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0:11 - Opening Call to Action
0:16 - Benghazi Attack Introduction
1:50 - Libyan Context and Rising Tensions
3:36 - Security Forces and Start of Siege
6:11 - Rescue Attempt and Consulate Evacuation
9:33 - CIA Annex Defense and Aftermath
14:53 - Evacuation, Losses, and Consequences
18:30 - Movie Adaptation and Final Reflections
👉 This channel was created in collaboration with https://www.youtube.com/@noelpolotv
0:11 - Opening Call to Action
0:16 - Benghazi Attack Introduction
1:50 - Libyan Context and Rising Tensions
3:36 - Security Forces and Start of Siege
6:11 - Rescue Attempt and Consulate Evacuation
9:33 - CIA Annex Defense and Aftermath
14:53 - Evacuation, Losses, and Consequences
18:30 - Movie Adaptation and Final Reflections
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NewsTranscript
00:11Follow me! Follow me!
00:16Tuesday, September 11, 2012
00:18In Benghazi, Libya, a city that had been a hotbed of violence for months, chaos erupted once again.
00:24A major uprising was carried out by armed rebels fully equipped with heavy weapons.
00:30Their main target was the United States Consulate, which had long been considered a major obstacle by the rebel groups.
00:37Inside the building, Ambassador Christopher Stevens and his security team faced a terrifying situation.
00:44In fact, their refuge became a deadly target in the midst of the chaos.
00:50Meanwhile, a small group of six private security contractors, almost all former members of the elite U.S. Special Forces,
00:58became the last line of defense.
01:01Despite the extreme danger, they bravely charged into the midst of the siege.
01:05While bullets rained down and attacks from armed enemies came one after another, they did everything they could to carry
01:12out a desperate rescue mission.
01:14In this video, we will examine the complex events in Benghazi, going beyond what was shown in the movie 13
01:21Hours, The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi by Michael Bay.
01:26We will not glorify a war or oversimplify the reality of battle.
01:30Instead, our goal is to understand the real events, their causes, their consequences, and what was actually needed, the experiences
01:39of those at the forefront of the tragedy.
01:41But before we start, if you're new to our channel, please subscribe so you'll always be updated with videos like
01:47this.
01:50To understand the tragedy that happened in Benghazi in 2012, we first need to look back at history.
01:57The diplomatic presence of the United States in Libya has been unstable since 1972, reflecting the intense political tension between
02:05the two countries during the leadership of Muammar Gaddafi.
02:09When the Libyan Civil War broke out, the United States supported the rebels fighting against Gaddafi.
02:15After he was ousted in 2011, Barack Obama's administration began steps to help Libya transition to a democratic government.
02:25Amid this dangerous and chaotic situation, Ambassador Christopher Stevens was tasked with leading the reopening of the United States' diplomatic
02:34presence in the country.
02:35However, diplomacy was not the only reason for America's interest in Libya.
02:40The country's strategic location also had a significant influence, as well as concerns about the vast number of weapons left
02:47behind after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi's regime.
02:50Ambassador Stevens was well aware of the grave danger, but he continued his mission to stabilize the situation and monitor
02:58security in Libya despite clear warnings.
03:01These included previous attacks and direct threats.
03:05Furthermore, the facility in Benghazi did not have the same level of protection as a permanent embassy.
03:11The decision to keep Stevens and his team in Benghazi despite security warnings would become a critical factor by September
03:192012.
03:21At that time, Benghazi was the center of rebel violence and illegal arms trading.
03:28It's not surprising that the attention of armed groups would turn to that building, which lacked security and had an
03:34American flag flying.
03:36While Christopher Stevens continued to request additional security from Tripoli, former Navy SEAL Glenn Doherty reached out to his colleagues
03:45at the CIA Global Response Staff, or GRS.
03:49The GRS is a group of private military contractors stationed at a secret CIA annex in Benghazi, located near the
03:57temporary United States consulate.
03:59At that time, the GRS was composed of former Navy SEALs Jack Silva and Tyrone Woods, former Marines John Tygen,
04:08known as Tig, Mark Geist, known as Oz, and Dave Benton, known as Boone.
04:14They were also joined by former Army Ranger Chris Paranto.
04:18These six men underwent some of the toughest military training and had extensive experience in battlefield operations.
04:26On the night of September 11, 2012, Ambassador Christopher Stevens retired early after a long day of meetings with the
04:35Turkish consul.
04:36Around 9.40 in the evening, Ambassador Christopher Stevens was awakened by a series of gunshots.
04:42A large number of armed rebels had already entered the consulate grounds, carrying various weapons.
04:49Among their weapons were RPGs, grenades, and other heavy arms.
04:54Through the security cameras, Agent Alex Henderson monitored the rapid advance of the attackers.
05:00Along with his warning to the entire United States system about the imminent danger,
05:05an emergency alert also went out to the CIA Global Response Staff,
05:09at the Diplomatic Security Command Center, and even at the Pentagon.
05:14However, the response received by the operators at the CIA annex was extremely disappointing.
05:20Their leader's order was to stay in their current position.
05:24This directive became one of the most controversial parts of the Benghazi incident,
05:29and to this day, opinions about it still differ.
05:33The situation worsened when the Libyan February 17 Martyrs Brigade,
05:38the local force assisting with the consulate's security,
05:41was ordered not to carry out any military intervention.
05:45Because of this, the consulate's staff were left without immediate support from outside.
05:50Just a few minutes later, the rebels managed to destroy the main entrance of the building.
05:55Although they were stopped by the iron bars on the doors and windows,
06:00the fire quickly spread to different parts of the building as the rebels continued to attack the consulate.
06:06Inside the consulate, Ambassador Stevens clung to his last hope of survival.
06:11Desperately, he contacted his superiors and pleaded for the GRS to be allowed to leave and rescue them.
06:18But again, the answer was negative.
06:21By 10 p.m., the tension was almost unbearable.
06:24Every second of waiting only put the lives of those inside the consulate,
06:28including the ambassador, in even greater danger.
06:32After almost 30 minutes of waiting for a rescue order that never came,
06:37Tyron Woods, the head of the GRS team, faced the toughest decision of his career.
06:42He decided to act on his own judgment, even without official permission from the White House or the CIA.
06:49He carefully planned the rescue mission and the safest route to safety.
06:54After 10 minutes, they set off in their Toyota Land Cruisers toward the battle site, but their journey was not
07:02easy.
07:03The streets were full of roadblocks, checkpoints, and armed rebels.
07:07When they realized they could be discovered at any moment, the group decided to split up and continue the mission
07:13on foot,
07:14as they went deeper into the dark and dangerous city.
07:17Meanwhile, inside the burning consulate, Ambassador Christopher Stevens and Sean Smith hid in a bathroom,
07:23hoping to find at least some protection from the fire and smoke.
07:28Meanwhile, a security agent took position on the roof to gain a better tactical advantage.
07:34From there, he witnessed a horrifying scene.
07:36The building was being consumed by flames while the rebels continued firing from different directions.
07:43At a critical moment in the night, a glimmer of hope arrived.
07:46The rescue team had arrived.
07:49Chris Peranto was first to charge the front lines.
07:52He used grenades to create a diversion in the consulate courtyard.
07:56Dave Benton took advantage of the opportunity to provide suppressive fire against the attackers.
08:01Everything quickly turned into an intense firefight.
08:04The rebels repeatedly fired RPGs and automatic weapons, but the GRS members fought back with full force.
08:12They succeeded in taking down several RPG operators.
08:15This gave them a brief opportunity to get inside the building.
08:20The rescue team went in to look for the consulate staff, but they could hardly see anything because of the
08:25thick smoke.
08:26The heat inside the building was almost like an oven.
08:28After the desperate search, a heartbreaking scene unfolded before them.
08:34They found the lifeless body of Sean Smith, one of the staff.
08:37He was with diplomatic security.
08:40Around 11 p.m., the situation became even more serious when a drone flew overhead,
08:45sending live video to the commanders in Washington.
08:49President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,
08:53and their officials watched the events unfold as the crisis worsened,
08:58Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometers away from Benghazi, former Navy SEAL Glenn Doherty,
09:04who was in Tripoli at the time, made a dangerous but brave decision.
09:08Racing against time, he offered $30,000 to convince a commercial pilot to immediately fly him to Benghazi.
09:16He had only one goal, to join his comrades in the toughest battle of their lives.
09:21As midnight approached, the GRS operators successfully killed or drove back many rebels and evacuated five people from the besieged
09:32consulate.
