Emails detail unfolding Benghazi attack on Sept. 11

Ambassador Chris Stevens

(CBS News) It was six weeks ago on Tuesday that terrorists attacked the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

Now, CBS News has obtained email alerts that were put out by the State Department as the attack unfolded. Four Americans were killed in the attack, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens.

These emails contain the earliest description so far of what happened at Benghazi the night of the attack.

Read the emails (PDF)
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At 4:05 p.m. Eastern time, on September 11, an alert from the State Department Operations Center was issued to a number government and intelligence agencies. Included were the White House Situation Room, the office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the FBI.

"US Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi Under Attack" -- "approximately 20 armed people fired shots; explosions have been heard as well. Ambassador Stevens, who is currently in Benghazi, and four COM (Chief of Mission/embassy) personnel are in the compound safe haven."

Clinton on email: "Not in and of itself evidence"

At 4:54 p.m., less than an hour later, another alert: "the firing... in Benghazi...has stopped...A response team is on site attempting to locate COM (embassy) personnel."

Then, at 6:07 p.m., State sent out another alert saying the embassy in Tripoli reported the Islamic military group "Ansar al-Sharia Claims Responsibilty for Benghazi Attack"... "on Facebook and Twitter and has called for an attack on Embassy Tripoli."

The emails are just a few in what are likely a large number traded throughout the night. They are likely to become part of the ongoing political debate over whether the administration attempted to mislead in saying the assault was an outgrowth of a protest, rather than a planned attack by terrorists.

Fourteen hours after the attack, President Obama sat down with Steve Kroft of "60 Minutes" for a previously scheduled interview and said he did not believe it was simply due to mob violence.

"You're right that this is not a situation that was -- exactly the same as what happened in Egypt and my suspicion is that there are folks involved in this who were looking to target Americans from the start," Mr. Obama said.

The White House and State Department declined comment on the email alerts. The House Oversight Committee told CBS News the information in the emails will be part of their ongoing investigation into the Benghazi attack.

[tonymo41]

"Fourteen hours after the attack, the LIAR-IN-CHIEF, Barack Obama sat down with Steve Kroft of "60 Minutes" for a previously scheduled interview and said he did not believe it was simply due to mob violence."

But then sent Susan Rice on the Sunday news shows to lie about it, as he and Hillary did for the next six weeks, while the thoroughly corrupt, termeinally biased Obamamedia yawned.

Compare this with Watergate where NO ONE DIED and journalistic careers were made!

[worldodyssey]

Some people don't know much about American History. Suddenly outraged, but have complete amnesia of anything as recent as 4 years ago and a president who lied about an entire war. But let's go back to the conservative God, Ronald Reagan. In 1982, 63 people were killed in the bombing of our embassy in Lebanon. Then Reagan sent in a peacekeeping force, which because of lax security, was bombed and resulted in nearly 300 Marines being killed. Despite knowing that Hezbollah was responsible, Reagan withdrew and never punished the perpetrators. Instead he attempted to bolster American Intel by appointing William Buckley to head the CIA in Lebanon, despite knowing full well his cover had been blown during the Iranian Revolution. Buckley was subsequently captured and tortured to death slowly over the course of a year. In an effort to negotiate for his release, Reagan sold weapons to Iran without congressional knowledge in the hopes of brokering his release. It never happened. The funds from the sale were used to fund an illegal war in Central America.
No please tell me, which President do think is dishonest and a disgrace to the position????

[GregorioBasra]

Barack Obama. Any other questions.

[hemlockpark]

Thank you for covering this important story. The events and reaction of our leaders to this situation deserve news coverage. All Americans depend on the integrity of our media to hold the truth as the standard by which our leadership is measured. It makes no difference to me which party is in charge, but I very much want a return to real reporting as an arm to help us trust those we elect. That cannot be done unless the media pursues truth wherever it leads them. Thank you for upholding that standard. You make America stronger.

