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Could US have done more to stop attack in Benghazi?

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    General Jack Keane weighs in

  • Duration 6:18
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As much as we know right now about the terror attack that killed four Americans and -- on 9/11 we're still learning new details.

Including -- CBS report this weekend that a predator drone was flying above the -- scene for at least four hours during the attack.

Watching events unfold.

And raising new and serious questions today about whether we could've done more to protect.

Are Americans.

Retired four star general Jack Keane is a former vice chief of staff of the army he's also a Fox News military analyst and joins us now for an insider's perspective.

General -- welcome I'm so so grateful to have you with your expertise here today so this this CBS report quote let's retired CIA officer as saying.

Look you find a way you make adjustments when you're under attack.

To protect your people -- he says they made zero adjustments they stood and they watched.

And our people died when you reading the transcript of what went down as these murders took place.

If it's it's riveting and it's horrifying your thoughts.

Well that's true I've read that transcript that you're referring to that I think that the State Department released.

The evening prior to the testimony that -- officials provided.

And it's actually a blow by blow account of of what took place you know the operational channel.

Was providing real time who want win.

Almost from the time of the penetration of the compound took place intelligence channel which is the one we're focusing on.

It provides information usually later because they're interested in and why it took place and who someone who was involved in terms.

A -- affiliated or not.

It in terms of the what took place that night.

We did have some people let the so called -- facility who did come down to.

To help evacuate the people that were out -- at the consulate that the real tragedy here as we have been saying for weeks.

Is that we had totally inadequate security forces at the embassy as Wallace at the consulate so in country.

There was very little that they could do to help themselves.

And to a degree they were fortunate.

That that panic situation which was providing another activity for the United States was able able to -- Know whether someone -- That I was gonna say that that the folks on the ground from ambassador Stevens.

On down -- the regional security coordinator everybody has now talked about how they were begging for more security.

And they were denied and Charlene -- the State Department official testified before congress the other week said.

I would've made the same decision you know that we had appropriate assets on the ground at the time.

I wanna show the video the video again abrupt break pout pout walking through the scene because now we know that they -- got the security guys came over to try to help -- -- -- -- Stevens.

Got them into this safe room and that's where they sat.

As then the terrorists came in.

And and bottom of the plate and start and lit everything on fire and the smoke inhalation forced them eventually to get out of this room we're looking at right here.

And they couldn't make it and they couldn't make a general eventually we believe this is where ambassador Stevens.

Died along with one other.

Yeah I'm human I don't believe the terrorists knew for certain it was somebody -- that -- from but they were fully.

They fully intended to burn a facility down as they have done well it.

The backup -- my my point was where's the back what it is somebody had gotten there earlier and gotten a matter Nazi remark they're trying to buy time that's with -- -- from a sport.

Still somebody can get there some back up and help.

You there if there is no backup that's the problem meg and you'll when you count up the number of people who are at the consulate.

Who carried weapons there -- five US that carried a weapon for sure three of those he brought with them.

As part of -- personal security.

Whether they carried weapons an -- they actually controlled the access.

At the gate the opening the bar it.

The bar -- letting people come through the gate checking ID IDs.

So that that the fact of the matter is stay with significantly outgunned significantly outnumbered from the outset.

And we're very quickly overwhelmed I mean the fact that anybody got out of there alive.

Is it that we -- really fortunate that that took place.

-- America and and you say you talk about the intelligence the State Department says.

Look these reports that it was about a video didn't come from us that was not our assessment and you say that the operational team would have been monitoring and real time Intel has to come in in the days and weeks after an -- motivations and -- on.

But with the White House have known about that that operational.

Information the information that came in real time showing that this.

This was an attack involving RPG's an AK forty sevens and you know terrorist type -- Well hit his how it -- having the operational channel is the organization that's involved in this in particular activity whether it's military and -- A law enforcement in the United States and it doesn't make that much difference if we go through the operational channel.

It would go into the State Department we know for a fact they were received and blow by blow accounts.

The State Department -- information to the White House situation room that is the normal process of any.

Catastrophe that some -- involves violence.

That outside the United States or even inside the united states -- some kind of consequence.

So that operational channel is very well informed in terms of who -- what is taking place.

And everybody up that chain of command had that information.

I think it what is confusing to me is when the intelligence community came in a little bit later they did identify who.

Was involved and attacked and they didn't know whether what the motivation was for it.

-- -- of information that was available.

In the fact that there was no demonstrations prior if there was it would have been reported.

That uses a very heavily armed large group that I penetrated the embassy ransacked -- -- -- -- ground killed four people and also forced evacuation.

Of that other activity which is stunning and of itself.

All that was was well known by the time people got up in the morning to start today.

I know you believe that this attack was unprecedented that is a huge defeat for United States in the Arab Muslim world where al-Qaeda you say is indisputably.

On the rise from a talk about that a bit more with dealing with others as well general -- thank you so much take him.

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