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Begin Reading Table of Contents Photos Newsletters Copyright Page In accordance with the U.S Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com Thank you for your support of the author’s rights For JCS, SPS, TSW, and GAD Veritas et Fortitudo A NOTE TO THE READER This book documents the last hours of an American diplomatic outpost in one of the most dangerous corners of the globe Based on exclusive firsthand accounts, it describes the bloody assault, tragic losses, and heroic deeds at the US State Department Special Mission Compound and at a nearby CIA base called the Annex in Benghazi, Libya, from the night of September 11, 2012, into the morning of the next day It is not about what officials in the United States government knew, said, or did after the attack, or about the ongoing controversy over talking points, electoral politics, and alleged conspiracies and cover-ups It is not about what happened in hearing rooms of the Capitol, anterooms of the White House, meeting rooms of the State Department, or green rooms of TV talk shows It is about what happened on the ground, in the streets, and on the rooftops of Benghazi, when bullets flew, buildings burned, and mortars rained When lives were saved, lost, and forever changed The men whose experiences comprise the soul and spine of this book are well aware of the political storm surrounding Benghazi They recognize that the word itself has become unmoored, no longer simply the name of a dusty Mediterranean port city on Libya’s northeastern coast They know that some Americans use Benghazi as shorthand for US government malfeasance or worse They also understand that their explanations and revelations will be used as evidence to fit arguments and accusations in which they have chosen not to participate It’s not that they don’t care about those issues It’s just not their purpose Their intent is to record for history, as accurately as possible, what they did, what they saw, and what happened to them—and to their friends, colleagues, and compatriots—during the Battle of Benghazi Although written as a narrative, this is a work of nonfiction No scenes or chronologies were altered, no dramatic license was taken, and no characters were invented or created from composites Descriptions from before, during, and immediately after the battle came from the men who were there, from verified accounts, or both All dialogue was spoken or heard firsthand by primary sources Thoughts ascribed to individuals came directly from those individuals The main sources of this book are the five surviving American security force contractors, known as “operators,” who responded to the surprise attack on the Benghazi diplomatic Compound, spearheaded the counterattack, and carried out the rescue of State Department personnel and residents of the CIA Annex Several names have been changed or withheld for privacy or security reasons, but all descriptions and information included about individuals is true Classified details were omitted, in keeping with standard nondisclosure agreements among clandestine government employees and contractors Those changes and omissions had no material effect on the story and did not misrepresent the known facts The individual accounts of the operators were fundamentally in sync, but occasionally they diverged on details, such as when a particular radio call was sent Whenever possible the narrative reflects the varying perspectives, which can be attributed to the fast-moving nature of events, the fog of war, and team members’ overriding concerns about remaining alive rather than keeping track of chronologies Secondary sources include additional interviews, photos and videos, the voluminous record of public documents, congressional reports and testimony, and media reports Those sources, credited where appropriate in the text and cited in the Select Bibliography, were used to provide context, fill gaps during periods when the primary sources weren’t present, and to confirm or elaborate upon the participants’ recollections Further discussion of sourcing can be found at the end of the book, in “A Note on Sources” (here) Previous accounts of these events, in books, magazines, and other media, have disturbed and even disgusted the men whose story is told here Versions with fictionalized dialogue, imaginary incidents, false or exaggerated claims, and sensationalized allegations serve no purpose other than to inflame and obfuscate The goal of the real security team members is to recount the Battle of Benghazi through as transparent a lens as possible They and the family of a sixth operator have a financial stake