CBS News’ Sharyl Attkisson has produced a new timeline of what happened to Ambassador Christopher Stevens on 9-11-12. It’s based on word from a US official who remains anonymous.
On Tuesday, Sept. 11, around the 10 p.m. hour (4 p.m. ET), State Department Information Officer Sean Smith’s body had been pulled from the burned out U.S. mission, but nobody was able to locate Stevens in the smoky building. In the 11 p.m. hour (5 p.m. ET), a group of Libyans, possibly looters, found Stevens and pulled him out of the U.S. mission. Somebody transported him to Benghazi Medical Center where CPR was attempted. Initially, it’s believed that doctors did not know who Stevens was. An unidentified man speaking Arabic used a cell phone Stevens had in his possession to call the U.S. embassy in Tripoli (the number was programmed into the phone). He seemed to want Americans to come to the hospital to retrieve Stevens, but U.S. officials were suspicious. The hospital was known to be under the influence of hostile militia and Embassy officials sensed a possible trap, so they opted not to attempt to send a U.S. rescue team now waiting at Benghazi’s airport.
A familiar local to whom Americans refer as “Babakar” sent word to the U.S. embassy that Stevens had, indeed, passed away. Babakar sent some of his associates to recover Stevens’ body at the hospital. When hospital officials asked what name should be entered on the death certificate, U.S. officials relayed the message to use “John Doe.” Babakar’s associates eventually transported Stevens’ body to the airport where it was turned over to Americans.
More at the link.
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