Remains of a Russian SU-25 destroyed by Syrian rebels. NBC News/AFP.
Syrian rebels have shot down a Russian SU-25 "Frogfoot" and killed the pilot. NBC News. The pilot managed to eject from the plane but was engaged by the rebels on the ground and was killed by them. The jet was hit by a portable missile launcher and is a rare example of the Syrian rebels downing a plane. An al-Qaeda linked militia, al-Nusra Front, also known as Tahrir al-Sham, claimed responsibility for the downing and killing, but have not been able to prove their claims. It is unclear how such a group would get access to a MANPADS system as the US denies sending any to Syria. Russia and Turkey are making efforts to return the body to the pilots family. The incident occurred in northwest Syria and Russia has responded with further airstrikes.
My Comment:
Sad story out of Syria today. I never like seeing pilots get killed like this. It is one thing to shoot them down but quite another to kill them while they are the ground. Doing so is a war crime but one that was and is all too common in the Syrian Civil War. Time and time again forces on the ground have killed or executed pilots after they have bailed out. Just goes to show how brutal and terrible the Syrian Civil War has been.
I doubt surrender was an option for the Russian pilot though. He probably thought he had to go down fighting. Russian pilots are armed and would be very wise to not surrender to these groups. My guess is that he died fighting. I sincerely hope that his family gets some closure and that his body is returned to them.
Al-Nusra has claimed responsibility for the downing and killing. Given where the incident occurred I find that plausible. Al-Nusra does operate in that area of the country and is one of the largest rebel groups left. They have the means and motive to do so, so I would not be surprised if their claims are genuine.
Al-Nusra is also the 2nd most evil army running around in Syria. It's only because ISIS has been so over the top that they don't have that claim themselves. I am guessing that if they had captured the Russian pilot alive he would not have been treated well to say the least. Though al-Nusra isn't as big on executing people for propaganda purposes as ISIS is, I am sure they would make an exception in this case. Indeed, they did reportedly make a video showing the dead pilot's body so it's not like they have a sense of shame in the first place.
I have said for a long time that after ISIS has been defeated we would have to watch out for al-Nusra. They are a large and powerful organization and though they have limited their terrorism to Syria, it would be fairly easy for them to export their attacks outside of the country. They are well equipped and have very determined fighters. I am not upset that the Russians are targeting them for destruction.
It is very disturbing that al-Nusra has access to MANPADS. The anti-air missiles are extremely dangerous and have limited sources. My guess is that they captured these weapons from the Syrian regime but it is possible that someone outside supplied these weapons. The United States has officially been reluctant to provide MANPADS due to the possibility that they would fall into the hands of terror groups like al-Nusra and ISIS. Determining the origin of the missile is going to be a top priority for everyone involved.
Yemeni civilians gather around the engine of a drone. Reuters.
Yemeni Houthis have claimed that they have shot down a US surveillance drone. Reuters. The US has conducted surveillance on the conflict that involves the Sunni led government who is backed by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States, and the Shiite led Houthi rebels who have the backing of Iran. The drone is reported to have been a MQ-9 Reaper. The drone was shot down around 11:00 AM local time in the capital of Sanaa and no casualties were reported.
My Comment:
This story is a couple of days old but given all the other dramatic news stories that happened the past few days it got buried. Normally having a drone being shot down in Yemen would be a top news story, not a footnote, but these are the times we are living in...
It's fairly dramatic footage as well. That drone was pretty well destroyed by the Houthi rebel's missile. It spun in and crashed causing a major fire. Thankfully, nobody was hurt. It's pretty rare to see a US drone get shot down and for nothing else the videos are worth watching, though the 2nd one has an age restriction on it for some reason.
I do have to say that the Houthi rebels seem to be suspiciously well armed. I wasn't able to determine what kind of weapon they used to down it, but I would put money on it being a shoulder launched missile, aka MANPADS. A Stinger or the Russian or Chinese equivalent. That's a lot of hardware for a rebel group.
Of course the Houthis have always been well armed considering their status as a rebel group. They have SCUD launchers and have launched multiple ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia which is far beyond the capabilities of most rebel groups.
With access to MANPADS and ballistic missiles one wonders if the Houthis are getting more help than people realize. They are sponsored by Iran but supposedly their supply lines have been cut off by the Saudis and their allies. Still, you would have though that the Houthis would have run out of weapons by now if they were just relying on weapons stolen from the Yemeni government.