09:33However, Ambassador Christopher Stevens remained missing.
09:37Due to the imminent large-scale counterattack by the rebels and with no other options left,
09:42The rescue team was forced to retreat and return to the CIA annex.
09:47They loaded the rescued personnel along with the lifeless body of Sean Smith into an armored vehicle,
09:53a vehicle that became extremely important to their survival due to the intense danger they were facing.
10:00Their destination was only about 1.5 kilometers away,
10:04but along that short route, they were met with intense gunfire and the explosion of a grenade.
10:11Fortunately, their Toyota Land Cruiser was not hit badly.
10:15Because of its thick armor plating, they were saved from certain danger.
10:20And if it had been an ordinary vehicle, it would have likely been riddled with bullets.
10:25By 11.50 p.m., the GRS team made it back to the CIA annex.
10:30Even though two of their tires were flat and the underside of their vehicle was almost destroyed.
10:36But the nightmare of that night was not yet over.
10:38In fact, an even greater challenge awaited them.
10:42As midnight approached, the CIA annex in Benghazi became the center of another intense assault,
10:49with the compound being fired upon using rifles, machine guns, PKM machine guns, RPG launchers, and mortars.
10:57Despite the intensity of the attack, the security team was ready.
11:02Each member positioned in their designated defensive spot,
11:05allowing them to immediately carry out their defense plan.
11:09However, the strength of the rebels' offensive was beyond what they expected.
11:15Later, Chris Peranto shared his experience in that battle.
11:19As the attackers got closer, he aimed at them using the infrared laser of his M4 rifle.
11:26He kept hearing the words over the radio,
11:28I've got him, I've got him, I've got him now, again and again.
11:32For him, each of those confirmations meant that another enemy had been killed.
11:38Peranto also admitted that the movie 13 Hours,
11:41The secret soldiers of Benghazi accurately portrayed the feeling of relentless attacks
11:47by wave after wave of rebels on the compound.
11:50Meanwhile, while the GRS operators were defending the CIA annex,
11:55Glenn Doherty arrived at Benghazi airport.
11:58However, he was delayed for a long time due to military and bureaucratic issues
12:04before he finally reached the CIA annex to help rescue the survivors.
12:08The fighting continued in successive clashes until dawn.
12:11Around 5 in the morning, the attack intensified even more.
12:16Mortar rounds then landed inside the compound.
12:19Many were seriously injured and some were killed,
12:22including personnel from the U.S. State Department and members of the GRS security team.
12:27Amidst the chaos, Glenn Doherty was informed that his close friend
12:31and former Navy SEAL teammate Tyrone Woods
12:34was on the roof of the building and was continuing to defend their position.
12:39Doherty didn't hesitate.
12:40He immediately went up to join and support his friend in the midst of the offensive.
12:46But just moments later, both of them were hit by a mortar round.
12:50That explosion took their lives.
12:53After that attack, only a few were left who could still fight.
12:57Only three or four people were still able to use their weapons.
13:00The others were either wounded or had already fallen in battle.
13:04Later, Chris Parenteau received a report that an armed militia was approaching.
13:09According to the information, about 30 to 50 fighters were approaching,
13:13riding on what are called technicals.
13:17Civilian vehicles modified to carry machine guns or other heavy weapons.
13:21It wasn't clear if they were allies or new enemies.
13:24At that point, the GRS had very little defense left.
13:28They only had their M4 rifles while many of their comrades, including Dave Benton,
13:34had already been wounded.
13:35It was almost impossible to prevent another large-scale attack.
13:39Amidst the intense tension, Chris Perunto peeked out from his hiding place
13:43and focused his gaze on one of the approaching trucks.
13:46He tried to determine if the driver was the leader of the group.
13:50He noticed that the man was chewing cat,
13:52a plant commonly used in some countries as a stimulant to stay alert and gain extra energy,
13:59especially before a battle.
14:01In a moment filled with doubt,
14:03Chris Perunto chose to rely on the possibility of understanding
14:06rather than immediately opening fire.
14:09As a sign of peaceful intention, he made a shaka hand gesture,
14:13a simple hand movement commonly used by surfers as a symbol of friendship and good intentions.
14:20In that context, the shaka gesture served as a test of intention,
14:24a simple act that could be seen as a threat or as a sign of friendship.
