Monday, September 17, 2012

Raw Video Appears to Show Ambassador Stevens Dragged Through Window at Libyan Consulate

Breitbart has the clip if this one gets pulled, "BREAKING: Video Purports to Show US Ambassador Dragged From Benghazi Consulate." And also at Gateway Pundit, "Libyans Scream “Allahu Akbar” as They Drag U.S. Ambassador’s Body From Torched Building (Video)."

The video's not authenticated, although the New York Times also reports, "Video Shows Libyans Retrieving Envoy’s Body."

And what's especially interesting is that the images appear amazingly similar to the updated account of the ambassador's recovery from the compound at the New York Times, "Diplomats’ Bodies Return to U.S., and Libyan Guards Recount Deadly Riot":

When the attack on the diplomatic compound occurred, officials said, Ambassador Stevens was separated from his security detail — and was located only later, at the hospital in Benghazi, where he had been pronounced dead.

Officials in Washington said they were investigating that blacked-out period, but as they conduct that inquiry, witnesses have emerged who said that Mr. Stevens had fled to a room in the diplomatic compound, hoping to find safety behind a locked iron gate and wooden door. But fires raged around the mission, and Mr. Stevens, unable to escape the smoke and heat, died of asphyxiation.

Witnesses say he was eventually discovered by people who rushed to see what was happening at the mission. They broke a window, spotted Mr. Stevens, who might or might not have been unconscious at the time, and removed him from the room.

According to guards at the compound, the attack began at about 9:30 p.m., without advance warning or any peaceful protest. “I started hearing, ‘God is great! God is great!’ ” one guard said. “I thought to myself, maybe it is a passing funeral.” (All the guards spoke on the condition of anonymity for their safety.)

“Attack, attack,” the guard said he heard an American calling over his walkie-talkie as the chants came closer. Suddenly there came a barrage of gunfire, explosions and rocket-propelled grenades.

“I saw the ambassador’s personal bodyguard — the one who was killed — running toward the villa where the ambassador was,” he said. Armed only with a light weapon, the bodyguard “was running there to protect him.”

Another Libyan guard said he saw Mr. Stevens escorted to the office in a wing off the main mission building, the room with an iron gate behind a wooden door. Three hours later, about 12:30 a.m., witnesses said that a crowd — possibly looters — broke through a tall and narrow window and found Mr. Stevens.

The compound’s landlord, Jamal al-Bishari, said that while watching from nearby he saw some people climb through the broken window and emerge soon after, carrying Mr. Stevens.

The wing where Mr. Stevens had sought refuge contained at least three rooms and two bathrooms, and aside from the extensive smoke damage it appeared on Friday to be largely undamaged.

Very shortly after Mr. Stevens was seen carried out of the window, he arrived at Benghazi’s main hospital, brought by a group of Libyan civilians, according to Ziad Abu Zeid, a doctor there. In a separate interview he said that the civilians did not seem to know that the American they were helping was the ambassador, a well-known and popular figure locally but now covered in dark soot. Dr. Abu Zaid said that Mr. Stevens was dressed and did not suffer any trauma, aside from the smoke inhalation. Because of the soot covering his face, the doctor said, he also initially failed to recognize Mr. Stevens. He said he eventually did so from photographs posted by admiring residents on Facebook.

The doctor said he tried for at least 45 minutes to resuscitate Mr. Stevens. He said he believed that officers from the Libyan Interior Ministry transported the body to the airport and into United States custody.
That's a narrow window at the clip, and the body shows a white t-shirt (as seen in photographs from the scene), although the face is obscured. Still, there's an eery similarity between the video and the reports from witnesses.

RELATED: At Atlas Shrugged, "OBAMA #EPICFAIL: LIBYAN OFFICIAL WARNED USA '3 DAYS BEFORE ATTACK'." This is important, for as the New York Times indicates at the report above, the Obama administration has claimed repeatedly that there was no pre-planning to the attack. But more evidence is emerging and this could reach scandal territory if the White House continues to dissemble and lie.

0 comments: