Warning of attack on embassies IGNORED?!

[doom&gloom]

Is this the "September Surprise?"

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...n-8135797.html

*snip*

According to senior diplomatic sources, the US State Department had credible information 48 hours before mobs charged the consulate in Benghazi, and the embassy in Cairo, that American missions may be targeted, but no warnings were given for diplomats to go on high alert and "lockdown", under which movement is severely restricted.

*snip*

[lakedaemonian]

Re: Warning of attack on embassies IGNORED?!

Is this the "September Surprise?"

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...n-8135797.html

*snip*

According to senior diplomatic sources, the US State Department had credible information 48 hours before mobs charged the consulate in Benghazi, and the embassy in Cairo, that American missions may be targeted, but no warnings were given for diplomats to go on high alert and "lockdown", under which movement is severely restricted.

*snip*

Interesting.......

I wonder about the "list of Libyans working with Americans"...that could be anything...such as low level commercially related stuff....I would seriously doubt it would be a list of HUMINT sources...one would expect the highly sensitive stuff to be more carefully handled, especially in an increasingly hostile/non-permissive environment.

The use of accurate mortars is quite disturbing.....as that would be an indicator of:

*Coordinated attack(timing of mortar attack on exfil)
*Capability/Proficiency(accurate indirect mortar fire in an urban environment)
*Intelligence(how/who compromised the safe house)

Certainly doesn't sound like any amateur hour spontaneous civil disobedience gone horribly wrong.

[doom&gloom]

Re: Warning of attack on embassies IGNORED?!

given they had warning and did not bother to share it with the staff, i personally would not be surprised if some of the losses were worse than one might normally expect.

[aaron]

Re: Warning of attack on embassies IGNORED?!

I bet Obama and his team will catch these terrorists and bring them to justice with some spectacular F18 and smart missile footage... just in time for his final campaign push.

[GRG55]

Re: Warning of attack on embassies IGNORED?!

given they had warning and did not bother to share it with the staff, i personally would not be surprised if some of the losses were worse than one might normally expect.

There's probably a warning of an attack on a US embassy or consulate somewhere in the world practically every day. How do they sort the real threats from the those that aren't? And what does the Ambassador do...hide himself away indefinitely?

As lakedaemonian has pointed out on another thread, securing missions abroad is a very complex challenge...

[flintlock]

Re: Warning of attack on embassies IGNORED?!

They don't seem to have a problem securing this one!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embassy...tates,_Baghdad

We have to remember this was a consulate, not an Embassy, correct? I would assume an Embassy has somewhat better security, and probably holds more secrets. Still, considering the instability in the Region, and especially in places like Libya, I was a little surprised. Where were Libyan govt forces during all this? Seems to me they have some responsibility to help protect Embassies and consulates. Maybe we should not have a permanent physical presence in nations that are not stable or established enough to do this? I certainly think in the case of Egypt, strings should be attached to all the money being sent them.

[doom&gloom]

Re: Warning of attack on embassies IGNORED?!

There's probably a warning of an attack on a US embassy or consulate somewhere in the world practically every day. How do they sort the real threats from the those that aren't? And what does the Ambassador do...hide himself away indefinitely?

As lakedaemonian has pointed out on another thread, securing missions abroad is a very complex challenge...

What, no TSA color code system when abroad?

More seriously, it sounds like Libya was a compromised operation, and that in and of itself is bad news.

[lakedaemonian]

Re: Warning of attack on embassies IGNORED?!

There's probably a warning of an attack on a US embassy or consulate somewhere in the world practically every day. How do they sort the real threats from the those that aren't? And what does the Ambassador do...hide himself away indefinitely?

Completely agree.

Sadly, the US Ambassador to Libya sounds like he was the type of guy you actually WANT working in an AO.

Deeply immersed in the local language and culture and actively engaged in the community, and reportedly often without an overt close protection team. He spoke fluent Arabic/French and had done multiple tours in Libya as well as Egypt, Saudi, Syria as well as a stint in the Peace Corps.

Big difference between him and a typical diplomatic appointee "earned" thru political donations.

Chatter amongst folks who have first hand experience with diplomatic mission security seems focused a bit on Yemen, but Yemen also happens to possess one of the most secure US Embassy facilities.

[GRG55]

Re: Warning of attack on embassies IGNORED?!

Completely agree.

Sadly, the US Ambassador to Libya sounds like he was the type of guy you actually WANT working in an AO.

Deeply immersed in the local language and culture and actively engaged in the community, and reportedly often without an overt close protection team. He spoke fluent Arabic/French and had done multiple tours in Libya as well as Egypt, Saudi, Syria as well as a stint in the Peace Corps.

Big difference between him and a typical diplomatic appointee "earned" thru political donations.

Chatter amongst folks who have first hand experience with diplomatic mission security seems focused a bit on Yemen, but Yemen also happens to possess one of the most secure US Embassy facilities.

When I first moved to the Middle East I was the Managing Director for the MENA region for a Houston based energy company. Although I am not a US national, I got to know the then US Ambassador of the country where our regional office was located through the business round table meetings he used to hold at his residence. He strikes me as similar to Ambassador Stevens but a bit further along the track...a career diplomat, fluent in the language, schooled in the history of the region, and having held posts in several different Arab countries with stints back at the State Dept in D.C. in between each.