[davidaha47]

Welcome aboard CBS better late than never . Sharyl Attkisson you go girl!!!!!!

[wakeupudreamers]

It is doubtful that CBS and the other liberal based networks will report this story until after the election so as not to give their
favored candidate bad press....gosh, they can give us all a lesson on how to stick together in a crisis....

[llwtruth]

I agree with you completely. It's scary that a group of entities who are supposed to report ALL THE NEWS can pick and choose based on their own biases what they want to report to us. Their decisions can change the course of an election by slanting to their opinions as well as change the course of our country from one that is a leader in the world to one that could be led by others. Wake up, mainstream media!

[gongmanyao]

America Wake up!

As an Asian American, who lived here for 25 years, never saw this much mainstream media deception going on ganged with obama. Worse, most of the Americans were brainwashed and blinded being victims of division and hatred by him and minorities. No matter what are your beliefs ( gay, abortionist, anti-conservative whatever), can't you see who is bad, flaky person or who is respectable person??Don't you see that a leader of this great nation should have to have some decent quality as a president??You voted someone who is notoriously dishonest with no experience based on only his sweet talking talent skill as your president. So you have what you deserve: worse economy, loosing more individual freedom, weaker standing internationally than last 4 years ago. This guy's tactics are always avoid straight, honest answers, but speaking flattery confusing word to ears, but if you listen to him carefully, he has no clear points or plans at all .On the top of it, he says I saved you from the worst depression. How? and where is the empirical ( scientific datas, evidence)? Always attack other side calling names and tricks, didn't meet any cabinet members for two and half years of his presidency, but only works with secretly elected, unconstitutional czars? Playing golf more than 100 times for last 4years, spending more than $360,000 per average daily vacation cost? If some car sales person seduced you with sweet talk, will you believe everything he says and buy whatever he asks? or see the reality and logically reason consequences before jump into his proposal? If you still don't see whom you voted effected this country so bad , but only busy fighting for Republican and Democrats, you deserved to suffer another 4years. Because you are "STUPID"?You have to develop your own judgement, not swayed by mainstream media says, or government says. Mainstream media is gone more than 5 years ago, and act like the communist medias: They only report what government order. By the way before you vote for this guy, from now on, check all the magazines, and TV stations, and listen to whenever every media say about something in one voice. then one or two others say something different than the rest, listen both and research and try to figure out what is their hidden intentions and motivation. Weight carefully each other. That's what smart people do. If anyone carefully do that, sooner or later they will start to see who is lying and who is truthful or neutral. As an example, CNN, FOX, MSNBC always watch all three and compare how they report about any same incident. Then you will start to see who are more neutral and who are more indoctrinated.?I was shocked how Americans were turned out to be stupid 4 years ago!.I love this nation and from bottom of my heart I wish the best for next four years. By the way, communist always say they share equally? look at the history carefully. Usually poor, radical people deceive people to turn into communist killing educated, riches _( Soviet killed 80million. Chinese killed 90 million), then only the few party members have wealth and power , The rest have no freedom of speech, wealth,religion, but living in dirt poor, worse than before. They never share equally America!. It's just shift of power form have to have-not, but to the few party members only. America Wake! Learn the history, don't be deceived. Socialist's philosophy are same as communist. Coran teaches" If infidels ( Christians and Jews) refuse to be a islam, kill them and deceive them with lies as tactics. If you don't believe me, read Coran-English. Communist and Islams' common tacts: Lies to the enemy!. America Wake up!

[gongmanyao]

by the way do you know we can't post in the internet without revealing who we are? where is the freedom? what happened to the constitutional rights for individual privacy?
Several liberal bosses are controlling the whole media opinions, that why every media say the same thing except just few. Do you know mr O systematically hires net bloggers & using Facebook & twitters to control public opinion? Who will open their eyes and wake up before too late?

[SwedesBoy]

Obama has brought more dishonor to the Oval Office than Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton combined! What a pig!!

