,791 --> 00:36:24,430 Speaker 1: creating an opportunity for him to escape, and. 603 00:36:24,431 --> 00:36:27,470 Speaker 5: I thought, well, this might be my time pretty soon 604 00:36:27,991 --> 00:36:31,591 Speaker 5: to carry out my plan. Then I got a call 605 00:36:31,631 --> 00:36:33,791 Speaker 5: over the radio and it was Dave Ouben. 606 00:36:34,471 --> 00:36:37,871 Speaker 1: Dave Eben was another DS agent and Wickman's friend from training. 607 00:36:38,351 --> 00:36:39,951 Speaker 1: The two of them had been out by the pool 608 00:36:39,991 --> 00:36:43,310 Speaker 1: together when the attackers first arrived at the compound. They 609 00:36:43,351 --> 00:36:45,351 Speaker 1: hadn't seen each other or spoken since. 610 00:36:45,710 --> 00:36:50,951 Speaker 5: Dave called and basically said, you know, Scott, are you alive. 611 00:36:51,831 --> 00:36:54,591 Speaker 5: I called back and I was like, yes, yeah, I'm 612 00:36:54,631 --> 00:36:58,111 Speaker 5: still alive. I'm still here. Where are you guys? I 613 00:36:58,190 --> 00:37:03,031 Speaker 5: need some help, And they said we're coming. 614 00:37:07,031 --> 00:37:09,551 Speaker 1: Wicklin says the other DS agents came to the side 615 00:37:09,551 --> 00:37:13,471 Speaker 1: of Villis where he was hiding and signaled to him. Wickland, 616 00:37:13,511 --> 00:37:16,111 Speaker 1: still barefoot, climbed down the ladder and told them he 617 00:37:16,151 --> 00:37:19,511 Speaker 1: thought Ambassador Stevens and Shawn Smith were still inside the building. 618 00:37:20,151 --> 00:37:23,431 Speaker 5: When I see them, it's like, oh, my gosh, I 619 00:37:23,591 --> 00:37:27,270 Speaker 5: might survive. I might survive this because I now have 620 00:37:28,551 --> 00:37:31,230 Speaker 5: my teammates. I'm not alone anymore. That was the big 621 00:37:31,270 --> 00:37:34,111 Speaker 5: thing for me was I thought I was alone like 622 00:37:34,151 --> 00:37:39,471 Speaker 5: this entire time. I thought it was just me. Right away, 623 00:37:39,831 --> 00:37:42,391 Speaker 5: they were jumping in the burning building to try and 624 00:37:42,431 --> 00:37:44,431 Speaker 5: find ambass Stevens and Shawn Smith. 625 00:37:45,270 --> 00:37:48,191 Speaker 1: As the other DS agents took turns entering the building, 626 00:37:48,671 --> 00:37:51,111 Speaker 1: they were joined by the team of private contractors from 627 00:37:51,111 --> 00:37:54,951 Speaker 1: the CIA Annex. After a firefight on their way into 628 00:37:55,031 --> 00:37:58,710 Speaker 1: the compound, the CIA contractors had managed to scare off 629 00:37:58,750 --> 00:38:03,671 Speaker 1: some of the attackers, at least temporarily. Now they joined 630 00:38:03,671 --> 00:38:06,631 Speaker 1: in the desperate search for Stevens and Smith, entering the 631 00:38:06,671 --> 00:38:09,631 Speaker 1: villa through the windows, Scott Wickland had identified, doing a 632 00:38:09,710 --> 00:38:11,870 Speaker 1: lap side as long as they could stand it, and 633 00:38:11,911 --> 00:38:16,710 Speaker 1: circling back out again. Finally, one of the DS agents 634 00:38:16,750 --> 00:38:21,191 Speaker 1: found Sean Smith. He was dead, apparently of smoke and elation, 635 00:38:21,671 --> 00:38:25,591 Speaker 1: and the agent pulled his body out of the villa. 636 00:38:26,071 --> 00:38:28,151 Speaker 1: It wasn't long after that it seemed like the fighting 637 00:38:28,230 --> 00:38:29,071 Speaker 1: might start up again. 