14:30To the great relief of those at the CIA annex,
14:33the other side also smiled and returned the same gesture.
14:37That wasn't a scene from a movie,
14:39but a real moment of understanding that temporarily defused the situation.
14:44As the intense tension subsided, reinforcements arrived,
14:47not to escalate the fighting, but to help the survivors amid the chaos.
14:53In a convoy of heavy vehicles, the CIA personnel, members of the global response staff,
14:59and other U.S. State Department employees were evacuated to an airport in Tripoli.
15:05Meanwhile, the head of the CIA annex, Bob,
15:08who had previously refused to allow the GRS to immediately assist the consulate,
15:13was also the one who requested a plane for the evacuation of the wounded and other employees.
15:18According to Chris Perranto, if it weren't for that action, there could have been more victims.
15:25However, in just 13 hours, the GRS lost two of their comrades,
15:31Tyrone Woods and Glenn Doherty.
15:34In total, the special forces successfully rescued around 30 people,
15:39including personnel from the U.S. State Department.
15:43Later on, Ambassador Christopher Stevens' fate also became known.
15:47During the height of the attack, he was found by some Libyans
15:51and brought to a hospital while he was in critical condition.
15:54According to the doctor who examined him,
15:56he died due to asphyxiation caused by severe smoke inhalation,
16:01and not because of gunshot wounds.
16:03After the incident, the United States sent 50 Marines from the anti-terrorism security team
16:09and deployed two warships to patrol the coast of Libya.
16:12But for many, it was already too late.
16:15Because of this, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama faced intense criticism,
16:22especially for the government's allegedly slow response to the ongoing crisis.
16:26Until now, some aspects of the incident remain the subject of debate.
16:31One of the biggest controversies is whether the CIA really ordered the six GRS operators to stay put
16:38while the attack on the consulate was happening.
16:42This is also the version presented in the book that became the basis for the movie 13 Hours,
16:47The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi.
16:50According to journalist Mitchell Zokoff, such an order was indeed given.
16:54And this was also confirmed by Chris Tantoparanto in an interview.
16:58According to him, there is no exaggeration here.
17:02We were clearly ordered not to act.
17:04Those were exactly the words used.
17:06It's hard to ignore the testimony of the people who were actually there.
17:10However, some officials and high-ranking CIA personnel strongly denied that such an order was given.
17:16Another detail that is often debated is the lack of air support.
17:20In the movie, it is implied that air support could have arrived but was not sent.
17:26However, according to reports on September 11, 2012, there were actually no combat aircraft
17:34or armed drones that could reach Benghazi in time to change the course of the battle.
17:39Therefore, the lack of immediate air support was more due to time and location constraints
17:45rather than simple negligence by United States officials.
17:48Despite some dramatic scenes and creative additions by director Michael Bay, 13 hours.
17:56The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi remains one of the films that provides a broad picture of the real events that
18:02took place that night.
18:04The attack in Benghazi remains one of the saddest and most serious tragedies experienced by United States diplomacy in modern
18:12times.
18:12In the following years, the operations of the U.S. Embassy in Libya were almost completely shut down.
18:19Until now, the current ambassador of the United States to Libya performs his duties from another country
18:25instead of being permanently assigned inside Libya itself.
18:30After the incident, some of the real operators of Benghazi, including Chris Paranto,
18:35Mark Geist, and John Tigtegan, served as technical advisors for the movie 13 hours,
18:42the Secret Soldiers of Benghazi.
18:44Because of this, many details in the movie are based directly on their own first-hand experiences.
18:51However, according to the creator of the video, there were some very important events that were not shown in the
18:58movie.
18:58This may be due to time constraints, the way the story was told in the movie, or decisions made during
19:05script writing.
19:06But those details are important to fully understand what really happened in Benghazi.
19:12If you want to know the full story from the people who actually experienced it,
19:16the author of the video has included interviews with Mark Geist, Chris Tanto Paranto, and John Tigtegan in the description.
19:26Although these interviews are in English, they can help you gain a clearer and deeper perspective about the real events
19:34that happened.
19:36This is where our discussion ends.
19:39If you enjoyed the video, don't forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell so you won't miss our upcoming
19:44releases.
19:47Thank you very much for watching, and I hope you have a great day.
19:59We'll see you next time.
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