in this book, but their only editorial demand was that the story be told truthfully It would be folly to think that this or any other account would be the last word on events with such wide-ranging implications But after so many words have already flowed, with many more to come, consider it the first word directly from the battlefield, from men who know from hard experience and seared memories what actually happened during those harrowing thirteen hours —Mitchell Zuckoff CAST OF CHARACTERS THE ANNEX SECURITY TEAM: Dave “D.B.” Benton—A thirty-eight-year-old former Marine sergeant and SWAT team officer, D.B was a scout sniper whose specialties included hostage rescue, direct-action assaults, surveillance, reconnaissance, and close-quarters battle Before Benghazi, he’d been honored for contract security work in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere Taciturn and thoughtful, a married father of three, D.B frequently partnered in Benghazi with his good friend Kris “Tanto” Paronto (Courtesy of Dave Benton) Mark “Oz” Geist—At forty-six the oldest member of the team, the laid-back Oz spent a dozen years in the Marine Corps, including work in an intelligence unit, then became the police chief in the Colorado town where he grew up After running a private investigation company, in 2004 he became a security contractor to the State Department in Iraq Twice married, Oz had a son with his first wife and a teenage stepdaughter and an infant daughter with his second wife (Courtesy of Mark Geist) Kris “Tanto” Paronto—A former member of the Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment, the voluble Tanto had a personality as colorful as the many tattoos on his muscular body At forty-one, he’d spent a decade working as a contract security operator—a job he considered part of a battle between good and evil—in countries throughout the Middle East Tanto held a master’s degree in criminal justice, owned an insurance adjusting business, and had a son and a daughter with his second wife (Courtesy of Kris Paronto) Jack Silva—A former Navy SEAL, Jack spent a decade in the service, carrying out missions in Kosovo and the Middle East Introspective and smart, Jack left the SEALs to spend more time with his two young sons and his wife, who learned while Jack was in Benghazi that she was pregnant At thirty-eight, Jack divided time between contract security work and real estate, buying, renovating, and selling properties Jack often partnered with fellow former SEAL Tyrone “Rone” Woods (Courtesy of Jack Silva) John “Tig” Tiegen—Tig was thirty-six, a former Marine sergeant from Colorado who spent several years as a security contractor for Blackwater He worked for the company in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq, before going to work for the CIA’s Global Response Staff Quiet and precise, the married father of infant twins, Tig was in the midst of his third trip to Benghazi for GRS, making him the team member with the most experience in the city He often teamed with Mark “Oz” Geist (Courtesy of John Tiegen) Tyrone “Rone” Woods—Rone was forty-one, a powerfully built former Navy SEAL who’d spent two decades in the service before returning to civilian life in 2010 During his SEAL years, Rone had served in Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq, where he earned a Bronze Star with a “V” for valor Twice married, the father of three sons, Rone was a nurse and a paramedic Eager to spend more time with his family, Rone had decided that Benghazi would be his last trip with the GRS (Courtesy of the Woods family) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Heartfelt thanks first and foremost to the families of the Annex security team Their love and support sustained the operators during their time in Benghazi, especially during the thirteen hours of battle Deep appreciation also goes to the team members’ mentors, friends, and comrades in the US military and elsewhere, who helped to train the operators for what they encountered that night and to prepare the survivors for what came after Editor Sean Desmond of Twelve was a steadfast advocate and an insightful collaborator To borrow Sean’s phrase, assistant editor Libby Burton earned her stripes in “special ops, publishing.” Special thanks to Jamie Raab, Deb Futter, Brian McLendon, Paul Samuelson, Mari C Okuda, Rick Ball, Carol Ross, and the team at Twelve and Grand Central for treating this book with such great care Agent extraordinaire Richard Abate of 3Arts was like the host of a complex dinner party, pulling together a seemingly incompatible guest list with his signature flair His assistant Melissa Kahn made sure every course