US testimony recalls Stevens mission in Libya
LIBYA Retired US Navy Admiral James G. Foggo recalled the killing of former US Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans in Benghazi.
In the recollection published by the US research centre the Center for Maritime Strategy, and followed and translated in its main points by Al-Marsad, Foggo said he did not know the details of the incident, but realised that the United States had lost a great American, a skilled diplomat and a brave man.
He added that during his earlier work at the headquarters of the US Sixth Fleet he had not forgotten influential and active figures, among them Stevens, who entered Libya in 2011 with a small team of diplomats and volunteers from the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Foggo said one of their roles was to provide a way to extract Stevens and his team safely if they faced any risks or difficulties.
He said that, despite his busy schedule, he contacted Stevens by phone to assure him that the Navy and the Marine Corps stood behind him and would strongly support him if he needed them.
He noted that the presence of US military forces on the ground in Libya was not permitted during the operation, and that their role was limited to marshaling intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, leaving them in acute need of immediate, direct information on what was happening inside the National Transitional Council, in Benghazi and across the rest of the country.
He added that Stevens faced enormous pressure and tight deadlines to show US support for the Libyan people, provide ways and mechanisms to deliver humanitarian aid, and build a close relationship with the National Transitional Council.
Foggo stressed that conditions were not in favour of Stevens mission, but that Stevens remained full of enthusiasm and hope for Libyans’ right to determine their own destiny.
