Overview of Back to Benghazi | Episode 2: The Annex
In this episode of Back to Benghazi, Sarah Adams revisits the former CIA annex in Benghazi, Libya, describes how the site has changed since 2012, and then walks through a detailed, timestamped reconstruction of the night of the Benghazi attacks. The episode focuses heavily on clarifying the sequence of events, separating what Adams says are common misconceptions from what the CCTV timeline shows, and emphasizing the role of the CIA annex team, Team Tripoli, and the mortar attack that killed Tyrone Woods and Glen “Bub” Doherty.
What the Episode Covers
Revisiting the CIA Annex
- Adams and Dave “Boone” Benton returned to Benghazi in May to visit sites tied to the 2012 attack.
- She notes that the CIA annex is now gone: the buildings were demolished, and the land appears divided into separate compounds.
- The surrounding neighborhood, however, has been rebuilt and is more active than before, with more shops, restaurants, and development.
Why This Episode Exists
- This installment is meant to clear up confusion about the Benghazi timeline.
- Adams says the episode uses CCTV timestamps from the annex and consulate to establish what happened and when.
- Episode 1 focused more on the consulate; this one emphasizes the annex and the response team.
Key Timeline and Events
Initial Attack and Annex Response
- 9:42 p.m. Benghazi time: The attack begins at the consulate.
- A State Department officer calls the CIA annex immediately to report the attack.
- The annex team is told to prepare to respond, but Adams says they are delayed by claims that a backup team is coming.
- She argues that the supposed backup, the 17th February Martyrs Brigade, never intended to help.
Departure to the Consulate
- 10:05 p.m.: The GRS team leaves the CIA annex.
- 10:06 p.m.: CIA headquarters in Washington is finally informed of the attack, which Adams says creates confusion at higher levels because leaders think they are being notified in real time.
- 10:07–10:08 p.m.: The team reaches the consulate area, encounters a checkpoint, and comes under fire.
- Adams says the team fires a 40mm grenade launcher, which causes some attackers to flee.
- 10:14 p.m.: The attackers have largely departed the consulate compound.
Fire and Losses at the Consulate
- Adams stresses that the main fire at Villa C was not immediate.
- She says the villa was set on fire at 10:01 p.m., and argues that a faster response could have changed the outcome.
- She maintains that this delay contributed to the deaths of Ambassador Chris Stevens and Sean Smith.
Washington and Tripoli Notifications
- 10:30 p.m.: CIA Tripoli finally begins sending support toward Benghazi.
- 11:00 p.m.: President Obama is reportedly notified of the ongoing attack, which Adams highlights as a major communication failure.
Team Tripoli and the Airport Delay
- Team Tripoli lands in Benghazi at 1:35 a.m.
- Adams says they are held at the airport for hours by local militia forces and misinformation.
- She also says a false report sent them toward the wrong hospital while real information suggested the ambassador may have been elsewhere.
Return to the Annex
- 4:45 a.m.: The local Libya Shield commander says Team Tripoli can move to the annex.
- 5:00 a.m.: Team Tripoli arrives at the CIA annex.
- 5:16 a.m.: A call from Wassam bin Hamed tells the driver to abort and leave, which Adams frames as the setup for the mortar strike.
The Mortar Attack
- Adams says the mortars were fired with precision and speed:
- 5:17:40
- 5:18:01
- 5:18:21
- 5:18:32
- 5:18:40
- 5:18:53
- She states there were six mortars in 73 seconds, with three direct impacts on the CIA SCIF.
- This is presented as the attack that killed Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.
Main Takeaways
1. The episode’s central argument is about timing
Adams repeatedly argues that delays in communication and movement changed the outcome of the night. She says faster action from the annex team could have altered events at the consulate and possibly saved lives.
2. She disputes several common narratives
The episode pushes back on ideas that:
- the attack happened at 3 a.m. in Washington,
- the fire started immediately at the consulate,
- the drone response was spontaneous or accidental,
- Team Tripoli was called by U.S. Special Forces,
- the Reuters photographer was part of the attack.
3. Adams says the CIA was the only organization that meaningfully responded
A major theme is that the CIA responded from Benghazi and Tripoli, while other U.S. entities were slower or less effective in her telling.
4. She argues the mortar team was never properly pursued
Adams claims she and Boone Benton identified a 10-man mortar team that the U.S. government has not fully tracked down. She says the government focused on the consulate attackers and ignored the annex mortar team.
Notable Assertions and Criticisms
Claims about the investigation
- Adams criticizes the FBI for not identifying all the people visible in video footage.
- She argues the public should be given the full consulate and annex CCTV footage.
- She says the investigation has moved too slowly for more than a decade.
Claims about the named suspect and witness
- She says the FBI framed Ahmed Abu Khattala as the mastermind to support a misleading narrative.
- She also claims the government relied on a witness who had family members involved in the attack and was later rewarded in the U.S.
Strong criticism of U.S. accountability
- The episode is highly critical of how the U.S. government handled:
- intelligence,
- notification,
- response,
- investigation,
- and prosecution.
Closing Themes
- The episode treats the Benghazi attacks as a story of missed opportunities, delayed responses, and misunderstood timelines.
- It also frames the annex as a lost “home away from home” for the CIA team, making the demolition of the site feel symbolic as well as physical.
- Adams ends by saying future episodes will cover:
- the DoD response,
- the recovery of Ambassador Stevens’s body,
- and the rescue force that later came to Benghazi.