13 Hours_ The Inside Account of - Mitchell Zuckoff

13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

Images of the Compound in the aftermath of the attack. (GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP/Getty
Images)

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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

(REUTERS/Esam Al-Fetori)

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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

(FBI photo)

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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

Images of the Compound in the aftermath of the attack. (GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP/Getty
Images)

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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi
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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi
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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

Mark “Oz” Geist

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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

Kris “Tanto” Paronto

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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

John “Tig” Tiegen

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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

Tyrone “Rone” Woods

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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

Jack Silva

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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

Dave “D.B.” Benton

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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

Glen “Bub” Doherty

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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

Libyan civilians remove an unresponsive Ambassador Christopher Stevens from the villa at the US
diplomatic Compound early on September 12, 2012. (AFP/AFP/Getty Images)

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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton embrace during a September 14, 2012,
ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base marking the arrival of the remains of the Americans killed in

Benghazi. (JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)

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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

A NOTE ON SOURCES

This book could not have been written without the cooperation and
candor of the five surviving special operators from Benghazi. Their
accounts allowed for a boots-on-the-ground perspective, while also
contributing to a virtual drone’s-eye view of the thirteen-hour battle. Yet
during scores of conversations and interviews, all five men took pains to
avoid disclosing information, tradecraft, or techniques that the US
government considers classified. For instance, they would not discuss
certain details of their employment in Benghazi as security contractors.
However, numerous other published and unpublished sources made it
clear that the first responders to the Compound attack were employees
of the Global Response Staff, as was Glen “Bub” Doherty. Identifying
the operators as such was a simple leap of logic by the author.

As a result of the operators’ circumspection about certain matters,
this book owes a debt to numerous other sources, including many
journalists and authors who have spent years covering military affairs
and the nation’s clandestine services. For instance, in the wake of the
battle, Greg Miller and Julie Tate of The Washington Post published an
important story detailing the nature and the work of the Global Response
Staff, including information about GRS contract operators at the CIA
Annex in Benghazi. David Ignatius of the Post also made a significant
early link between GRS and the events of September 11–12, 2012. They
and many others who have written about the battle are cited in the Select

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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

Bibliography below. Also cited is the October 2012 congressional
testimony of then–Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Charlene Lamb,
who discussed the Quick Reaction Force that responded from the Annex.
During her testimony, she displayed a map that clearly showed the
location of the Annex.

Valuable information about the American presence in Benghazi also
came from unexpected sources. One example is the December 2011
issue of State magazine, published by the State Department. An article
written by Diplomatic Security agent Mario Montoya provided insight
and details regarding the establishment of the Special Mission
Compound. It also discussed the US government’s efforts to collect
shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles. The makes of vehicles used by the
operators came from various sources, including media reports and
previous books on Benghazi. One potential source who proved elusive
was Bob the Annex chief. Attempts to reach him to hear his version of
events were unsuccessful.

Essential elements of the narrative came from the December 2012
report of the State Department’s Accountability Review Board, which
investigated the attacks on the Compound and Annex. The ARB report
was important in terms of providing details of the Compound attack
from the perspective of the DS agents. Also valuable were the Interim
Progress Report for the Members of the House Republican Conference
on the Events Surrounding the September 11, 2012, Terrorist Attacks in
Benghazi, Libya, and the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Review of the Terrorist Attacks on US Facilities in Benghazi, Libya,
September 11–12, 2012, among others. Several reports from the
Congressional Research Service, listed below, were helpful with regard
to information about security at US diplomatic facilities abroad, US
policy, and relations with Libya.

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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Heartfelt thanks first and foremost to the families of the Annex security
team. Their love and support sustained the operators during their time in
Benghazi, especially during the thirteen hours of battle. Deep
appreciation also goes to the team members’ mentors, friends, and
comrades in the US military and elsewhere, who helped to train the
operators for what they encountered that night and to prepare the
survivors for what came after.

Editor Sean Desmond of Twelve was a steadfast advocate and an
insightful collaborator. To borrow Sean’s phrase, assistant editor Libby
Burton earned her stripes in “special ops, publishing.” Special thanks to
Jamie Raab, Deb Futter, Brian McLendon, Paul Samuelson, Mari C.
Okuda, Rick Ball, Carol Ross, and the team at Twelve and Grand Central
for treating this book with such great care.

Agent extraordinaire Richard Abate of 3Arts was like the host of a
complex dinner party, pulling together a seemingly incompatible guest
list with his signature flair. His assistant Melissa Kahn made sure every
course arrived hot.

Dana Hatic created order from chaos, culling details from numerous
sources to assemble an invaluable timeline. Nick Lehr crafted a
sophisticated dossier on Benghazi, from its history to its idiosyncrasies,
that displayed his talent as a researcher and writer. Steve Wylie set land
speed records for turning digital recordings of interviews into

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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi
voluminous, error-free transcripts.

Special thanks to Sid and Gerry Zuckoff, for giving me everything I
needed.

Finally, to Suzanne, Isabel, and Eve: Now and always, you’re the
reason and the reward for everything.

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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Writer Mitchell Zuckoff is a professor of journalism at Boston
University and the author of six previous nonfiction books, including
The New York Times bestsellers Lost in Shangri-La and Frozen in Time.
The Annex Security Team consists of five surviving CIA Special Ops
contractors who responded to the September 11, 2012, attack on the US
diplomatic Compound in Benghazi and fought the battle that repulsed
the attackers and saved roughly two dozen American lives.

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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

Also by Mitchell Zuckoff
Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for

Lost Heroes of World War II
Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most

Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II
Robert Altman: The Oral Biography

Ponzi’s Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend
Judgment Ridge: The True Story Behind the Dartmouth Murders (with

Dick Lehr)
Choosing Naia: A Family’s Journey

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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abbas, Mohammed. “Libya’s Benghazi Laments City’s Decay Under
Gaddafi.” Reuters, May 16, 2011,
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/16/us-libya-benghazi-
idUSTRE74F3ZP20110516.

