The Libya Attack and After-Action Investigations (Tearline)
Video Transcript:
Video Transcript
The recent attack on the temporary U.S. diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya, and the death of official U.S. personnel shows the challenge of protecting diplomats in hostile security environments. Figuring out what truly happened is a critical task to bring the perpetrators to justice and saving lives in the future. I’d like to discuss the challenges of conducting after-action investigations in hostile environments.
Special agents from the Diplomatic Security Service -- the law enforcement arm of the Department of State -- will join agents from the FBI to determine what happened at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Specifically, the team will conduct a criminal investigation, seeking details of how the deaths occurred. The evidence recovered will be used later in criminal prosecution of the case. At the same time, a parallel investigation will be conducted by the DSS focusing on the protective intelligence aspects of the case.
Having participated in numerous after-action investigations, I can tell you that both sides of this investigation will be very challenging. The current threat environment in Libya is not an optimum situation for a criminal or protective intelligence investigation. In country, the investigating FBI and DSS agents must also be protected, either by other DSS agents or private contractors, posing unique protective security concerns.
In addition to work in country, the investigation will include interviews with the injured agents and other personnel who were evacuated from the site. Their narrative of events will provide a starting point for the sequence and timeline of attacks. Interviews in country could be difficult as local witnesses will be reluctant to be seen talking with American investigators.
Videos and photos from the crime scene show that the scene has obviously been tampered with, which is the norm. Given the looting of the compound that occurred, it will be very difficult to find definitive fingerprints or other forensic evidence. Evidence has not doubt been destroyed, and the investigators will be forced to deal with a lack of control over the crime scene, limited chain of custody of evidence, lack of police training and capabilities, and uncertain host government assistance. Since the Libyan government has a political interest in helping the investigation, some of these issues may not be critical. But in the case of most crime scenes overseas, ultimate authority rests with the host government, not the Department of Justice, though extra-territorial statutes will apply. Libyan assistance will be necessary for a successful investigation.
What's the above the tearline aspect of this video? In the bigger picture, investigating the “how” and “why” of this attack are more important than the “who.” The FBI will be laser focused on identifying the perps in an attempt to identify and prosecute those responsible. But when it comes to saving the lives of diplomats who face similar situations in the future, the protective intelligence investigation is critical. Identifying how and why the attackers were able to operate successfully will help to prevent future attacks.