arrived hot Dana Hatic created order from chaos, culling details from numerous sources to assemble an invaluable timeline Nick Lehr crafted a sophisticated dossier on Benghazi, from its history to its idiosyncrasies, that displayed his talent as a researcher and writer Steve Wylie set land speed records for turning digital recordings of interviews into voluminous, error-free transcripts Special thanks to Sid and Gerry Zuckoff, for giving me everything I needed Finally, to Suzanne, Isabel, and Eve: Now and always, you’re the reason and the reward for everything ABOUT THE AUTHORS Writer Mitchell Zuckoff is a professor of journalism at Boston University and the author of six previous nonfiction books, including The New York Times bestsellers Lost in Shangri-La and Frozen in Time The Annex Security Team consists of five surviving CIA Special Ops contractors who responded to the September 11, 2012, attack on the US diplomatic Compound in Benghazi and fought the battle that repulsed the attackers and saved roughly two dozen American lives Also by Mitchell Zuckoff Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II Robert Altman: The Oral Biography Ponzi’s Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend Judgment Ridge: The True Story Behind the Dartmouth Murders (with Dick Lehr) Choosing Naia: A Family’s Journey SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY Abbas, Mohammed “Libya’s Benghazi Laments City’s Decay Under Gaddafi.” Reuters, May 16, 2011, http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/16/us-libya-benghazi-idUSTRE74F3ZP20110516 Blanchard, Christopher M “Libya: Transition and U.S Policy.” Congressional Research Service, October 18, 2012, https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33142.pdf Blanchard, Christopher M., and Jim Zanotti “Libya: Background and U.S Relations.” Congressional Research Service, February 18, 2011, http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/157348.pdf Booth, William “Benghazi Doing Better Than Tripoli, Rebels Say.” The Washington Post , August 14, 2011, http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2011-08-14/world/35269577_1_benghazi-libyanrebel-tripoli Bosalum, Feras “T-shirt Store Starts New Fashion Trend in Libya’s Benghazi.” Reuters, June 30, 2013, http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/30/us-libya-fashion-idUSBRE95T03Z20130630 Bulugma, Hadi M Benghazi Through the Ages 1972 Burton, Fred and Samuel M Katz “40 Minutes in Benghazi.” Vanity Fair , August 2013, http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/2013/08/Benghazi-book-fred-burton-samuel-m-katz Burton, Fred, and Samuel M Katz Under Fire: The Untold Story of the Attack in Benghazi New York: St Martin’s Press, 2013 Butters, Andrew Lee “Dispatch from Libya: Why Benghazi Rebelled.” TIME, March 3, 2011, http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2056521,00.html Campagne, Jean-Pierre “Thousands of Chinese Workers Leave Behind Libyan Ghost Town.” Times of Malta, June 17, 2011, http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110617/world/Thousands-of-Chinese-workersleave-behind-Libyan-ghost-town.371017 Campbell, Robert B., LTC (Ret.) “An Adventure in Benghazi: An Episode During the 1967 ArabIsraeli War,” Officer Review, June 2011: 11–12 Central Intelligence Agency “The World Factbook: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ly.html Libya.” ClimaTemps.com “Climate of Benghazi.” http://www.benghazi.climatemps.com Clinton, Hillary Hard Choices New York: Simon & Schuster, 2014 Crisp, Will “Hanging Out in Benghazi’s Car Boot Arms Market.” Vice, April 30, 2013, http://www.vice.com/en_se/read/benghazis-car-boot-arms-fair Doornbos, Harald, and Jenan Moussa “ ‘Troubling’ Surveillance Before Benghazi Attack.” Foreign Policy, November 1, 2012, http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/11/01/troubling_surveillance_before_benghazi_attack Entous, Adam, Siobhan Gorman, and Margaret Coker “CIA Takes Heat for Role in Libya.” The Wall Street Journal, November 1, 2012, http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970204712904578092853621061838 Federal Bureau of Investigation “Seeking Information on Benghazi Attacks.” http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/seeking-information-on-attacks-in-benghazi/seekinginformation-on-attacks-in-benghazi-poster Ferran, Lee “American Killed in Libya Was on Intel Mission to Track Weapons.” ABC News, September 13, 2012, http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/glen-doherty-navy-seal-killed-libya-intelmission/story?id=17229037 Ferran, Lee “Reporter’s Notebook: Remembering an Ex-SEAL, Fallen in Libya.” ABC