13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is an excellent movie and recommend you go see it. The movie starts off by saying it is a true story. Not surprisingly, given how he is portrayed by the character "Bob" in the movie, the actual Benghazi CIA Station Chief does not care for the book and movie's depiction of his actions (leading up to and during the al Qaeda and Ansar al-Sharia terror attack on the night of September 11-12, 2012).
One of the most hotly disputed points (other than why no air support ever came) is whether "Bob" issued a stand down order that delayed the rescue attempt of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and Sean Smith (they were at the consulate compound a mile away) by approximately a half hour and likely contributed to their deaths by smoke inhalation.
In interviews, the contractors have been adamant that the “stand down” order was issued. Earlier this week, Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, said in an interview with the Boston Herald that when it comes to the stand down order, “there are witnesses who said there was one and there are witnesses who said there was not one… So the best I can do is lay out what the witnesses say and then you are going to have to make a determination as to who you believe is more credible.”
David Costabile plays the cowardly and craven CIA Benghazi station chief "Bob" in 13 Hours
Variety further reports:
[Mitchell] Zuckoff [who wrote the book 13 Hours: The Secret Soliders of Benghazi which the movie is based on] issued a statement this evening through Paramount:
“The movie and book got it right. The CIA spokesman’s comments are predictable but not remotely credible.
“If you read “Bob’s” statements to the Washington Post, he would have us believe that he neither prevented the guys from leaving nor approved or ordered their departure. That’s nonsensical on its face and contradicted by facts and logic:
“– Two of our named sources, John Tiegen and Kris Paronto, heard Bob say those words, stand down, which they shared with Jack and D.B., who already understood that they were being held back. Our two key sources are on the record, with their names, while Bob remains shielded by anonymity.
“– Neither Bob nor the CIA disputes that a delay occurred and that the guys ultimately moved out without his authorization. That, logically, adds up to a simple conclusion: he held them back and then they left without his approval.
Instapundit: Trump rents theater in Iowa for 13 Hours, Learning from other's mistakes, Hillary's too busy to see 13 Hours (she was also too busy to send help when they needed it), Hot Air: Breitbart said: Politics are downstream of culture, Moe Lane, Rescue Team Turned Back, Paul Mirengoff: The movie and the politics, Yes there was a stand down order, reports from the premier, and yes the movie is very good
Moe Lane, JLenardDetroit, and Ace loved 13 Hours.
Free Beacon: 13 Hours: A Review
DaTechGuy: The Hollywood Reporter channels DaTechGuy on 13 Hours and the Alamo Benghazi
TOM: Rave Review by Breitbart's John Nolte
DC Whispers: '13 Hours' Author Declares There WAS a Stand Down Order
Great that @13hours movie promo uses the CIA contractors who fought in #Benghazi. Follow them: @KrisParonto, @JohnTiegen, @MarkGeistSWP
— Stephen Hayes (@stephenfhayes) January 15, 2016
See our new evidence in Benghazi: Rescue Interrupted https://t.co/zNEPm42eGh https://t.co/ShZXBDRz6i @FullMeasureNews and see #13HoursMovie
— Sharyl Attkisson (@SharylAttkisson) January 16, 2016
The book was pretty simple to understand. Paronto and Tiegan gave a rational argument for why the stand down was given. They didn't agree with it, and hindsight being as it is, they were right.
ReplyDelete"Bob" wanted to give the local militia a chance to respond. This is inline with much of Obama's foreign policy. In fact, it is part of his policy that, like him, I wished worked. It's the notion that the US doesn't have to police the world. Give the world a chance to police itself. It is why we were lax on pirates early in Obama's Presidency, until the world didn't stop the Mearsk Alabama takeover. It is why we withdrew from Iraq, until the world didn't stop ISIS from taking it over. So it is not hard to believe that "Bob" would follow that strategy in Benghazi.
Me, foolishly hoping the strategy would work and realizing exactly why it will not, can forgive "Bob" and State if they just admitted this. I also understand why State wouldn't admit this (for the reasons I know the strategy will always fail!). But in order to prevent it again, the story needs to be told.
Bad guys are always looking for an opportunity, and if you give them one, they will take it. We, in the US, are now the good men who do nothing. Although, might not just be the US, perhaps the Western nations in total (if we look at Cologne).
Well said. I agree completely.
DeleteI agree. If you're the CIA pretending you're not there, you don't want to be the first responder. Plus, I'm sure a legal justification to go was harder to come by than a moral obligation to go.
DeleteGreat movie, though. Can be appreciated by people not familiar with the politics behind it, too.
If you know the U.S. Ambassador is under attack a mile away, and your in a country that is a complete cluster fuck, it is not a hard decision (if you have the assets to do it). You go get the Ambassador and his staff and get them to your compound ASAP. Maintaining covert status at that point is probably one of your least concerns (especially since their cover was blown the second they set up that "secret" station).
DeleteThat these dweebs are so concerned with unrealistic policy concerns that it stops them to make action is probably one of the most damning things in the movie. It is not like the Bush Administration didn't make screwed up decisions in Iraq, but at least they tried to follow through on them. Why go into Libya at all if you are not willing to defend your own Ambassador?
I don't go to the movies but I might make an exception for this one. Just to support conservative film making and to stick it to Hollywood liberal douches who make political movies that tank.
ReplyDeleteYou would like it. It definitely feels like the Alamo, only they just barely managed to hold them off.
DeleteDrip, drip, drip...
ReplyDeleteThose 4 guys are coming...