638 00:38:33,071 --> 00:38:36,711 Speaker 5: We start feeling pressure from like attackers again. There's people 639 00:38:36,791 --> 00:38:39,951 Speaker 5: who are kind of hiding out at one of the gates, 640 00:38:40,071 --> 00:38:42,710 Speaker 5: and so we're starting to feel like, you know, we 641 00:38:42,951 --> 00:38:44,871 Speaker 5: have to get moving. We have to get out of 642 00:38:44,911 --> 00:38:46,871 Speaker 5: here before there's a second attack. 643 00:38:48,270 --> 00:38:51,671 Speaker 1: Though they still hadn't found Stevens, the DS agents and 644 00:38:51,671 --> 00:38:54,551 Speaker 1: the contractors decided it was time to evacuate to the 645 00:38:54,591 --> 00:38:59,470 Speaker 1: nearby CIA base. The DS agents went first, packing into 646 00:38:59,511 --> 00:39:01,831 Speaker 1: one of the armored vehicles that was kept at the compound. 647 00:39:02,710 --> 00:39:06,031 Speaker 1: Despite his condition, Wickland got into the driver's seat. He 648 00:39:06,071 --> 00:39:08,511 Speaker 1: had been in Benghazi the longest and he knew the 649 00:39:08,551 --> 00:39:13,071 Speaker 1: way to the annex. Meanwhile, the CIA contractors loaded Sean 650 00:39:13,151 --> 00:39:16,831 Speaker 1: Smith's body into the car they'd arrived in. After beating 651 00:39:16,871 --> 00:39:19,750 Speaker 1: back another advance from the attackers. They pulled out of 652 00:39:19,791 --> 00:39:24,511 Speaker 1: the compound two. It was eleven seventeen PM, about an 653 00:39:24,551 --> 00:39:28,191 Speaker 1: hour and a half after the attack first started. Wherever 654 00:39:28,230 --> 00:39:32,951 Speaker 1: Ambassador Stevens was now, it wasn't with the Americans. Baker 655 00:39:32,991 --> 00:39:35,351 Speaker 1: Habib worried that his friend had been kidnapped. 656 00:39:35,791 --> 00:39:36,310 Speaker 7: At that time. 657 00:39:36,391 --> 00:39:42,230 Speaker 3: I was in contact with those people who got Sjonah Smith, Buddy. 658 00:39:43,230 --> 00:39:46,471 Speaker 3: I thought Chris was out of the compound at that time. 659 00:39:47,871 --> 00:39:50,831 Speaker 3: So you say, just came to my mind that Chris 660 00:39:50,831 --> 00:39:54,790 Speaker 3: would be a tortured first, then he killed by them, 661 00:39:54,831 --> 00:39:57,871 Speaker 3: and everything is just in my mind. 662 00:39:57,951 --> 00:40:00,351 Speaker 7: So at that time was what was suitable. 663 00:40:04,551 --> 00:40:07,430 Speaker 1: At the embassy in Tripoli, Greg Hicks had been trying 664 00:40:07,431 --> 00:40:10,671 Speaker 1: to solicit some kind of help from somewhere before another 665 00:40:10,710 --> 00:40:14,111 Speaker 1: wave of attacks could hit the Americans. At what point 666 00:40:14,431 --> 00:40:18,471 Speaker 1: were you told that basically there wasn't any help coming 667 00:40:18,511 --> 00:40:20,551 Speaker 1: from outside of Libya. 668 00:40:21,071 --> 00:40:26,751 Speaker 2: That was AFRICOM telling the Defense attesche that they had 669 00:40:26,991 --> 00:40:35,311 Speaker 2: nothing available to send, and that happened at about eleven PM. 670 00:40:35,551 --> 00:40:39,230 Speaker 1: AFRICOM is part of the Department of Defense. It's responsible 671 00:40:39,270 --> 00:40:43,071 Speaker 1: for American military activity in Africa. On the night of 672 00:40:43,071 --> 00:40:47,031 Speaker 1: the attack, AFRICAM told Hicks. The nearest military resources were 673 00:40:47,071 --> 00:40:51,071 Speaker 1: fighter planes stationed in Aviano, Italy that was at least 674 00:40:51,111 --> 00:40:54,390 Speaker 1: a two or three hour flight from Benghazi. On top 675 00:40:54,431 --> 00:40:57,071 Speaker 1: of that, there were no tankers available for the planes 676 00:40:57,071 --> 00:40:57,591 Speaker 1: to refuel. 