News, October 17, 2012, http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/reporters-notebook-friends-remember-sealfallen-libya/story?id=17499523 Flynn, Sean “Murder of an Idealist.” GQ, December 2012: 282–286, http://www.gq.com/newspolitics/newsmakers/201211/sean-flynn-j-christopher-stevens-benghazi-libya-ambassador FoxNews.com “Transcript: Whistle-blower’s Account of Sept 11 Libya Terror Attack.” May 8, 2013, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/05/08/transcript-whistle-blower-account-sept-11libya-terror-attack/ Garamone, Jim “Little Describes Pentagon’s Benghazi Decision Process.” American Forces Press Service, November 2, 2012, http://www.defense.gov/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=118420 Garcia-Navarro, Lourdes “Benghazi’s Citizens Fill the Libyan Government Gap.” Morning Edition, NPR, March 9, 2011, http://www.npr.org/2011/03/09/134384820/Benghazi-Update Glen Doherty Memorial Foundation “His http://www.glendohertyfoundation.org/about-glen/ Story: Glen Anthony Doherty.” Griffin, Jennifer “What Laser Capability Did Benghazi Team Have?” FoxNews.com, November 4, 2012, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/04/what-laser-capability-did-benghazi-teamhave/ Gumuchian, Marie-Louise “Two Years On, Benghazi Threatens ‘Another Revolution’ in Libya.” Reuters, January 31, 2013, http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/01/us-libya-benghazi idUSBRE91002N20130201 Halim, Amr Ben “A Return to Benghazi Evokes Memories of Libyan in the 1950s.” The National, May 14, 2011, http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/a-return-to-benghazievokes-memories-of-libyan-in-the-1950s#full Herridge, Catherine “CIA Moved Swiftly to Scrub, Abandon Libya Facility After Attack, Source Says.” FoxNews.com, December 5, 2012, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/12/05/ciamoved-swiftly-scrub-abandon-libya-facility-after-attack-source-says/#ixzz2IE8icKIQ Ignatius, David “In Benghazi Timeline, CIA Errors but No Evidence of Conspiracy.” The Washington Post , November 1, 2012, http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/david-ignatiuscias-benghazi-timeline-reveals-errors-but-no-evidence-of-conspiracy/2012/11/01/a84c40242471-11e2-9313-3c7f59038d93_story.html Judicial Watch “Benghazi Aftermath Photos.” November 12, 2013, http://www.judicialwatch.org/document-archive/benghazi-foia-response-including-photos/ Karadsheh, Jomana, and Tim Lister “Benghazi Tries to Escape its Ghosts, Past and Present.” CNN, January 29, 2013, http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/29/world/africa/libya-benghazi-past-present Kelley, Michael, and Geoffrey Ingersoll “Intrigue Surrounding the Secret CIA Operation in Benghazi Is Not Going Away.” Business Insider, August 3, 2013, http://www.businessinsider.com/thesecret-cia-mission-in-benghazi-2013-8 Kelley, Michael, and Geoffrey Ingersoll “It’s Time to Discuss the Secret CIA Operation at the Heart of the US Mission in Benghazi.” Business Insider, May 17, 2013, http://www.business insider.com/the-secret-cia-mission-in-benghazi-2013-5 Kiely, Eugene “Benghazi Timeline: The Long Road from ‘Spontaneous Protest’ to Premeditated Terrorist Attack.” FactCheck.org, October 26, 2012, updated November 6, 2012 and May 9, 2013, http://www.factcheck.org/2012/10/benghazi-timeline Kirkpatrick, David D “A Deadly Mix in Benghazi.” The New York Times , December 28, 2013, http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2013/benghazi/?hp#/?chapt=0 Kormann, John G Echoes of a Distant Clarion Washington, DC: New Academia Publishing, 2007 Kurtz, Howard “Benghazi Brawl: The Pundits Take On the New York Times.” FoxNews.com, December 31, 2013, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/12/31/benghazi-brawl-pundits-takeon-new-york-times/ Lake, Eli “Exclusive: CIA Honored Benghazi Chief in Secret Ceremony.” The Daily Beast, May 21, 2013, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/05/21/exclusive-cia-honored-benghazi-chiefin-secret-ceremony.html Lederer, Edith M “UN Panel: Libyan Weapons Spread at Alarming Rate.” AP, April 9, 2011, http://bigstory.ap.org/article/un-panel-libyan-weapons-spread-alarming-rate Issa, Rep Darrell, and Rep Jason Chaffetz Letter to President Obama October 19, 2012, http://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/10.19.12-Issa-and-Chaffetz-toPresident.pdf Also see attachments at http://oversight.house.gov/release/oversight-committeeasks-president-about-white-house-role-in-misguided-libya-normalization-effort/ Maxwell, James “Libya: Why Benghazi Matters.” Think Africa Press, May 30, 2013, http://thinkafricapress.com/libya/libya-why-benghazi-matters