No threat assessment in Benghazi prior to
ambassador's arrival, source says
By Catherine Herridge, Pamela Browne Published September 28, 2012 FoxNews.com
·
An intelligence source on the ground in Libya told Fox News that no
threat assessment was conducted before U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and his
team began "taking up residence" at the Benghazi compound --
describing the security lapses as a
"total failure."
The claim comes more than two weeks after Stevens and three other
Americans were killed in what is now being described officially as a terror
attack possibly tied to Al Qaeda.
The source told Fox News that there was no real security equipment
installed in the villas on the compound except for a few video cameras.
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the worst, the intelligence source
said the security lapses were a 10 -- a "total failure" because Benghazi was known to be a
major area for extremist activity.
There had been four attacks or
attempted attacks on diplomatic and western targets leading up to the Sept. 11
strike on the U.S. Consulate.
Based on that information, a former regional security officer for
diplomatic security told Fox News, the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi had to have
been classified or assessed by the State Department as a "critical threat terrorism or civil unrest
posting."
Fox News was told that State Department standards for diplomatic
missions overseas dictate physical security standards for this classification. There are two sets -- classified and
unclassified requirements.
The unclassified standards include a
100-foot setback for the buildings from the exterior walls which should be
three meters high, in addition to reinforced ballistic doors and windows which
can withstand an hour of sustained assault.
Based on the video and photos, none
appear present at the consulate.
The former regional security officer, who has worked in the Middle East,
told Fox News that the standards are designed to give an ambassador, his or her
team and diplomatic security that "golden
hour" to burn classified dockets and call in military help for an emergency
evacuation
.
The mounting questions regarding security at the compound prompted all
members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday to write
to the State Department asking for additional details about security at U.S.
diplomatic posts and for a fuller explanation of the attacks on U.S. compounds
in Libya, Egypt and Yemen.
Lawmakers have raised concern about the administration's changing story.
Officials initially described the attack as a "spontaneous" assault
triggered by protests in Cairo over an anti-Islam film. They later described
the attack as terrorism.
And sources told Fox News on Thursday
that intelligence officials knew it was a terror attack within 24 hours --
prompting additional questions from lawmakers about why they were told
otherwise during briefings on Capitol Hill.
