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Report: CIA operators' backup request in Libya was denied

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    Latest development in investigation of attack

  • Duration 5:11
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Good evening I'm right there at the unfolding scandal surrounding the murder of the US ambassador to Libya and three other Americans by terrorist last month.

Went to another level today eleven days before the presidential election.

Fox News has learned just how desperate the situation was on the ground.

How -- the American CIA operators were and how the father of one of the heroes is now lashing out at the Obama administration.

National security correspondent Jennifer Griffin broke the story this morning and begins our coverage tonight.

Sources on the ground in -- -- tell Fox News that an urgent request from the CIA annex for military back up during the attack on the consulate and annexed.

Was denied by their CIA chain of command.

Twice members of a CIA element at the annex one mile from the consulate that included former seal Tyrone woods.

We're told to quote stand down when they requested permission.

Starting at approximately 9:40 PM.

To -- the ambassador staff.

About one hour after the attack began on the consulate those operators including woods ignored orders and win anyway.

He was a hero you going to do.

What ever was necessary.

To respond to their personal health.

Yes in fact those people in the White House who is courageous and had a moral strength that my -- and I -- Immediately.

Fifteen minutes or when they found there was the first attack he wouldn't give it permission not the Knight commission proposed C 130s to gone up there.

Special operations forces often -- AC 130 Specter gunships for close air support during special operations.

The Pentagon says air support could not get to big Ghazi in time to help there's a lot of Monday morning quarterbacking going on here.

The Pentagon immediately moved at least one tier one special operations team from Central Europe where they were training to sink in LA air base in southern Italy.

Fox -- told that delta force operators were at -- -- -- but never deployed to being -- which was just 480 miles away.

A separate security source who was ending -- and helped with the rescue says they believe they Libyan attackers were planning an ambush on the American rescuers.

There's a basic principle here basic principle is that you don't deploy forces.

Into harm's way.

Without -- What's going -- without having some real time information.

About what's taking place.

And as result of not having that kind of information.

But the commander who is on the ground cover him in that area general camp.

My general Dempsey and I felt very strongly that we could not put forces at risk.

In that situation.

Sources present during the -- say when woods and the rest of his rescue team returned from the consulate to the CIA annex at midnight.

The -- again radioed for help and none was sent even though they were starting to take fire.

Fox has learned that two unmanned drones were positioned above Ben Ghazi that night at least one of them unarmed and we're sending real time video back to Washington.

Pastor the sex came out that in real time with -- White House phone minutes after the first bullet was fired being watched myself.

He denies he's -- so.

My son violated this orders to protect -- -- at least thirty people.

She risked his life to be here I wish that the leadership in the fight.

But that same level of moral courage and there was -- that would -- -- display it that this.

By 2 AM former navy seal Clinton door -- and a small rescue team from Tripoli arrived at the -- -- airport.

But they were delayed by unorganized Libyan forces arriving at the CIA and -- sometime before 4 AM.

Four mortars were fired at the CIA annex one killing Doherty and woods while they -- and a gun position on the roof.

They have the coordinates of those firing the mortars but no air support was sent.

Meanwhile in a radio interview today President Obama said he was unaware of any request to increase security around -- -- before the attack occurred.

My biggest priority right now who is bringing those folks to justice nothing to -- people have seen.

That's a commitment I always keep the.

The president was also asked about the administration's shifting story on the origin of the attack what's true.

Is that the intelligence was coming in and evolving as more information -- And what is true and this is something of -- -- people can take to the bank.

-- Is that my administration.

Plays this stuff straight we don't play politics when it comes American national security.

Late today the CIA responded quote we can say with confidence that the agency reacted quickly to -- our colleagues during that terrible evening in big -- Moreover no one at any level in the CIA told anybody not to help those in need claims to the contrary are simply inaccurate.

-- -- spread our sources were on the ground during the attack.

Especially after that quote from the CIA Jennifer there will be people who question your sources and how solid aren't as good as they get.

On the ground on the -- Jennifer thank you.

Three Republicans said.

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