13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi (42 page)

Tyrone “Rone” Woods

Jack Silva

Dave “D.B.” Benton

Glen “Bub” Doherty

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)

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)

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 However, numerous other published and unpublished sources made it clear that the first responders to the Compound attack were employees of the Global Response Staff, as was Glen “Bub” Doherty.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 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.

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 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.

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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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)

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