I mention this everytime I cover a story out of Yemen, but it really is the forgotten war. We never hear much about the war there even though it's a major one involving regional players. We are also fairly involved trying to make sure that al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and ISIS don't gain too much territory. We are also helping the Yemeni government and their Saudi allies spy on the Houthis which was probably what this drone was doing.
An Iraqi MI-25 similar to the one shot down. USAF photo.
Video of the helicopter getting shot down.
ISIS has successfully shot down a Syrian helicopter killing the two Russian pilots. New York Times. The MI-25 helicopter was undergoing flight tests near the city of Palmyra when it was hit by a missile. ISIS fighters were attacking the Syrian front lines and though the flight was a test flight the helicopter and their wingman were armed. After expending their ammunition, one helicopter was destroyed by a missile fired by ISIS, while the other escaped unharmed. At least 10 Russian service members have died in the Syrian war since Russia sent their military to support the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
My Comment:
A disturbing development in Syria. I occasionally write about the proliferation of MANPADS, which are shoulder fired anti-aircraft weapons. Every time they come up, I like to mention that having these weapons in the hands of terrorist groups is a terrifying scenario. Though most of these systems aren't capable of hitting commercial aircraft in flight, they can certainly be used to take down a passenger flight that is taking off or landing.
Thankfully, these weapons are to valuable on the battlefield to be used for terrorism, for the most part. This is not the first time that aircraft in the Syrian theater of war have been downed by MANPADS, but it is the latest. And it is strange that it is ISIS that took them out. ISIS with MANPADS is not a good situation to say the least.
In the past ISIS had a very hard time acquiring MANPADS. They managed to capture some from the Syrian government and the various rebel groups that were foolishly given them, but the numbers of weapons were always small. ISIS's current stocks of these weapons are limited so to see them use them is unusual, but not unprecedented. My guess is that they decided using these weapons are better then just sitting on them. The situation on the battlefield is probably desperate enough for them to decide now is better then never.
They used their MANPADS very effectively as well. Though I doubt this was an actual trap for the MI-25's, they did use combined arms tactics here. Their forces on the ground broke through on the ground, they were pummeled in the air by these helicopters. The guy with the MANPADS then fired a missile and destroyed one of the helicopters, thus protecting the fighters on the ground. That's exactly how you should use these weapons, but preferably before they shoot up your comrades and use all their ammo.
The destruction of this helicopter will be seen as a major victory for ISIS. After all, it is rare that they get to strike back against their enemies in the sky. Most bombers fly too high for them to hit and trying to do so is a good way to get targeted by them. For the vast majority of the time ISIS just has to deal with airstrikes and close air support with little in the way or retaliation. To actually down a helicopter, especially one with a Russian crew, is a huge morale boost for the troops on the ground that have to deal with these attacks all the time.
Of course, in the long run, the loss of one MI-25 won't matter too much. This was an old helicopter, owned by Syria that the Russians were trying to get back into service. Losing it is bad but not crippling. There are more helicopters that can replace it.
What can't be replaced is the pilots. Any loss of life is a tragedy for the Russians, but the commander of this helicopter was a veteran with a very long history of combat operations. RT has a profile up of the pilot, Lieutenant-Colonel Ryafagat Khabibulin. From what it sounds Khabibulin was an expert combat pilot with years of experience. He also seemed like a total bad ass, surviving getting shot down over Chechnya and serving with distinction during the war with Georgia in 2008. He was one of Russia's best pilots and was serving his last tour of duty as a trainer, and died with his weapons officer, Evgeny Dolgin. Their loss is a huge blow to the Russians, and I, for one, send my condolences.
As for the Palmyra front, ISIS is still trying to recapture the city and blunt the Syrian Army's offensive in the region. From what I have been able to understand, the front is largely stalemated, with both sides pushing each other back and forth.
Aviation assets in the region have been hit hard. This is hardly the first major loss that the Russians and Syrians have suffered recently. In May, satellite imagery showed the destruction of four Russian MI-24 helicopters stationed at the T-4 airbase near Palmyra. The fixed wing aircraft stationed at that base was temporarily pushed back as well. Though individually neither incident is that devastating, if Russia and Syria keeps taking losses like this, they may find their ability to support their troops on the ground lessened.
