# Benghazi Attack for Dummies. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 8, 2013, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466 "2013-11-08T23:46:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 37
**Author:** ![NotfooledbyW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f475e1/32.png) [@NotfooledbyW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotfooledbyW)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2013, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466/721 "2013-12-29T02:27:50Z")
Latest update from the NY Times perhaps worth opening up the discussion: an excerpt: > [@](#): > > The violence, though, also had spontaneous elements. Anger at the video motivated the initial attack. Dozens of people joined in, some of them provoked by the video and others responding to fast-spreading false rumors that guards inside the American compound had shot Libyan protesters. Looters and arsonists, without any sign of a plan, were the ones who ravaged the compound after the initial attack, according to more than a dozen Libyan witnesses as well as many American officials who have viewed the footage from security cameras. > **[A Deadly Mix in Benghazi](https://www.nytimes.com/projects/2013/benghazi/index.html)** > > The reality behind the deadly attack on American outposts is murkier and more complex than initially believed. ---
**Author:** ![NotfooledbyW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f475e1/32.png) [@NotfooledbyW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotfooledbyW)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2013, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466/722 "2013-12-29T02:39:29Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > The only fast response by the White House was to send Susan Rice out in front of cameras with a bogus story. Update. The story was not bogus. > [@](#): > > The violence, though, also had spontaneous elements. Anger at the video motivated the initial attack. Dozens of people joined in, some of them provoked by the video and others responding to fast-spreading false rumors that guards inside the American compound had shot Libyan protesters. Looters and arsonists, without any sign of a plan, were the ones who ravaged the compound after the initial attack, according to more than a dozen Libyan witnesses as well as many American officials who have viewed the footage from security cameras. > [http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2013...1228#/?chapt=0](http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2013...1228#/?chapt=0) “Looters and **arsonists,** without any sign of a plan, were the ones who ravaged the compound” All should know that Stevens died of Smoke inhalation. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2013, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466/723 "2013-12-29T06:17:05Z")
> [@NotfooledbyW](#): > > Latest update from the NY Times perhaps worth opening up the discussion: > > an excerpt: > > [A Deadly Mix in Benghazi - The New York Times](http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2013/benghazi/?emc=edit_na_20131228#/?chapt=0) :rolleyes: Yes, protesters usually show up with mortars. Whatever helps you sleep at night. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2013, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466/724 "2013-12-29T07:23:34Z")
From the article, which **Magiver** seems not to have read: > [@](#): > > Mr. Abu Khattala had become well known in Benghazi for his role in the killing of a rebel general, and then for declaring that his fellow Islamists were insufficiently committed to theocracy. He made no secret of his readiness to use violence against Western interests. One of his allies, the leader of Benghazi’s most overtly anti-Western militia, Ansar al-Shariah, boasted a few months before the attack that his fighters could “flatten” the American Mission. Surveillance of the American compound appears to have been underway at least 12 hours before the assault started. > > The violence, though, also had spontaneous elements. Anger at the video motivated the initial attack. . . . Heavily armed militias were equipped with mortars; the initial spontaneous riots weren’t. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2013, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466/725 "2013-12-29T07:30:35Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > :rolleyes: Yes, protesters usually show up with mortars. Whatever helps you sleep at night. Arent you the dude with the cartoonish motorcycle special forces palooza plan? Mote, beam, bro. ---
**Author:** ![NotfooledbyW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f475e1/32.png) [@NotfooledbyW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotfooledbyW)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2013, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466/726 "2013-12-29T10:42:57Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > :rolleyes: Yes, protesters usually show up with mortars. Whatever helps you sleep at night. Still confused you are we see. The mortar attack was more than several hours later on the CIA annex which is a different location from where ‘arsonists’ set fire to the building where Stevens perished as a result of smoke asphyxiation. There was a crowd that had gathered to protest the video and then more showed up spontaneously according to the NY Times investigation because false rumors had spread that Libyan protestors had been shot. The CIA and Susan Rice had it right. You were wrong to call Susan Rice’s original recite of those CIA talking points a bogus story. Perhaps you could be excused awhile back because of some lack of clarity about what happened, but now its time that you concede that you were wrong and misled about Susan Rice etc. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2013, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466/727 "2013-12-29T17:00:33Z")
> [@NotfooledbyW](#): > > Perhaps you could be excused awhile back because of some lack of clarity about what happened, but now its time that you concede that you were wrong and misled about Susan Rice etc. You’re so cute when you’re being foolishly optimistic! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466/728 "2013-12-29T17:47:39Z")
Does Al Queda have anyone who checks credentials? If some local bunch of Islamic yahoos declare themselves AlQ, does the Central Committee ever say “No, no you are not!”? And what does “affiliated with” or “connected to” AlQ mean, anyway? Somebody’s cousin is married to some guy who says he’s a big shot in AlQ? ---
**Author:** ![NotfooledbyW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f475e1/32.png) [@NotfooledbyW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotfooledbyW)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2013, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466/729 "2013-12-29T21:07:32Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > You’re so cute when you’re being foolishly optimistic! If optimistic is part of the epitaph on my tombstone I’ll take it. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466/730 "2013-12-30T00:15:29Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Arent you the dude with the cartoonish motorcycle special forces palooza plan? Mote, beam, bro. No, I’m the one who cited motorcycles in the inventory of special forces. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466/731 "2013-12-30T01:00:43Z")
They also have submarines! Maybe they should have just sneaked up on the bad guys from underneath… ---
**Author:** ![PigArcher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@PigArcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PigArcher)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466/732 "2013-12-30T01:06:12Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > No, I’m the one who cited motorcycles in the inventory of special forces. Before we get into that again, remind us of your qualifications in the field of military strategy. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466/733 "2013-12-30T23:03:55Z")
> [@kenetic](#): > > Before we get into that again, remind us of your qualifications in the field of military strategy. I’m pretty sure it starts with Axis and ends in Allies. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466/734 "2013-12-30T23:06:46Z")
> [@kenetic](#): > > Before we get into that again, remind us of your qualifications in the field of military strategy. > [@Bob Ducca](#): > > I’m pretty sure it starts with Axis and ends in Allies. More likely starts with “Ri” and ends with “sk”. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466/735 "2013-12-30T23:11:32Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > More likely starts with “Ri” and ends with “sk”. Actually, I think we’re both wrong. It starts with Stra and ends with Tego. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466/736 "2013-12-30T23:21:20Z")
No no, it starts with “battle.” And ends with “4”. And “field” is in the middle. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466/737 "2013-12-30T23:21:44Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > Actually, I think we’re both wrong. It starts with Stra and ends with Tego. No love for the card game “War”? ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466/738 "2013-12-30T23:22:59Z")
Y’all are nothing but a bunch of stoopids. It begins and ends with “craps”. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466/739 "2013-12-30T23:37:24Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > No love for the card game “War”? What is it good for? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2013, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466/740 "2013-12-30T23:47:06Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Y’all are nothing but a bunch of stoopids. It begins and ends with “craps”. [Dice Wars](http://www.gamedesign.jp/flash/dice/dice.html)? 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466.md?page=36) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/benghazi-attack-for-dummies/673466.md?page=38)