Two of the former SEALS who were killed in the Benghazi attacks were told to stand down, but the disobeyed the order to go help protect Amb. Stevens. During the ensuing firefight, according to a new report, urgent pleas for help were denied three times.
"Here's what Fox adds today at, let's see, Woods and Doherty, those are the CIA, they are the former Navy SEALs and at least two others ignored the orders to stand down. They were called ‑‑ they were told to stand down when they heard shots fired and they radioed and they were informed that by the higher‑ups that they were hearing gunshots and the higher‑ups said yes, but they were told to stand down. An hour later they called again and said, we're still hearing it and they were ordered again to stand down. Twice they were ordered to stand down. Woods and Doherty and at least two others ignored these orders and made their way to the consulate which at that point was on fire. Shots were exchanged. Quick reaction force from the CIA annex evacuated those who remained at the consulate and Sean Smith who had been killed in the initial attack. They could not find the ambassador and returned to the CIA annex about midnight. At that point they called again for military support and help because they were taking fire at the CIA safe house or annex. The request was denied," Glenn read.
The video of the FOX News report is below:
FOX News explains:
Former Navy SEAL Tyrone Woods was part of a small team who was at the CIA annex about a mile from the U.S. consulate where Ambassador Chris Stevens and his team came under attack. When he and others heard the shots fired, they informed their higher-ups at the annex to tell them what they were hearing and requested permission to go to the consulate and help out. They were told to "stand down," according to sources familiar with the exchange. Soon after, they were again told to "stand down."
Woods and at least two others ignored those orders and made their way to the consulate which at that point was on fire. Shots were exchanged. The rescue team from the CIA annex evacuated those who remained at the consulate and Sean Smith, who had been killed in the initial attack. They could not find the ambassador and returned to the CIA annex at about midnight.
At that point, they called again for military support and help because they were taking fire at the CIA safe house, or annex. The request was denied. There were no communications problems at the annex, according those present at the compound. The team was in constant radio contact with their headquarters. In fact, at least one member of the team was on the roof of the annex manning a heavy machine gun when mortars were fired at the CIA compound. The security officer had a laser on the target that was firing and repeatedly requested back-up support from a Spectre gunship, which is commonly used by U.S. Special Operations forces to provide support to Special Operations teams on the ground involved in intense firefights. The fighting at the CIA annex went on for more than four hours -- enough time for any planes based in Sigonella Air base, just 480 miles away, to arrive. Fox News has also learned that two separate Tier One Special operations forces were told to wait, among them Delta Force operators.
"Here's what's important: There are good people in the military that are folding now and saying, 'I've got to get out of this, man. These guys are bad guys that are telling us to do these things and it's starting to crumble.'"
"And this is the same decision the SEALs made there, by the way. Bad decision ‑‑ bad people are telling us not to go in there and help these guys. We're going anyway," Stu said.
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said today that there was a lot of "Monday morning quarterbacking" going on now, and that there was not enough information available to send in troops.
Yesterday, a series of e-mails revealed that the White House was alerted of the attacks and who was responsible. It has also been revealed that the military had drones over the embassy sending video as the attacks were happening.
