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Panetta Testifies Before Senate Panel on Attack That Killed Americans in Libya Joint Chiefs Chairman Says Pentagon Supported Plan to Arm Syrian Rebels
(about 2 hours later)
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told Congress on Thursday that it would take two to three years to add the 35 new Marine security guard detachments that the United States plans to deploy to improve the security of American diplomatic compounds abroad. WASHINGTON — General Martin E. Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Thursday that the Pentagon supported a plan to arm Syrian rebels that was developed last year by David H. Petraeus, the C.I.A. director at the time, and backed by Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was then serving as Secretary of State.
“We are working with State now to identify specific locations for the new detachments,” Mr. Panetta said referring to the State Department in prepared remarks at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the Sep. 11 attack on an American compound in Benghazi, Libya, which led to the deaths of J. Christopher Stevens, the American ambassador, and three other Americans. Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday, General Dempsey was asked by Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, if he had supported the recommendation that weapons be provided to the Syrian resistance.
The Marines have guard units at 152 diplomatic compounds, but did not have one in Benghazi when the assault occurred. “We did,” General Dempsey said,
Mr. Panetta said that the role of the Marines detachments would be expanded beyond protecting classified information at the compounds. “You did support that?” Senator McCain asked again.
“This could include expanded use of nonlethal weapons, and additional training and equipment, to support the Embassy Regional Security Officer’s response options when host nation security force capabilities are at risk of being overwhelmed,” Mr. Panetta said. “We did,” General Dempsey repeated.
Mr. Panetta said that the Pentagon was not able to respond more quickly to the Benghazi episode because it had not received an intelligence alert about an impending attack. The New York Times reported in its Sunday editions that as the fighting in Syria raged last summer, Mr. Petraeus developed a plan, which Mrs. Clinton supported, that called for vetting rebels and training fighters who would be supplied with weapons.
“The Department of Defense was prepared for a wide range of contingencies, but unfortunately there were no specific indications of an imminent attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi,” Mr. Panetta told the committee. “Without adequate warning, there was not enough time given the speed of the attack for armed military assets to respond.” The plan offered the potential reward of creating Syrian allies with whom the United States might work, during the conflict and after President Bashar al-Assad’s eventual removal.
The White House, however, was worried about the risks of getting more deeply involved in the crisis in Syria. And with President Obama in the midst of a re-election bid, the White House rebuffed the plan.
Some administration officials expected the issue to be revisited again after the election. But when Mr. Petraeus resigned because of an extramarital affair and Mrs. Clinton suffered a concussion, missing weeks of work, the issue was shelved.
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta was said by some officials to have been sympathetic to the idea, which was presented to the White House last year, though a spokesman for Mr. Panetta declined to comment on his role when asked last week.
General Dempsey made his comments during testimony with Mr. Panetta on the Sept. 11 attack on an American compound on Benghazi, Libya, which led to the deaths of J. Christopher Stevens, the American ambassador, and three other Americans.
Discussing steps to improve security at American compounds abroad, Mr. Panetta said that it would take two to three years to add the 35 new Marine security guard detachments that the United States plans to deploy to improve the security of American diplomatic compounds abroad.
The Marines have guard units at 152 diplomatic compounds, but did not have one in Benghazi when the assault occurred. Mr. Panetta said that the role of the Marines detachments would be expanded beyond protecting classified information at the compounds.
“This could include expanded use of nonlethal weapons, and additional training and equipment, to support the Embassy Regional Security Officer’s response options when host nation security force capabilities are at risk of being overwhelmed,” Mr. Panetta said in his prepared remarks.
Mr. Panetta said that the Pentagon was not able to respond more quickly to the Benghazi episode because it had not received an intelligence alert about animpending attack.
“Without adequate warning, there was not enough time given the speed of the attack for armed military assets to respond,” Mr. Panetta told the committee in his prepared statement.
When the attack began, the Pentagon had no forces that could be rapidly sent to Benghazi or to protect diplomatic outposts in Tunisia, Egypt or Algeria that might also have come under assault on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.When the attack began, the Pentagon had no forces that could be rapidly sent to Benghazi or to protect diplomatic outposts in Tunisia, Egypt or Algeria that might also have come under assault on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
The closest AC-130 gunship was in Afghanistan. There are no armed drones thought to be within range of Libya. There was no Marine expeditionary unit — a large seaborne force with its own helicopters — in the Mediterranean Sea.The closest AC-130 gunship was in Afghanistan. There are no armed drones thought to be within range of Libya. There was no Marine expeditionary unit — a large seaborne force with its own helicopters — in the Mediterranean Sea.
The Africa Command, whose area of operation includes North Africa, also did not have on hand a force able to respond rapidly to emergencies — a Commanders’ In-Extremis Force, or C.I.F., as it is known. Every other regional command had one at the time, but the Africa Command shared one with the European Command, and it was on an exercise in Croatia at the time.The Africa Command, whose area of operation includes North Africa, also did not have on hand a force able to respond rapidly to emergencies — a Commanders’ In-Extremis Force, or C.I.F., as it is known. Every other regional command had one at the time, but the Africa Command shared one with the European Command, and it was on an exercise in Croatia at the time.
In his prepared remarks, Mr. Panetta did not address the question of whether the Africa Command had requested any of these forces to be on hand on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Nor did it say whether Mr. Panetta or Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had given any thought to moving forces to the region as a precaution before the attacks in September last year. In his prepared remarks, Mr. Panetta did not address the question of whether the Africa Command had requested any of these forces to be on hand on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Nor did he say whether Mr. Panetta or General Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had given any thought to moving forces to the region as a precaution before the attacks in September last year.
In a section of his prepared remarks labeled “Lessons Learned,” Mr. Panetta recommended helping host nations better defend American compounds, improving intelligence and adding more Marine units. Senator McCain criticized the Pentagon for not positioning more forces in the region before the anniversary of Sept. 11 so they could more rapidly respond.
Senator Carl Levin, Democrat of Michigan and the chairman of the committee, noted that Congress had passed legislation that called for a review of Marine security guard program. “The Marine Corps did not have an element in Benghazi as it was not an embassy, but a temporary mission facility,” Mr. Levin said, outlining the need for a review. “We could have placed forces there,” he said. “We could have had aircraft and other capabilities as short distance away as Souda Bay, Crete.”
“The four Americans our nation lost last September were the very best expression of what it means to be an Americans,” Mr. Levin said. “We honor their sacrifice, and in their name will do everything we can to prevent a repetition of Benghazi’s loss.”