These attacks on Russian and Syrian aviation shows how vulnerable our assets in the region could be. Though our heavy bombers and fighter jets are mostly safe from MANPADS, our helicopters and attack aircraft could be more vulnerable. The A-10 Warthogs are probably durable enough to survive a missile hit, but if one of our helicopters were hit they would probably crash. That could kill the pilots, or worse, cause them to fall into the hands of ISIS. Even though we have limited forces in Syria (and Iraq for that matter), it just goes to show how dangerous serving in the region really is.
This video has been making the rounds today so I thought I would post it as well. It's pretty incredible. From what I can tell the video was recorded in Turkey and the men that fired it are Kurdish PKK militia. The Super Cobra was responding to a gunfight between the PKK and the Turks near the Iraqi border. The weapon appears to be a Russian made IGLA launcher system. Unfortunately, it sounds like both of the pilots died, but given what was seen in the video, that's not surprising.
So what can we learn from this? Well for one, MANPADS are spreading. I have no idea how the Kurds were able to get an IGLA. My guess is that they made their way into Turkey from across the border in Iraq or Syria. This video shows how easy it is to shoot down a low flying aircraft if you have one of these launchers. If the MANPADS are spreading to the point that even the Kurds have them in Turkey, I am worried that some terrorist will use it against commercial airlines on landing or takeoff. ISIS or al-Nusra also have these kinds of weapons and I wouldn't be surprised if they used them at some point at civilian targets.
Turkey is claiming that this helicopter crashed due to "mechanical failure". I mean I guess it is true because the helicopter stopped working after the tail fell off, but my guess is that they didn't want it widely known that they had a helicopter shot down and that their enemies, the PKK, had MANPADS. That ship has sailed now.
As for the war between Turkey and the PKK, I don't really like either faction. Though the Kurds are a great ally in Iraq and Syria, I don't like their political beliefs. Too many of them are communists for me to ever be comfortable with them, especially the PKK. Of course I greatly dislike Turkey as well, so my response to this attack is mostly indifference. I do have to say that Turkey's war against the Kurds seems to be spiraling out of control. If it ever gets to the point of full blown civil war it could create yet another migrant wave to overrun Europe...
A Polish SU-22 similar to the one shot down in Syria. Adrian Pingstone
Purported video of the crash.
The al-Qaeda linked al-Nusra front in Syria has shot down a Syrian SU-22. Reuters. The pilot was able to eject but he was immediately captured by al-Nusra. Syria claims that the pilot was on a reconnaissance mission and was hit by a surface to air missile. The plane was shot down over the Talat al-Iss highland area, south of Aleppo, which was just recently captured by al-Nusra. It is unclear where al-Nusra received the surface to air missiles, as western groups have been reluctant to supply the weapons to any rebel groups for fear of the weapons falling into the wrong hands.
My Comment:
A note about the above video. These videos tend to not stay up on Youtube for very long, but I posted it anyways. As always, with footage out of Syria, take it with a grain of salt. There is always a chance that this video is from something else, though it does match what I have seen on twitter. Keep in mind though, that it might not be an accurate video.
On to the issue at hand. It is always big news when al-Qaeda linked militants manage to bring down an airplane. In this case it was an antiquated SU-22, if I have correctly identified the plane. Though the SU-22 was a legitimate target, it is always feared that al-Nusra or other militant groups will export these weapons and use them for terrorism. I am sure that al-Qaeda or ISIS would love to use these weapons to shoot down a commercial airliner. So far they haven't been able to, but with the proliferation of these weapons, anything is possible.
If it wasn't clear, I was talking about MANPADS. These are the missile launchers that can be fired from the shoulder and can hit targets flying up to 20,000 feet, depending on the model. Most commercial airliners fly higher then that, but they are vulnerable on take off and landing. Combat jets, like the SU-22 that was shot down, fly much lower and make better targets. In all truth, my guess is that al-Nusra needs these MANPADS to defend themselves against Syrian and Russian jets and won't use them for terrorism, but if these weapons were to fall into the hands of ISIS then all bets are off.
I do worry about what happened to this pilot. Though al-Nusra isn't quite as brutal as ISIS, they are still blood thirsty killers. They have executed prisoners before, and there are reports that the pilot was beaten severely when he was captured. I am hoping that they show him some mercy, but I seriously doubt he will receive any. The best case scenario is that they leave him in a cell and let him recover from his wounds. The worst case scenario is little better then what ISIS would do to him, only al-Nusra is much less likely to record it and post it on the internet.