677 00:40:58,190 --> 00:41:00,830 Speaker 2: Essentially, that's why there was no military response, because the 678 00:41:00,831 --> 00:41:04,751 Speaker 2: military wasn't ready for any eventuality. 679 00:41:05,391 --> 00:41:09,390 Speaker 1: On nine to eleven, it appeared that the Americans' only 680 00:41:09,431 --> 00:41:13,871 Speaker 1: option to launch a rescue mission from Tripoli, so a 681 00:41:13,911 --> 00:41:17,271 Speaker 1: team of private security contractors based in the Capitol boarded 682 00:41:17,270 --> 00:41:31,031 Speaker 1: a flight to Benghazi. We'll be right back. Even after 683 00:41:31,071 --> 00:41:34,710 Speaker 1: the Americans evacuated the Benghazi compound, the large crowd of 684 00:41:34,750 --> 00:41:38,151 Speaker 1: Libyans Baker Habib had seen nearby continued to grow. 685 00:41:38,871 --> 00:41:41,871 Speaker 3: So you see many people just coming and keep coming 686 00:41:42,871 --> 00:41:45,551 Speaker 3: to the American mission because Biebo was curious to know 687 00:41:45,671 --> 00:41:48,031 Speaker 3: what was going on at that time and what happened. 688 00:41:48,511 --> 00:41:50,390 Speaker 3: Many of them just was to be there with their 689 00:41:50,431 --> 00:41:56,631 Speaker 3: cell phone to just record what was going on. 690 00:41:58,391 --> 00:42:00,870 Speaker 1: What you're hearing is a cell phone video recorded by 691 00:42:00,871 --> 00:42:03,911 Speaker 1: a man named fad alba Khush, who later shared his 692 00:42:03,951 --> 00:42:09,671 Speaker 1: footage with American news networks. Some people looted the compound, 693 00:42:10,111 --> 00:42:14,190 Speaker 1: taking everything from television sets to coils of rope. One 694 00:42:14,190 --> 00:42:16,631 Speaker 1: guy even picked up a container of chocolate syrup and 695 00:42:16,710 --> 00:42:20,310 Speaker 1: walked through the compound, squirting it into his mouth. Then, 696 00:42:20,591 --> 00:42:23,831 Speaker 1: around one o'clock in the morning, someone found a man 697 00:42:23,871 --> 00:42:29,391 Speaker 1: in Villa C. He was unresponsive and covered in soot. 698 00:42:31,351 --> 00:42:33,270 Speaker 1: In the cell phone video, you can see a group 699 00:42:33,311 --> 00:42:35,750 Speaker 1: of people pull the man's body out of the villa. 700 00:42:36,311 --> 00:42:45,591 Speaker 1: You can hear them yelling in Arabic, he's alive, He's alive. Later, 701 00:42:45,951 --> 00:42:49,071 Speaker 1: some American commentators would say the Libyans dragged the man 702 00:42:49,151 --> 00:42:52,790 Speaker 1: through the streets. In reality, they immediately brought him to 703 00:42:52,831 --> 00:42:55,991 Speaker 1: the Bengazi Medical Center and within fifteen minutes he was 704 00:42:55,991 --> 00:43:00,431 Speaker 1: in a hospital bed. Soon after, the American Embassy in 705 00:43:00,471 --> 00:43:04,511 Speaker 1: Tripoli received a call from Scott Wickland's phone. It was 706 00:43:04,551 --> 00:43:07,230 Speaker 1: the same number that Greg Hicks had reached Chris Stevens 707 00:43:07,230 --> 00:43:10,230 Speaker 1: on earlier in the night, but this time it and 708 00:43:10,230 --> 00:43:13,471 Speaker 1: Steven's on the other line. It was a man speaking Arabic, 709 00:43:13,710 --> 00:43:15,951 Speaker 1: saying he was at the hospital with someone who looked 710 00:43:15,991 --> 00:43:19,591 Speaker 1: like the ambassador. Hicks and his colleagues pressed the man 711 00:43:19,750 --> 00:43:23,111 Speaker 1: for something more concrete, but he would not provide a 712 00:43:23,111 --> 00:43:24,991 Speaker 1: photograph or any other confirmation. 