[worldodyssey]

Don't know much about American History, do you? Apparently you can't even remember 4 years ago and the previous president who lied about an entire war. But let's go back to the conservative God, Ronald Reagan. In 1982, 63 people were killed in the bombing of our embassy in Lebanon. Then Reagan sent in a peacekeeping force, which because of lax security, was bombed and resulted in nearly 300 Marines being killed. Despite knowing that Hezbollah was responsible, Reagan withdrew and never punished the perpetrators. Instead he attempted to bolster American Intel by appointing William Buckley to head the CIA in Lebanon, despite knowing full well his cover had been blown during the Iranian Revolution. Buckley was subsequently captured and tortured to death slowly over the course of a year. In an effort to negotiate for his release, Reagan sold weapons to Iran without congressional knowledge in the hopes of brokering his release. It never happened. The funds from the sale were used to fund an illegal war in Central America.
No please tell me, which President do think is dishonest and a disgrace to the position????

[GregorioBasra]

No please tell me, which President do think is dishonest and a disgrace to the position????

Barack Obama. Any other questions

[watchingthenews]

Thank you CBS for putting this story on your website. Some other news channels have neglected to pass this on the the American Citizens. This was such a senseless tragedy and the whole world needs to know about it and how it might have been prevented. It is truly a horrible scandal that needs to be investigated and reported on now.

[tscoop]

Amen!Please keep digging. The truth must come out. These brave men gave their lives serving their country, and somebody made a conscious decision not to have our military help them, even after 3 urgent requests. This is criminal. It's disgusting. We are America, we don't let people die because it is inconvenient to get to them, or inconvenient politcally.

[CatsNjammer]

I did not vote for Obama, however, I and many others still had high hopes that this was a man that could grow into the White House. I did think that any human being elected would do whatever was possible to save human lives. These human lives were placed into harm's way by Obama's administration and they were serving the American people. We had a duty to do everything in our power to help them, we did not. Maybe the buck stops HERE, maybe we elected the wrong man. Anyone who values human life so cheaply that he could watch that attack in real time and know that there were special forces teams ready to go at a moment's notice an hour away.......he just watched, hour after hour after hour. I wonder if those brave heroes thought that the drones sending the info back to Washington were actually there to help?

[tscoop]

He thinks only of himself. Very obvious. He watched, and made a conscious decision to let them die in front of his eyes. Thank goodness 2 men in the CIA Annex went against the Admin. orders to stand down, and took it upon themselves to help those still alive at the embassy. That is what Americans do. This is disgusting, and should be reported on until somebody takes responsibility for the order to stand down. Then they should be fired immediately, and if it is the President, he should resign. It's a disgrace.

[delreska]

Joe Biden, expert on foreign affairs and previous member of countless foreign affairs committees,said in his debate with Ryan that he read all of the "intel" they received about the attack on our diplomatic mission in Benghazi and said it was unclear for several days what actually precipitated the attack. Most of America knew the day after the attack that when 20 people show up at the Embassy with AK 47's, rocket launchers, mortars and heavy machine guns on the anniversary of 9/11, they were not there to protest a video no one had ever heard of. President Obama felt comfortable enough making a Rose Garden speech the next day wherein he indirectly refers to terrorist attacks in the context of 9/11 NYC and specifically says violence cannot be excused for offending one's religious beliefs, and then flew of to a fund raiser. It is also clear from emails that the State Dept had refused to give additional security staff when the Ambassador specifically and repeatedly asked for them. Four of our finest are dead! Where is "60 Minutes" when there is a real issue to debate?

[MarielLynne]

The survivors are now speaking out. I guess the Obama Admin. hoped there would be none to tell the tale. What is now clear is that there was constant communication between the embassy and the State Department, constant pleas for help from the Benghazi staff, and over and over---for seven hours---those requests were denied. Panetta, Obama, Clinton and others need to explain why... and why all the lies?????