The 2012 Attack in Benghazi

     In September of 2012, U.S. government facilities in Benghazi, Libya were invaded by Islamic terrorists and a number of their occupants were taken hostage and killed. As a dark stain on the success of American foreign policy, this event is viewed as one of our nation's recent great humiliations and is hushed by the federal government as a result. However, while it was an unfortunate event and something that was horribly handled by the leaders of our country, the people of America should be educated on what occurred in Benghazi in order to look toward a better future and be better informed on how our government makes decisions.

     At about 9:40 p.m. on September 11th of 2012, members of a terrorist group known as Ansar al-Sharia entered the American center for diplomatic affairs in Benghazi and killed important figures such as an American ambassador (the first to be assassinated since 1979) and a foreign service information management officer. The event was not properly stopped and the attackers were able to escape, leading to a victory for the Islamic terroritsts. Then, later that night, another group of Islamic terrorists (likely also from Ansar al-Sharia) launched a mortar attack on the CIA center in Benghazi, killing important CIA contractors stationed there. Other agents in the building attempted to stop the assault by fighting back, causing the event to be labeled the "Battle of Benghazi" by the National Review. The event, however, was largely a loss on the part of Americans fighting back from the CIA building, and an evacuation had to be hosted for escapees and the large numbers of wounded.


    Domestically, the event was very nervously handled by the American government. Anxious to reveal details about the event to the public, the government attempted to hush up the event as much as possible and only allowed information to get to the public through leaks and glazed over explanations. State department officials experienced heavy criticism after the event for denying requests to up security at the Benghazi buildings before the attacks occurred and were labeled as "incompetent" and "clueless" by opponents. As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton later took full responsibility for the security lapses which led to the attack, however she was criticized for holding back details and is still scrutinized by opponents today for the way she handled the situation. Overall, the attacks in Benghazi were an unfortunate victory for terrorism and a humiliation for the United States. It highlighted clear issues with our national security system and made evident the fact that the U.S. could in fact be hurt by terrorists exploiting the government's carelessness. Now having this event in mind, we must look to the future with a more alert and attentive mindset, for if we do not, terrorism may hit our nation when we least expect it.

Sources:

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/06/house-republicans-benghazi-report-hillary-clinton/489125/

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/10/world/benghazi-consulate-attack-fast-facts/

https://www.yahoo.com/news/hillary-clinton-role-benghazi-know-195600379.html

https://www.google.com/#q=benghazi+attacks