Almost all of the rebel groups in Syria routinely commit war crimes when it comes to pilots who are shot down. We saw that last year when the Russian pilot was shot down and killed by Turkmen rebels in northern Syria. And there are dozens of videos online showing troops on the ground shooting at parachutes as they descend from the sky. Such attacks are common in the Syrian conflict, and given the circumstances it is almost amazing that the pilot was captured alive.
It's rather disgusting behavior, but I guess it makes sense in a way. I am in no way condoning what al-Nusra and other groups have done, but I think the desire for revenge is understandable. After all, most of the time these rebel groups can do little to nothing when they are attacked by jets. They mostly just have to take cover and hope that they don't get hit. That feeling of helplessness is what is fueling these war crimes.
Al-Nusra hasn't made the news much lately but they are still almost as big of a threat as ISIS is. Indeed, they have just launched a new offensive in the Aleppo area, which is where this attack happened. They have taken some territory from the regime and the fear is that if they aren't stopped they will sever the highway to Aleppo.
If that happens it will be a disaster for the regime and for the people of Aleppo. Which is why so many Syrian and Russian jets are flying in this area. Air power has been the trump card for the regime for most of the war, but if al-Nusra continues to have success in shooting down planes it could counter that advantage. Pilots in the area may be more skittish and commanders may be less willing to deploy assets. Neither of these things bode well for the defenders of Aleppo.
Still, I do think that this offensive will fail in its goals, even if Russian and Syrian jets have to be a bit more careful. The stakes are way too high for the Syrians to fold completely. The problem is that Syria may have to redeploy assets away from their offensive against ISIS in the central part of the country. I mentioned that yesterday in my post about ISIS losing another town, and I might have been proven right already. My hope is that the defenders against al-Nusra won't need much help and that they can push back al-Nusra without taking up resources in the fight against ISIS.
Russia has cleared their latest surface to air missile for export, but they are not revealing who the customers are. Business Insider. The 9K38 Verba is a man portable a defense system (MANPADS) designed to shoot down airplanes. The Verba may very well be the most advanced and deadly MANPADS ever developed. The targeting for the warhead has three different optical seekers on the ultraviolet, infrared and near infrared spectrum, which greatly increases the missiles targeting and accuracy. The system constantly switches between the three modes which makes countermeasures much less effective. With such an effective weapon system their is concern about who the Russians are selling to. If the weapons would fall into the wrong hands they would make an excellent terrorist weapon, and would effectively counter low flying aircraft and drones, with little in the way of training.
My Comment:
It's important not to understate how dangerous these weapons are. MANPADS are the terrorists dream weapon to take down commercial airplanes. They are fairly idiot proof as well. I'm confident that I could probably use one of these weapons with very little in the way of training. All you need to do is figure out how to activate it, aim at your target and figure out to shoot. That's true for most less complicated weapons systems, but most weapon systems don't let you shoot down a plane.
And the threat is huge. All you need is a launcher and a good location to target and someone willing to shoot and you can take out an airliner. Though a large airplane might be able to survive a hit from a shoulder launched missile, I wouldn't want to be on that plane if it happened. A smaller plane would probably stand no chance, especially considering a civilian pilot would not be expecting an attack.
The Verba could be a game changer in warfare as well. These missiles can't reach high flying jets and drones, and probably can't defeat stealth, but any ground support craft, attack or transport helicopters or low flying drones could be vulnerable. That's true for any MANPADS system, but the fact that the 9K38's are resistant to countermeasures might be a game changer. We depend on flares and chaff to protect our planes, and it seems like this system can cut through that. This is a huge threat to U.S. military doctrine because we are dependent on close air support and helicopter support for our combat operations. These missiles aren't a "hard counter" by any means, but they are a major threat to U.S. forces.
Which is why it is important to know where these MANPADS are going. Russia isn't saying, but someone has to be buying these missiles. My hope is that they are selling them to stable countries with little terrorist activity. Then there is almost no chance of proliferation.
But what if they decide to sell to Iran? And then Iran gives these missiles to the Houthi rebels in Yemen? Or what if they decide to give them to the Syrian regime? Or what if one of the more stable countries they sell too suddenly becomes unstable? Then you have the perfect terrorist weapon just waiting for someone bad to pick them up.
