US Special Security Team: Need More Not Less in Libya

The former head of a Special Forces “Site Security Team” in Libya is speaking out against security decisions by the State Department. Lt. Col. Andrew Wood is scheduled to testify at a House Oversight Committee hearing this week regarding security decisions leading up to the September 11 terrorist attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi.

In an interview with CBS News Wood states, “”We tried to illustrate… to show them how dangerous and how volatile and just unpredictable that whole environment was over there. So to decrease security in the face of that really is… it’s just unbelievable.”

Additionally ABC News reports: that U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens wanted a Security Support Team, made up of 16 special operations soldiers, to stay with him in Libya after their deployment was scheduled to end in August, the commander of that security team told ABC News.

But a senior State Department official told ABC News that the embassy’s Regional Security Officer never specifically requested that the SST’s tour be extended past August, and the official maintained there was no net loss of security personnel.

As more information comes to light there appears to be much finger pointing, CYA answers and changing of the story. Not a good day for our State Department and this administration.