Benghazi: The Movie

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My wife and I attended a showing of “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” today.

And while one particular movie critic praised it for its authenticity, and willingness to “let the chips fall where they may,” I’m not so sure.

Oh, it was definitely a “shoot ‘em up” and “kill ‘em by the hundreds” production. And it was wildly entertaining, and authentic, as far it goes. But I think it leaves something to be desired.

There was no overt reference to Christopher Stevens’ attempt to solicit more security for the Benghazi ambassadorial mission. Granted, the CIA operatives referred to a lack of security there, but a scene in which Stevens’ calls or emails the State Department about this deficit would have been preferable; given this is a strong variable surrounding the attack on our mission, and an issue which continues to plague Hillary Clinton, the former Secretary of State, in her presidential campaign. Hillary, herself, is not characterized in the movie by a supporting actress.

During the course of the movie, there is one reference to POTUS; (the President of the United States), and his knowledge of the scenario unfolding in Libya. There is a corresponding undercurrent of confusion that the government of the United States is being unresponsive to the eminent danger to its employees at the mission, and CIA base. However, the connection seems weak, and no specific blame seems to be levied. Obama also goes unrepresented by a character in the movie.

To be fair, there are a couple of scenes which depict the preparation of our naval and air assets, and “the order which never came.” But again, the connection to those who had the immediate power to command a military response is insufficient.

Granted, before I saw the movie I had already formed an opinion about the response, or lack thereof, to the attack in Benghazi, and the strong connection to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and President of the United States Barack Obama.

The movie failed to conclusively assign specific blame for our government’s failure to send help to the participants of the attack on Benghazi. Its implications were both weak and non-specific in nature.

Whether, indeed, the movie “hit the nail on the head,” or simply skirted the primary issues is, ultimately, unimportant. What is, after all, crucial is that we, the American public, is given sufficient information about what occurred on September 11, 2012, and that we are provided an understanding of who was directly responsible for our government’s failure to exercise an appropriate response to the terrorist attack in Benghazi. 

Let the chips fall where they may.


By William McDonald, PhD. Excerpt from "(Mc)Donald's Daily Diary" Vol. 23. Copyright pending

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