Day of September 11, 2012: Demonstrators gather outside US diplomatic buildings in a number of Muslim-majority countries, even climbing the wall surrounding the US Embassy in Cairo, to protest The Innocence of Muslims, an amateur anti-Islam film, clips of which had been recently translated into Arabic by Egyptian media.
What’s the precise timeline of the events of the night of the attack?
Here’s how the events went down in Benghazi time.
Zack Beauchamp is a senior correspondent at Vox, where he covers ideology and challenges to democracy, both at home and abroad. His book on democracy, The Reactionary Spirit, was published 0n July 16. You can purchase it here.
Between 8:30 and 9:00 pm, Benghazi time: An armed mob assembles around the gates of the US mission in Benghazi. Here’s a map:
9:42 pm: The attackers breach the mission’s gates, “easily” (according the Senate Intelligence report) overpowering the small American and Libyan security detachments. After gaining access to the building, they set fire to it.
10:00 pm: American security attempts to evacuate Ambassador Stevens and Officer Smith, but loses them both in the smoke. A diplomatic security agent attempts to locate them, but is forced to retreat to the roof of the building after suffering severe smoke inhalation.
10:10 pm: A CIA support team arrives at the mission to defend the diplomatic staff and assist with the evacuation.
11:15 pm: After one final search for Ambassador Stevens fails to find him, the combined American forces leave for the CIA Annex (about a mile away) under heavy fire. They arrive 15 minutes later.
11:56 pm: Militants attack the CIA annex with rifles and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). The sporadic fire claims no casualties.
5:15 am, September 12: The Annex is hit by mortar fire for 11 minutes. Agents Woods and Doherty are killed attempting to return fire, and another unnamed agent is seriously wounded. The severity of the mortar attack convinces the chief of base that they need to abandon Benghazi altogether.
6:00 am: Local Libyan forces finally arrive and protect the Americans during their drive to the airport and exit from the city.
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