713 00:43:25,791 --> 00:43:31,831 Speaker 2: We were very, very focused on asking the kinds of 714 00:43:31,991 --> 00:43:35,991 Speaker 2: questions that would reveal whether we were talking to a 715 00:43:36,031 --> 00:43:37,271 Speaker 2: friend or an enemy. 716 00:43:37,750 --> 00:43:40,591 Speaker 1: The Americans felt like they couldn't take any information at 717 00:43:40,591 --> 00:43:44,111 Speaker 1: face value. It was more than possible that Wickland's cell 718 00:43:44,151 --> 00:43:46,911 Speaker 1: phone had been stolen from the compound and that the 719 00:43:46,951 --> 00:43:49,471 Speaker 1: attackers were now trying to lure them into a trap. 720 00:43:50,190 --> 00:43:55,230 Speaker 2: Then this whole confusing conversation begins where we understand he's 721 00:43:55,230 --> 00:44:00,831 Speaker 2: taken to a hospital, and the government keeps telling as well, 722 00:44:00,951 --> 00:44:03,951 Speaker 2: we know he's safe, and we keep going where is he? 723 00:44:04,031 --> 00:44:07,511 Speaker 2: And they won't tell us where he is, So our 724 00:44:07,591 --> 00:44:11,710 Speaker 2: view is that he's a prisoner and not in a 725 00:44:11,750 --> 00:44:12,431 Speaker 2: safe place. 726 00:44:13,111 --> 00:44:16,230 Speaker 1: Baker Habib, who was in touch with State Department officials, 727 00:44:16,710 --> 00:44:19,311 Speaker 1: volunteered to go to the hospital and see for himself 728 00:44:19,351 --> 00:44:22,791 Speaker 1: if the man was Chris Stevens, but he was told 729 00:44:22,831 --> 00:44:26,271 Speaker 1: he couldn't go. It turned out there was intelligence saying 730 00:44:26,311 --> 00:44:29,710 Speaker 1: that because of his close association with the Americans, Habib 731 00:44:29,831 --> 00:44:30,910 Speaker 1: might be a target too. 732 00:44:31,631 --> 00:44:34,431 Speaker 7: So I told him how about sending someone I trust 733 00:44:34,991 --> 00:44:38,191 Speaker 7: and someone in you Christine is very well he could 734 00:44:38,551 --> 00:44:40,830 Speaker 7: go there without any problem. 735 00:44:40,951 --> 00:44:44,391 Speaker 1: So that plan was set in motion, and after a 736 00:44:44,431 --> 00:44:47,151 Speaker 1: while Habib's friend called him from the hospital. 737 00:44:47,551 --> 00:44:49,310 Speaker 7: So he called me back and. 738 00:44:51,031 --> 00:44:56,871 Speaker 3: Told me that I'm next to him. Yes, his christive 739 00:44:56,911 --> 00:44:57,751 Speaker 3: is one hundred percent. 740 00:45:00,071 --> 00:45:04,031 Speaker 1: Stevens was dead. Habib's friend said someone needed to come 741 00:45:04,071 --> 00:45:07,031 Speaker 1: get his body from the hospital, and Habib told him 742 00:45:07,031 --> 00:45:13,871 Speaker 1: he was on his way. Chris Stevens was reported killed 743 00:45:13,911 --> 00:45:17,871 Speaker 1: in action at four fifteen am. By that time, the 744 00:45:17,911 --> 00:45:21,511 Speaker 1: Americans who had gathered at the CIA base, including Scott Wickland, 745 00:45:21,631 --> 00:45:25,230 