McLean, Alan, Sergio Peỗanha, Archie Tse, and Lisa Waananen “The Attack on the American Mission in Benghazi, Libya.” The New York Times , October 1, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/09/20/world/africa/the-attack-on-the-americanmission-in-benghazi-libya.html McDonnell, Patrick “Political Football, Benghazi Style.” Winnipeg Free Press , May 21, 2011, http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/fyi/political-football-benghazi-style122381063.html Milbank, Dana “Letting Us In on a Secret.” The Washington Post , October 10, 2012, http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dana-milbank-letting-us-in-on-asecret/2012/10/10/ba3136ca-132b-11e2-ba83-a7a396e6b2a7_print.html Miller, Greg, and Julie Tate “CIA’s Global Response Staff Emerging from Shadows After Incidents in Libya and Pakistan.” The Washington Post , December 26, 2012, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/cias-global-response-staff-emergingfrom-shadows-after-incidents-in-libya-and-pakistan/2012/12/26/27db2d1c-4b7f-11e2-b709667035ff9029_story.html Mongabay.com “Population Estimates for Benghazi, Libya, http://books.mongabay.com/population_estimates/full/Benghazi-Libya.html Montoya, Mario “Mission to a Revolution.” State, http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/178204.pdf December 1950–2015,” 2011: 18–23, Morris, Harvey “In Letter to Friends, Slain U.S Ambassador Expressed Hope.” The New York Times, IHT Rendezvous (blog), September 12, 2012, http://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/12/slain-u-s-ambassadors-letter-to-friends-andfamily/ The New York Times “A Timeline of Events in Benghazi.” May 8, http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/05/08/us/benghazi-pentagon-timeline.html 2013, Nordland, Rob “In Libyan Rebel Capital, Shouts of Thanks to America and the West.” The New York Times, May 28, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/world/africa/29benghazi.html Pargeter, Alison Libya: The Rise and Fall of Qaddafi New Haven: Yale University Press, 2012 Redmayne, Nick “Rising from the Revolution: Life in Benghazi.” CNN, May 17, 2013, http://travel.cnn.com/benghazi-travel-610366 Risen, James, Mark Mazzetti, and Michael S Schmidt “U.S.-Approved Arms for Libya Rebels Fell into Jihadis’ Hands.” The New York Times , December 5, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/06/world/africa/weapons-sent-to-libyan-rebels-with-usapproval-fell-into-islamist-hands.html Rohloff, Florence Hartke Flight from Benghazi New York: Vantage Press, 1998 Scarborough, Rowan “Delta Force Marine Awarded Navy Cross for Fight at CIA Annex in B e n g h a z i ” The Washington Times , November 16, 2013, http://p.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/nov/16/delta-force-marine-awarded-navy-cross-fightcia-an/ Schmitt, Eric, Helene Cooper, and Michael S Schmidt “Deadly Attack in Libya was Major Blow to C.I.A Efforts.” The New York Times , September 23, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/24/world/africa/attack-in-libya-was-major-blow-to-cia- efforts.html Snapp, Trevor “The New Libyans.” Vice, March 31, 2011, http://www.vice.com/read/the-newlibyans-754-v18n4 Stark, Freya The Coast of Incense London: John Murray, 1953 Temehu Tourism Services “Benghazi.” http://www.temehu.com/Cities_sites/benghazi.htm August Thorn Tree Forum “An Update on Eastern Libya.” http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2199652 8, May 2013, 12, 2012, Tiersky, Alex, and Susan B Epstein “Securing U.S Diplomatic Facilities and Personnel Abroad: Background and Policy Issues.” Congressional Research Service, November 8, 2013, http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R42834.pdf TheTownTalk.com “Transcript: Testimony of Gregory Hicks on Benghazi.” May 8, 2013, http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20130508/NEWS01/130508017/Transcript-TestimonyGregory-Hicks-Benghazi US Department of State “Background Briefing on Libya.” Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC, October 9, 2012, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/10/198791.htm US Department of State “Benghazi Weekly Report—September 11, 2012.” September 11, 2012, http://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/9-11-12-Memo.pdf US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform “Benghazi Attack Pictures.” October 2012, http://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/2012-10-09-lamb-testimonyfinal1.pdf US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform “Benghazi: Exposing Failure and Recognizing Courage.” Hearing held on May 8, 2013 Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 