Emails discovered by the Judicial Watch show top aides for then Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton knew right when the attacks were happening and who was responsible for them.
The documents were produced because of the Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against the State Department brought on by the Judicial Watch. The emails also do not make any references the attacks were linked to a spontaneous demonstration or to a Internet video. That statement only came from Hillary Clinton.These documents could play an important part in the 2016 presidential elections. It would allow the Republican presidential nominee to portray her as a liar and back it up as evidence but as she said “what difference does it make?”
The chain of emails show the events as they unfolded on September 11, 2012:
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September 11, 2012:
4:07 pm:Â Special Assistant to Clinton, Maria Sand forwarded an email from the State Department’s Operations Center to other key Clinton operatives: Chief of Staff Cheryl Mills, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Jacob Sullivan, Executive Assistant Joseph McManus, etc. The email was entitled U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi is Under Attack.
This email stated:(SBU) The Regional Security Officer reports the diplomatic mission is under attack. Embassy Tripoli reports approximately 20 armed people fired shots; explosives have been heard as well. Ambassador Stevens, who is currently in Benghazi, and four COM personnel are in the compound safe haven. The 17th of February militia is providing security support.
The Operations Center will provide updates as available.
4:38 pm: State Department Foreign Service Officer Lawrence Randolph forwarded Mills, McManus and Sullivan an email from the former director of Diplomatic Security Service an email entitled “Attack on Benghazi 09112012”
That email stated:
DSCC received a phone call from [REDACTED] in Benghazi, Libya initially stating that 15 armed individuals were attacking the compound and trying to gain entrance. The Ambassador is present in Benghazi and currently is barricaded within the compound. There are no injuries at this time and it is unknown what the intent of the attackers is. At approximately 1600 DSCC received word from Benghazi that individuals had entered the compound. At 1614 RSO advised the Libyans had set fire to various buildings in the area, possibly the building that houses the Ambassador [REDACTED] is responding and taking fire.
September 12
Randolph sends an email entitled “FW: Update 3: Benghazi Shelter Location Also Under Attack” to Sullivan, McManus and Mills.
That email said:
I just called Ops and they said the DS command center is reporting that the compound is under attack again. I am about to reach out to the DS Command Center.
It also contained a chain of earlier emails:
September 11, 2012 11:57 PM: (SBU) DS Command reports the current shelter location for COM personnel in Benghazi is under mortar fire. There are reports of injuries to COM staff.
September 11, 2012 6:06 PM: (Subject: Update 2: Ansar al-Sharia Claims Responsibility for Benghazi Attack (SBU): (SBU) Embassy Tripoli reports the group claimed responsibility on Facebook and Twitter and call for an attack on Embassy Tripoli
September 11, 2012, 4:54 PM: Embassy Tripoli reports the firing at the U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi has stopped and the compound has been cleared. A response team is on site to locate COM personnel.
The DOS emails are the first to reveal the death of Ambassador Stevens. Senior Watch Officer Andrew Veprek forwarded and email to various officials which was later forwarded to Mills and McManus that stated “Death of Ambassador Stevens in Benghazi.”
It read:
Embassy Tripoli confirms the death of Ambassador John C. (Chris) Stevens in Benghazi. His body has been recovered and is at the airport in Benghazi.
These emails confirmed Hillary Clinton’s personal staff knew why Ambassador Stevens died and who killed him yet Clinton issued a statement claiming the assault was because of a video on the internet.
Cheryl Mills had further instructed the State Department to stop answering questions from the press at 12:11 am on September 12 even though they were asking about the whereabouts of the Ambassador.
Mills wrote in an email:
Can we stop answering emails for the night Toria b/c now the first one [Hillary Clinton’s “inflammatory material posted on the Internet” statement] is hanging out there.
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton had the following to say about the emails:
These emails leave no doubt that Hillary Clinton’s closest advisers knew the truth about the Benghazi attack from almost the moment it happened, and it is inescapable that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton knowingly lied when she planted the false story about ‘inflammatory material being posted on the Internet.’ The contempt for the public’s right to know is evidenced not only in these documents but also in the fact that we had to file a lawsuit in federal court to obtain them. The Obama gang’s cover-up continues to unravel, despite its unlawful secrecy and continued slow-rolling of information. Congress, if it ever decides to do its job, cannot act soon enough to put Hillary Clinton, Cheryl Mills, and every other official in these emails under oath.
The rest of the emails can be viewed here.