Speaker 1: his fellow DS agents, and the CIA contractors, had all 746 00:45:25,270 --> 00:45:29,710 Speaker 1: spent hours bracing themselves for another attack. Though locals didn't 747 00:45:29,750 --> 00:45:33,471 Speaker 1: officially know where the CIA annex was, it was possible 748 00:45:33,511 --> 00:45:35,790 Speaker 1: that someone had tracked the Americans as they made their 749 00:45:35,791 --> 00:45:39,151 Speaker 1: way there from the compound. There had been several moments 750 00:45:39,190 --> 00:45:41,551 Speaker 1: while Wickland was driving to the annex when he thought 751 00:45:41,551 --> 00:45:44,671 Speaker 1: someone was following him. When he got there, the tail 752 00:45:44,750 --> 00:45:47,591 Speaker 1: was gone, but he and the other Americans wanted to 753 00:45:47,631 --> 00:45:48,991 Speaker 1: be ready for the worst. 754 00:45:49,351 --> 00:45:51,671 Speaker 5: We prepared by putting people up on the roof and 755 00:45:51,750 --> 00:45:54,350 Speaker 5: making sure that they were armed. You know. We had 756 00:45:54,391 --> 00:45:57,871 Speaker 5: people monitoring to make sure that we could see these people. 757 00:45:58,631 --> 00:46:03,911 Speaker 5: And I stayed inside just trying to kind of recuperate 758 00:46:03,951 --> 00:46:04,390 Speaker 5: a little bit. 759 00:46:04,951 --> 00:46:06,631 Speaker 1: Were you able to get medical attention at that point. 760 00:46:07,351 --> 00:46:09,151 Speaker 5: I mean, there wasn't a whole lot that we could 761 00:46:09,190 --> 00:46:13,351 Speaker 5: do for me. I got some shoes, which was great. 762 00:46:13,631 --> 00:46:16,270 Speaker 1: Soon enough, it turned out Wickland and the others had 763 00:46:16,270 --> 00:46:19,591 Speaker 1: been right to worry. Whoever was trying to expel them 764 00:46:19,591 --> 00:46:23,551 Speaker 1: from Benghazi had figured out where they were. Aided by 765 00:46:23,631 --> 00:46:27,551 Speaker 1: night vision goggles, the Americans prevailed in two brief firefights, 766 00:46:28,270 --> 00:46:31,631 Speaker 1: but everyone was dreading the sunrise, when light would give 767 00:46:31,671 --> 00:46:36,270 Speaker 1: the attackers a clearer view of the CIA base. At 768 00:46:36,270 --> 00:46:41,270 Speaker 1: five am, reinforcements finally arrived from Tripoli. Among them was 769 00:46:41,270 --> 00:46:45,111 Speaker 1: a CIA contractor named Glen Doherty, who joined a number 770 00:46:45,111 --> 00:46:48,351 Speaker 1: of others, including a contractor named Tyrone Woods, on the 771 00:46:48,431 --> 00:46:51,551 Speaker 1: roof of the main building as the sky began to 772 00:46:51,591 --> 00:46:54,671 Speaker 1: turn from black to deep blue. The plan was to 773 00:46:54,671 --> 00:46:58,230 Speaker 1: get every American out of Benghazi as soon as humanly possible. 774 00:46:58,911 --> 00:47:02,391 Speaker 5: But then, you know, was I expecting mortars? 775 00:47:02,791 --> 00:47:02,991 Speaker 3: No? 776 00:47:03,591 --> 00:47:07,310 Speaker 5: I was not expecting mortars, and I definitely wasn't expecting 777 00:47:07,871 --> 00:47:09,231 Speaker 5: the accuracy the mortars. 778 00:47:12,871 --> 00:47:15,911 Speaker 1: In the space of ninety seconds, six mortars hit the 779 00:47:15,911 --> 00:47:19,790 Speaker 1: Benghazi CIA base. Three of them exploded on the roof 780 00:47:19,791 --> 00:47:22,471 Speaker 1: of the main building, where most of the Americans were hiding. 