Of course MANPADS are nothing new, this is just the new and improved version. How come we haven't seen a terrorist attack using them recently? For one thing, controlling MANPADS is a major goal for the various intelligence agencies. Indeed, there has been more then a little speculation that the U.S. Consulate at Benghazi had a CIA outpost there which had the mission of tracking down these weapons. That operation was probably disrupted by the attack there, but I doubt the efforts to clamp down on these weapons has ended.
It's clear that MANPADS have fallen into the wrong hands already. Al-Nusra and ISIS have both been spotted firing the weapons. Why haven't they used them for terrorism? Because they need them for air defense. Air power is devastating and the psychological impact of being able to fight back alone makes them worthwhile. As devastating as a MANPADS terrorist attack would be, it doesn't outweigh the morale boost you get from shooting down an enemy helicopter.
Still, I'd feel a bit better about things if I knew where these Verbas were heading too. I'm hoping that Russia is smart enough to only sell it to people who aren't likely to lose them to terrorist organizations. If they aren't then the threat MANPADS present will be even larger.
ISIS fighters claim this man is a Jordanian pilot. Yahoo/Reuters.
ISIS has its first captured prisoner, a Jordanian pilot from the U.S. lead coalition against the terrorist state. Yahoo/Reuters. Jordan has confirmed that ISIS has captured the pilot and are holding the groups responsible for his well being. The plane crashed during a military operation against ISIS in Syria near the "capital" of the Islamic State, Raqqa. It is unknown if the plane was shot down or if it crashed for some other reason. No U.S. aircraft or personnel were involved. ISIS published pictures of the pilot, a 1st Lieutenant named Muath al-Kasaesbeh, as well as pictures of his identification cards. Jordan has long been an ally to the United States and has contributed forces to the battle against ISIS.
My Comment:
Things are not looking good for this pilot. Obviously, I hope that he is released to his family but given that he fell into the hands of ISIS that is not looking good at all. At the very least expect a propaganda video soon. I guess it is conceivable that Jordan could pay a ransom for this man, or mount a rescue mission, but that seems unlikely. I'm hoping for the best but fearing the worst
I'm not sure why the photo of his is blurred out as it looks like he is wearing pants. Not sure if it was ISIS that did that to the picture or a news outlet but it seems strange. I'm guessing even shorts are a bit too revealing for Muslim sensibilities.
As for the jet itself it is very possible that ISIS shot it down. They have access to MANPADS (man portable air defense) and I'm guessing they know how to use them. Of course we can't rule out mechanical failure as a possibility as well. It's possible that the Syrian government could have shot this plane down, by design or mistake, or even another faction like the Free Syrian Army or the Al-Nusra Front. Either way though, I expect ISIS to take full credit.
The victims of the Benghazi attack return home -AP
The attack on the consulate and CIA annex in Benghazi, Libya resulted in hundreds of articles and opinion pieces, the vast majority of which were politically motivated. Even today conservatives and liberals are arguing about who was responsible for what and whether or not Obama handled it correctly. Some of this reporting was important. The fact that the maker of a terrible movie, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, spent time in jail over this is a serious 1st amendment issue. Whether or not there was a stand down order and whether or not the attacks were motivated by The Innocence of Muslims are also relevant. But many, perhaps more important questions have largely been unasked and unanswered.
Most of you probably know the story of Benghazi by now but just in case I will recap it again. After the brief civil war where Muamarr Gaddafi was overthrown the United States established a consulate in Benghazi Libya. The Ambassador to Libya, Christoper Stevens, by all accounts beloved and very effective in his job, was visiting the consulate on 9/11/12 when it came under attack but militants. In the ensuing battle Stevens and Foreign Service Officer Sean Smith died after the compound was lit ablaze by the militants.
Hours later a second compound came under attack in the same city. A CIA annex, the purpose of which has never been publicly revealed was assaulted by more militants. In a destructive and intense battle two more U.S. Citizens were killed, former Navy Seals and current CIA officers Glen Dohrety and Tyrone S. Woods, and an undetermined number of people were wounded. Dohrety and Woods were killed in a mortar strike while they were providing overwatch on the roof of the CIA annex.
