Transcript for Libya Consulate Attack: Memo Raises New Questions

Transcript for Libya Consulate Attack: Memo Raises New Questions

Abc news has retained a memo that raised questions about whether the state department rejected warnings from its own staff. Jake tapper joins us this morning with those details. Good morning, jake.
Good morning to you, josh. That's right, this memo details all the way that they thought the operations were vital. And the commander told me he wanted to stay past august and ambassador chris stevens wanted them to stay as well.
Reporter: In the memo obtained exclusively by abc news, the embassy in libya did not mince words requesting that the state department keep the 16-member security support team in the country. Quite simply, we cannot maintain our existing levels of embassy operations without a continued support team present, the memo says. That request was granted.
After that, security in libya deteriorated further with western target attacks. Now the commander of the security team tells me his team wanted to stay past august and that ambassador stevens wanted them there as well. Wood will testify in front of the oversight committee wednesday.
We need to operate a country like libya with erring on the side of security. Reporter: A senior state department officia



 In the memo obtained exclusively by abc news, the embassy in libya did not mince words requesting that the state department keep the 16-member security support team in the country. Quite simply, we cannot maintain our existing levels of embassy operations without a continued support team present, the memo says. That request was granted.
After that, security in libya deteriorated further with western target attacks. Now the commander of the security team tells me his team wanted to stay past august and that ambassador stevens wanted them there as well. Wood will testify in front of the oversight committee wednesday.
We need to operate a country like libya with erring on the side of security. Reporter: A senior state department official tells abc news that no official request for an extension after august was ever made and there were just as many u. S.
Shooters present as before. The official denied that the state department was too eager to transfer security to local libyan contractors, an idea that local congressional leaders are exploring. And the big question is, of course, whether or not this would have made a difference.