Blanchard, Christopher M. “Libya: Transition and U.S. Policy.”
Congressional Research Service, October 18, 2012,
https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/RL33142.pdf.

Blanchard, Christopher M., and Jim Zanotti. “Libya: Background and
U.S. Relations.” Congressional Research Service, February 18,
2011, http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/157348.pdf.

Booth, William. “Benghazi Doing Better Than Tripoli, Rebels Say.” The
Washington Post, August 14, 2011,
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2011-08-
14/world/35269577_1_benghazi-libyan-rebel-tripoli.

Bosalum, Feras. “T-shirt Store Starts New Fashion Trend in Libya’s
Benghazi.” Reuters, June 30, 2013,
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/30/us-libya-fashion-
idUSBRE95T03Z20130630.

Bulugma, Hadi M. Benghazi Through the Ages. 1972.
Burton, Fred and Samuel M. Katz. “40 Minutes in Benghazi.” Vanity

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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

Fair, August 2013,

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/2013/08/Benghazi-book-fred-

burton-samuel-m-katz.

Burton, Fred, and Samuel M. Katz. Under Fire: The Untold Story of the
Attack in Benghazi. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2013.

Butters, Andrew Lee. “Dispatch from Libya: Why Benghazi Rebelled.”
TIME, March 3, 2011,
http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2056521,00.html.

Campagne, Jean-Pierre. “Thousands of Chinese Workers Leave Behind
Libyan Ghost Town.” Times of Malta, June 17, 2011,
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110617/world/Thousands-
of-Chinese-workers-leave-behind-Libyan-ghost-town.371017.

Campbell, Robert B., LTC (Ret.). “An Adventure in Benghazi: An
Episode During the 1967 Arab-Israeli War,” Officer Review, June
2011: 11–12.

Central Intelligence Agency. “The World Factbook: Libya.”
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-
factbook/geos/ly.html.

ClimaTemps.com. “Climate of Benghazi.”

http://www.benghazi.climatemps.com.

Clinton, Hillary. Hard Choices. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2014.

Crisp, Will. “Hanging Out in Benghazi’s Car Boot Arms Market.” Vice,
April 30, 2013, http://www.vice.com/en_se/read/benghazis-car-
boot-arms-fair.

Doornbos, Harald, and Jenan Moussa. “ ‘Troubling’ Surveillance Before
Benghazi Attack.” Foreign Policy, November 1, 2012,
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/11/01/troubling_surveillance_befor
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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

Entous, Adam, Siobhan Gorman, and Margaret Coker. “CIA Takes Heat
for Role in Libya.” The Wall Street Journal, November 1, 2012,
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970204712904578092853

Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Seeking Information on Benghazi

Attacks.” http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-info/seeking-

information-on-attacks-in-benghazi/seeking-information-on-attacks-

in-benghazi-poster.

Ferran, Lee. “American Killed in Libya Was on Intel Mission to Track
Weapons.” ABC News, September 13, 2012,
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/glen-doherty-navy-seal-killed-libya-
intel-mission/story?id=17229037.

Ferran, Lee. “Reporter’s Notebook: Remembering an Ex-SEAL, Fallen
in Libya.” ABC News, October 17, 2012,
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/reporters-notebook-friends-
remember-seal-fallen-libya/story?id=17499523.

Flynn, Sean. “Murder of an Idealist.” GQ, December 2012: 282–286,
http://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/201211/sean-flynn-j-
christopher-stevens-benghazi-libya-ambassador.

FoxNews.com. “Transcript: Whistle-blower’s Account of Sept. 11 Libya
Terror Attack.” May 8, 2013,
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blower-account-sept-11-libya-terror-attack/.

Garamone, Jim. “Little Describes Pentagon’s Benghazi Decision
Process.” American Forces Press Service, November 2, 2012,
http://www.defense.gov/News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=118420.

Garcia-Navarro, Lourdes. “Benghazi’s Citizens Fill the Libyan
Government Gap.” Morning Edition, NPR, March 9, 2011,

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13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/09/134384820/Benghazi-Update.

Glen Doherty Memorial Foundation. “His Story: Glen Anthony
Doherty.” http://www.glendohertyfoundation.org/about-glen/.

Griffin, Jennifer. “What Laser Capability Did Benghazi Team Have?”
FoxNews.com, November 4, 2012,
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did-benghazi-team-have/.

Gumuchian, Marie-Louise. “Two Years On, Benghazi Threatens
‘Another Revolution’ in Libya.” Reuters, January 31, 2013,
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/01/us-libya-benghazi
idUSBRE91002N20130201.

Halim, Amr Ben. “A Return to Benghazi Evokes Memories of Libyan in
the 1950s.” The National, May 14, 2011,
http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/a-
return-to-benghazi-evokes-memories-of-libyan-in-the-1950s#full.

Herridge, Catherine. “CIA Moved Swiftly to Scrub, Abandon Libya
Facility After Attack, Source Says.” FoxNews.com, December 5,
2012, http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/12/05/cia-moved-
swiftly-scrub-abandon-libya-facility-after-attack-source-
says/#ixzz2IE8icKIQ.

Ignatius, David. “In Benghazi Timeline, CIA Errors but No Evidence of
Conspiracy.” The Washington Post, November 1, 2012,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/david-ignatius-cias-
benghazi-timeline-reveals-errors-but-no-evidence-of-
conspiracy/2012/11/01/a84c4024-2471-11e2-9313-
3c7f59038d93_story.html.

Judicial Watch. “Benghazi Aftermath Photos.” November 12, 2013,

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