1/2 So now...3 sources: A Marine MEU was in the Mediterranean, aware of the attacks on the Benghazi compounds, and ready to respond. They were 7 hours away and under AFRICOM command. They never got the authorization.

2/4 The Benghazi staff never even knew to ask the Marines about where their forces were and it was never communicated to them. Gen Ham, AFRICOM commander, who happened to be at the Pentagon with Gen Dempsey and knew Panetta had authorized force never issued an order to respond.

3/4 Rotors on Osprey were spinning as the MEU thought they would get an order to respond. Gen Ham might not have known at the time the MEU was available, but he would have later learned about it. He never told the Benghazi investigators & the investigators didn’t know to ask.

4/4 The Marines made reforms though, to make sure it doesn’t happen again on their end.