781 00:47:23,311 --> 00:47:26,031 Speaker 5: You know, I was standing right below the ceiling of 782 00:47:26,111 --> 00:47:29,591 Speaker 5: where they're impacting. But I think the heaviest part of 783 00:47:29,631 --> 00:47:33,431 Speaker 5: the entire experience was knowing that, you know, I've I 784 00:47:33,471 --> 00:47:37,391 Speaker 5: have some friends up on that roof, and I don't 785 00:47:37,431 --> 00:47:41,031 Speaker 5: know why they're not answering the radio call. I don't 786 00:47:41,071 --> 00:47:42,711 Speaker 5: know how they're doing. 787 00:47:45,391 --> 00:47:48,991 Speaker 1: Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods were both killed in the explosions. 788 00:47:49,951 --> 00:47:53,910 Speaker 1: Another CIA contractor, Mark Geist, and Scott Wickman's friend Dave 789 00:47:53,991 --> 00:47:58,631 Speaker 1: Uben were critically injured. After that, the attackers seemed to 790 00:47:58,631 --> 00:48:09,031 Speaker 1: withdraw and the Americans prepared to leave Benghazi. At the airport, 791 00:48:09,230 --> 00:48:11,270 Speaker 1: the plane that the trip team had used to get 792 00:48:11,311 --> 00:48:14,790 Speaker 1: to Benghazi was still sitting on the tarmac. It was 793 00:48:14,791 --> 00:48:18,031 Speaker 1: too small to fit everyone who needed to evacuate, which 794 00:48:18,071 --> 00:48:21,511 Speaker 1: meant that those needing immediate medical attention, including Scott Wickland, 795 00:48:21,551 --> 00:48:25,151 Speaker 1: were sent ahead. In the meantime, one of Wickland's fellow 796 00:48:25,190 --> 00:48:28,471 Speaker 1: DS agents called Baker Habib to update him on the situation. 797 00:48:29,351 --> 00:48:31,911 Speaker 1: A group of Libyans the Americans trusted had gone to 798 00:48:31,951 --> 00:48:34,791 Speaker 1: the Benghazi Medical Center to retrieve Stevens's body. 799 00:48:35,511 --> 00:48:38,270 Speaker 9: I wasn't my way to the hospital then receive a 800 00:48:38,311 --> 00:48:41,991 Speaker 9: qullo from one of the ds and he said, bo, 801 00:48:42,190 --> 00:48:45,631 Speaker 9: don't go to a hospital. He said why, he said, 802 00:48:45,671 --> 00:48:49,350 Speaker 9: we already got the buddy, We got the remains. Just 803 00:48:49,431 --> 00:48:51,591 Speaker 9: come straightforward to the to the airport. 804 00:48:52,071 --> 00:48:54,991 Speaker 1: When Habib arrived at the airport, he said goodbye to 805 00:48:55,031 --> 00:48:55,431 Speaker 1: his friend. 806 00:48:56,471 --> 00:48:57,871 Speaker 9: He was there at the airport. 807 00:48:58,471 --> 00:49:02,911 Speaker 4: He's a front of mere lifeless. 808 00:49:03,471 --> 00:49:04,471 Speaker 3: And he was there. 809 00:49:06,071 --> 00:49:06,631 Speaker 7: In the city. 810 00:49:06,671 --> 00:49:13,270 Speaker 9: He loved to support, to back up and to obendge 811 00:49:13,391 --> 00:49:14,351 Speaker 9: to the United States. 812 00:49:18,151 --> 00:49:19,871 Speaker 7: So I spoke to him. 813 00:49:21,190 --> 00:49:28,270 Speaker 4: I told him, Chris, what if it takes, I was 814 00:49:28,311 --> 00:49:33,671 Speaker 4: doing him best to bring those criminals to justice. 