2013, http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-113hhrg81563/html/CHRG113hhrg81563.htm US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform “Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Charlene Lamb Testimony Before House Oversight Committee; Washington, DC, Wednesday, October 10, 2012,” http://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/2012-10-09-lambtestimony-final1.pdf US House of Representatives “Interim Progress Report for the Members of the House Republican Conference on the Events Surrounding the September 11, 2012 Terrorist Attacks in Benghazi, Libya.” April 23, 2013, http://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Libya-ProgressReport-Final-1.pdf US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence “Review of the Terrorist Attacks on U.S Facilities in Benghazi, Libya, September 11–12, 2012, Together with Additional Views.” January 15, 2014, http://www.intelligence.senate.gov/benghazi2014/benghazi.pdf Vandewalle, Dirk A History of Modern Libya Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006 Von Mittelstaedt, Juliane “Libya’s Soccer Rebellion: A Revolution Foreshadowed on the Pitch of Benghazi.” Spiegel Online, July 15, 2011, http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/libya-ssoccer-rebellion-a-revolution-foreshadowed-on-the-pitch-of-benghazi-a-774594.html Wainstein, L “Some Aspects of the U.S Involvement in the Middle East Crisis, May–June 1967.” Institute for Defense Analyses, 1968, http://www.dod.gov/pubs/foi/Science_and_Technology/WSEG/505.pdf The Wall Street Journal “How the Benghazi Attack Unfolded.” http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10000872396390444620104578008922056244096 The Wall Street Journal “Witness Hicks: How the Benghazi Attack Unfolded.” Washington Wire (blog), May 8, 2013, http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2013/05/08/witness-hicks-how-thebenghazi-attack-unfolded/ What The Folly?! “Transcript: Testimony of Regional Security Officer Eric Nordstrom on the ‘Security Failures in Benghazi.’ ” October 11, 2012, http://www.whatthefolly.com/2012/10/11/transcript-testimony-of-regional-security-officer-ericnordstrom-on-the-security-failures-in-benghazi/ Youssef, Nancy A “Libyans, Diplomats: CIA’s Benghazi Station a Secret—and Quickly Repaired.” McClatchy Newspapers, November 12, 2012, http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/11/12/174455/libyans-diplomats-cias-benghazi.html Thank you for buying this ebook, published by Hachette Digital To receive special offers, bonus content, and news about our latest ebooks and apps, sign up for our newsletters Sign Up Or visit us at hachettebookgroup.com/newsletters For more about this book and author, visit Bookish.com CONTENTS Cover Title Page Welcome Dedication A Note to the Reader Cast of Characters Prologue Benghazi ONE: The Annex TWO: THREE: The Ambassador September 11, 2012 FOUR: Overrun FIVE: SIX: Gunfighter Road SEVEN: EIGHT: Man Down Counterattack NINE: Zombieland TEN: Hard Target ELEVEN: Incoming? TWELVE: Mortars! THIRTEEN: Convoy Epilogue Photos A Note on Sources Acknowledgments About the Authors Also by Mitchell Zuckoff Select Bibliography Newsletters Copyright Copyright Copyright © 2014 by Truth & Courage L.L.C Cover design by Christopher Sergio Cover photo by © Tom Weber/Media Bakery Cover copyright © 2014 by Hachette Book Group, Inc All rights reserved In accordance with the U.S Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com Thank you for your support of the author’s rights Twelve Hachette Book Group 237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017 hachettebookgroup.com twitter.com/grandcentralpub First ebook edition: September 2014 Twelve is an imprint of Grand Central Publishing The Twelve name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc The Hachette Speakers Bureau provides a wide range of authors for speaking events To find out more, go to www.hachettespeakersbureau.com or call (866) 376-6591 The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher ISBN 978-1-4555-8229-7 E3 ... to come, consider it the first word directly from the battlefield, from men who know from hard experience and seared memories what actually happened during those harrowing thirteen hours Mitchell. .. diplomatic Compound No one was injured, but the vulnerability of the Compound property was evident A pro-al-Qaeda group took credit, calling it retaliation for the death of alQaeda commander Abu... permissions@hbgusa .com Thank you for your support of the author’s rights For JCS, SPS, TSW, and GAD Veritas et Fortitudo A NOTE TO THE READER This book documents the last hours of an American