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Between bursts of machine gun and AK-47 fireplace, Mark “Oz” Geist and Tyrone Woods talked about their kids. Geist’s daughter was seven months previous, and Woods’ third son had been born shortly earlier than his deployment to Libya, Geist stated.
“We’re speaking about our youngsters and the subsequent factor you realize, you are getting attacked once more nearly concurrently,” he instructed Fox Information, smiling wryly on the reminiscence.
The Islamist militant group Ansar al-Sharia attacked the US diplomatic outpost and CIA annex in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11, 2012. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, Division of State worker Sean Smith and CIA contractors and former Navy SEALs Glen Doherty and Woods have been killed within the assault.
The attackers stormed the US consulate and began capturing round 9:40 pm A few mile away, members of the CIA annex security team heard the gunfire. A number of members later testified that their chief of base ordered them to attend earlier than responding.
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A person waves his rifle as buildings and vehicles are engulfed in flames contained in the US consulate compound in Benghazi late on Sept. 11, 2012. 4 People have been killed within the assault, which additionally focused a CIA annex a couple of mile away from the consulate.
(Picture by STR/AFP through Getty Photos)
“We simply reached a degree the place we determined to go away on our personal,” one unidentified group member stated, in line with a 2016 report from the congressional Benghazi committee.
Geist and a CIA officer have been at a dinner assembly when the assault began, however Woods quickly known as them again to the annex, warning them to not drive previous the consulate, recalled Geist, who was serving as a CIA safety contractor on the time.
Flames and smoke billowed from the consulate as Geist climbed on prime of the annex roof, tasked with defending the 20 or so People contained in the CIA outpost. He heard gunfire and noticed the intense glow of tracer rounds and rocket-propelled grenades flashing by the evening sky.
He heard the State Division’s armored automobile strategy the annex earlier than he noticed it. The tires slapped towards the pavement, drained of their air. Dozens of bullets had turned the windshield right into a spiderweb of cracks. Geist’s teammates arrived subsequent and arrange a fringe.
The attackers quickly focused the annex and the American safety operators fought them off for hours with out reinforcements.
“It was the fitting six there,” Geist, a Marine Corps veteran who began contracting after 9/11, stated of his group. “We have been all the fitting guys that ought to have been there.”
Mark “Oz” Geist, a Marine Corps veteran and former CIA contractor, speaks with Fox Information in September 2022. Geist and different members of the annex safety group contributed to the e book “13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Actually Occurred in Benghazi, ” which impressed the favored Michael Bay film.
(Fox Information Digital)
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Doherty and his fast response pressure commandeered a airplane in Tripoli and flew to Benghazi to help the annex group. One of many many militias vying for management in Libya held the operators up on the airport, Geist stated, leading to an hours-long delay till they joined the combat.
Shortly after Doherty met Geist and Woods on the rooftop, the assailants launched one other assault utilizing mortars and small arms fireplace.
Geist opened up together with his M4, emptied one journal, and was reloading when he stated the subsequent mortar hit. Because the particles and smoke settled, he raised his weapon to start out capturing once more, however could not management his left hand. He appeared down and noticed his arm dangling at a 90-degree angle between his wrist and elbow.
He knew he needed to get again within the combat.
“I will do no matter I can and combat until my final breath,” he stated.
The mortar assault killed doherty and Woods. Then every little thing went quiet, Geist stated.
“There is no extra gunfire, there is no extra mortars,” he stated.
From left, US Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens, Division of State worker Sean Smith and CIA contractors and former Navy SEALs Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods have been killed Sept. 11, 2012, in Benghazi, Libya.
(Fox Information)
Ten years later, it is nonetheless not clear what ended the battle of Benghazi.
“If they’d have stored firing mortars, they’d have killed me,” Geist stated.
One safety agent speculated in his congressional testimony that the dawn had pushed away the attackers. Geist instructed Fox Information he reviewed drone footage and suspects the militia that transported Doherty’s group to the annex intervened.
“I look again on it and I name it the seventh man on our group,” he stated.
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Benghazi quickly grew to become a partisan political concern. Republicans accused then-President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of deliberately deceptive the general public by suggesting the assaults have been a backlash towards the movie, “Innocence of Muslims.” A number of years of congressional inquiries adopted however the closing report finally did not place all blame on any particular particular person.
Geist stated he feels Clinton and different high-ranking officers lack the “intestinal fortitude” to simply accept duty for safety deficiencies and a gradual response time.
Dorothy Narvaez-Woods, widow of CIA contractor and former Navy SEAL Tyrone Woods, seems to be on as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testifies earlier than the Home Choose Committee on Benghazi Oct. 22, 2015.
(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Photos)
Belongings nonetheless weren’t on their technique to Benghazi seven hours after the siege on the CIA annex was effectively underway, although a surveillance drone had been flying overhead for a lot of the battle, in line with the 2016 congressional report.
“The US navy by no means reached Benghazi,” the report states. “The one help unit that did arrive in Tripoli—the Marine ‘Fleet Anti-Terrorism Assist Crew’ or ‘FAST’ group—was something however quick…. In reality, it didn’t take off till nearly 12 hours after the assault ended. “
BENGHAZI LEGEND MARK GEIST PRESENTS K9 SERVICE DOG TO COMBAT VETERAN IN NJ
“We heard over the time after Benghazi that effectively, there was no help anyplace that would have gotten there in time,” Geist stated. “You may get quite a lot of locations in 13 hours. To say that was form of heart-wrenching for us as a result of we knew higher.”
He says he would not consider the US authorities has realized from the errors made in Benghazi.
“Persons are making selections and never listening to the blokes and gals on the bottom,” he stated. “And that is what they need to be doing. You may’t combat a conflict from Washington, DC”
Nobody has been convicted of homicide in reference to the 4 People’ deaths. Nonetheless, two Libyan nationals have been finally convicted of prices together with conspiracy to offer materials help and assets to terrorists and maliciously destroying a dwelling.
Protesters pressured members of the hardline Islamist group Ansar el-Sharia out of their base on Sept. 21, 2012, in Benghazi, Libya. The mob set at the very least one automobile on fireplace on the compound.
(Abdullah Doma/AFP/GettyImages)
Within the days after the assaults, thousands of protesters marched in help of democracy and towards militias. Some stormed Ansar al-Sharia’s headquarters, tearing down flags and setting fireplace to a automotive.
Libyan President Mohammed al-Magariaf ordered all non-government-sanctioned militias to disband and banned folks from carrying weapons in public. However deadly clashes between rival militias proceed to this present day.
Geist stop contracting and he and his spouse began the Shadow Warriors Project, a nonprofit that helps wounded contractors. They lately added a canine remedy program to the charity, pairing contractors or fight veterans with service canine, he stated.
Benghazi survivor Mark “Oz” Geist (R) poses with Joshua Perry of Baden K9 whereas carrying “Make 22 Zero Once more.” The quantity 22 refers back to the estimated variety of American veterans who die by suicide every day. After the 2012 Benghazi assault, Geist began a nonprofit known as Shadow Warriors which pairs veterans with service canine.
(Fox Information Digital)
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“It has been cathartic and really useful, having the ability to share and be part of one thing greater than your self,” he stated.
Geist feels the battle of Benghazi is usually overshadowed by the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attackshowever he nonetheless hopes the American public will honor the 4 males who misplaced their lives 10 years in the past.
“Glen, Tyrone, Ambassador Stevens, Sean Smith, put their hand up within the air and swore to uphold the Structure,” he stated. “They selected to enter hurt’s means. We’ve quite a lot of People all over the world which are doing that, and we have to keep in mind them as effectively.”