815 00:49:39,750 --> 00:49:42,350 Speaker 1: Other Libyans who had known Chris Stevens during his time 816 00:49:42,351 --> 00:49:45,991 Speaker 1: in Benghazi came to the tarmac as well. Many of 817 00:49:46,031 --> 00:49:50,071 Speaker 1: them were in tears, aware that the American evacuation probably 818 00:49:50,111 --> 00:49:53,751 Speaker 1: meant the end of the US presence in Benghazi. Greg 819 00:49:53,831 --> 00:49:55,111 Speaker 1: Hicks was aware of it too. 820 00:49:55,991 --> 00:50:01,951 Speaker 2: I distinctly remember arguing that if we leave, then we've lost. 821 00:50:02,551 --> 00:50:05,511 Speaker 2: They went that was the purpose of the attack, was 822 00:50:05,551 --> 00:50:09,991 Speaker 2: the chasers out of the country. So my view was 823 00:50:10,230 --> 00:50:15,551 Speaker 2: that we needed to take some time, regroup, rebuild, and 824 00:50:15,591 --> 00:50:17,151 Speaker 2: then continue our job. 825 00:50:18,230 --> 00:50:20,671 Speaker 1: The Libyan Air Force provided a cargo plane for the 826 00:50:20,710 --> 00:50:26,551 Speaker 1: remaining Americans. The bodies of Ambassador Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, 827 00:50:26,591 --> 00:50:30,591 Speaker 1: and Glen Doherty were loaded in as well. After a 828 00:50:30,631 --> 00:50:34,031 Speaker 1: stop in Tripoli, Scott Wickland and the others boarded a 829 00:50:34,071 --> 00:50:36,310 Speaker 1: plane for Europe. 830 00:50:36,591 --> 00:50:41,790 Speaker 5: We loaded up on the plane and there were four coffins. 831 00:50:43,111 --> 00:50:46,190 Speaker 5: You know, everybody's looking at these coffins and at these 832 00:50:46,230 --> 00:50:52,471 Speaker 5: people and silently trying to figure out what just happened. 833 00:51:04,071 --> 00:51:07,750 Speaker 1: On the next episode of Fiasco, the attack in Benghazi 834 00:51:07,991 --> 00:51:10,511 Speaker 1: enters the bloodstream of American politics. 835 00:51:10,471 --> 00:51:13,190 Speaker 3: That took the president fourteen days before he called the 836 00:51:13,230 --> 00:51:15,190 Speaker 3: attack in Benghazzi an active chair. 837 00:51:15,270 --> 00:51:15,991 Speaker 5: Get the transfer. 838 00:51:18,311 --> 00:51:21,470 Speaker 1: For a list of books, articles, and documentaries we used 839 00:51:21,471 --> 00:51:24,231 Speaker 1: in our research, follow the link in our show notes. 840 00:51:25,190 --> 00:51:28,710 Speaker 1: Fiasco is a production of Prolog Projects, and it's distributed 841 00:51:28,710 --> 00:51:32,631 Speaker 1: by Pushkin Industries. The show is produced by Andrew Parsons, 842 00:51:32,831 --> 00:51:37,391 Speaker 1: Ulla Kulpa, Sam Lee, and me Leon Mayfock, with editorial 843 00:51:37,431 --> 00:51:41,591 Speaker 1: support from Sam Graham Felsen and Matteline Kaplan. Our researcher 844 00:51:41,750 --> 00:51:45,711 Speaker 1: was Francis Carr. Our score was composed by Dan English, 845 00:51:45,911 --> 00:51:49,631 Speaker 1: Joe Valley, and Noah Hect. Additional music by Nick Sylvester 846 00:51:50,071 --> 00:51:54,591 Speaker 1: Joel Saint Julian Billy Libby and Little Cheddar Studios. Our 847 00:51:54,631 --> 00:51:58,710 Speaker 1: theme song is by Spatial Relations Audio mixed by Rob Buyers, 848 00:51:58,831 --> 00:52:02,551 Speaker 1: Michael Raphael and Johnny Vince Evans. Our artwork is by 849 00:52:02,551 --> 00:52:06,350 Speaker 1: Teddy Blanks at Chips and y Copyright Council provided by 850 00:52:06,351 --> 00:52:11,470 Speaker 1: Peter Yassi at Yassi Butler PLLC. Thanks to Archive dot Org, 851 00:52:11,831 --> 00:52:17,711 Speaker 1: Julianne Himmelstein, Mike Clark, David Kirkpatrick, fad Alba Khush, Angela 852 00:52:17,750 --> 00:52:24,271 Speaker 1: Giordani and Mitch Zukoff. Special thanks to Lubernari and thank 853 00:52:24,311 --> 00:52:25,151 Speaker 1: you for listening.