In the aftermath of the attack there was an insane rush to blame or defend the president. Questions were asked about what motivated the terrorists, could help have arrived in time, was it the fault of a stupid video, was there a cover up and eventually what does it even matter? But very few people asked why the CIA was there in the first place. Amazingly the CIA annex was revealed accidentally in a session of congress. Republican Congressman Jason Chaffetz objected to a satellite image (warning, biased source, but it was the best i could find) revealing that there was a second compound that had been attacked. Until this point it was not known that the two former Navy Seals had been killed at this secret facility.
Still, very few people noticed or questioned the existence of a second instillation in Benghazi. All the focus was on either smearing or defending Obama. Nobody ever seemed to ask why there was a CIA facility there and what they were doing. Such questions were politically inappropriate and given how classified the CIA annex was very few people know the truth. But the CIA annex will have far more of an impact then anyone gave it credit for. It's a story of backhanded politics, global warfare, gun running, terrorism and, worst of all, secrecy.
What was the purpose of the CIA annex? It has to do with so called MANPADS (man portable air defense system), specifically Libyan SA-7's. After the fall of Gaddafi the massive amount of military equipment, including MANPADS were left unsecured. This was a huge problem. MANPADS are specifically designed to destroy airplanes and if they were to fall into the wrong hands it would be the perfect terrorist weapon. Part of the CIA operation was to collect these weapons and control them. And if that was all that had happened it would have been fine. But it has been accused of being far more than that.
Syrian Rebels fire a SA-7 at a Helicopter
Seymour Hersh, famed journalist who exposed the Mai Li massacre in Vietnam, and exposed military abuse in the Iraq War at Abu Ghraib prison, suggests a much darker motive. In his amazing article, The Red Line and the Rat Line, Hersh accuses, among a great many other things, that the Benghazi consulate and the CIA annex were primarily a gun running operation. And some of those guns ended up being MANPADS.
After the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War, much was made of U.S. support of the rebels. In the build up to the aborted war and after it was called off, the United States provided weapons and other support to the FSA. It was claimed at first that it was only small arms and non-military equipment. However, a ship called Al Entisar was received in the Turkish port of Iskenderun on 9/6/12. On board this ship were 400 tons of supplies... and heavy weapons including the SA-7's and RPG's. Apparently, the last meeting Ambassador Stevens had was with a Turkish Diplomat about these weapons.
After the destruction of the CIA annex and the death of Stevens the CIA operation was terminated. Control of the gun running fell to the Turks, who according to Hersh, have very different priorities in Syria then the United States. At the time the first priority was to destroy the Syrian government. Hersh made the shocking allegation that NATO member and U.S. ally Turkey used a false flag chemical attack through Al-Nursra front proxy soldiers in an effort to bring the United States into the war. Such an explosive accusation did not go unchallenged and I won't comment on it further since I don't have the expertise to determine the veracity of the report . But the so called "rat line" seems plausible. And the Turks are now in control of it and they have been accused with working with terrorist groups.
And that brings up the worst case scenario. Libyan MANPADS, smuggled into Syria have fallen into the hands of, at the very least, Al-Queda. Since the FSA have recently been transferring over to ISIS as well according to some reports, it's possible that an even more brutal terrorist group has access to these weapons as well. Every airport in the Middle East, and perhaps even Europe, is now at risk of a missile attack from these MANPADS.
That is if you believe Hersh. He has been accurate before and the "rat line" explanation does explain a lot. But he has been roundly criticized by other journalists for only using anonymous sources. The MANPADS found in Syria haven't been proven to be from Libya and it's possible that the gunrunning could have happened without CIA help. Turkey and the United States of course deny everything. As it stands right now it's impossible to know the truth.
But it does raise questions. First and foremost, are Hersh's allegations true? That would have a huge impact on U.S./Turkey relations, the role of NATO and would completely alter the public's perception of the Benghazi scandal. Second, if it is true, what the hell were the CIA and the Obama administration thinking? Even back then it was clear that fundamentalist groups were running around, bringing more heavy weapons into that environment was a horrible idea.Third, if it wasn't the "rat line" what was the CIA doing there? Securing MANPADS? So if their operation was destroyed is nothing being done to secure the weapons?
We might never know the truth about what happened in Benghazi in our lifetimes. All I know for sure is that a major CIA operation got burned and burned badly. This was a major tactical and strategic defeat, and if Hersh's allegations are true then a major intelligence and foreign policy blunder as well. That, not the video, the "stand down order" or "why does it matter" is the real story of Benghazi...
