Breaking: The Post & Email Identifies “Stand-Down” Order Chain of Command

DID THE ORDER FOR GIBSON TO HALT RESCUE OPERATIONS IN BENGHAZI COME FROM THIS MAN? by Sharon Rondeau

It appears that Rear Admiral Brian Losey was commander of SOCAFRICA on the night of September 11, 2012 and could have relayed a "stand-down" order from Adm. William McRaven

(May 20, 2013) — On May 8, former Benghazi charge d'affaires Gregory Hicks testified to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that after a terrorist attack on a U.S. compound on September 11, 2012, a "Lt. Col. Gibson" had been ready to travel from Tripoli to Benghazi with a team to mount a rescue but that Gibson was told by someone in his chain of command to "stand down."

Four Americans were killed in the attack over a seven-hour period, including the ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens.

On Sunday, CDR Walter Francis Fitzpatrick, III (Ret.) explained the chain of command in different units of the military, reporting that Gibson would have been in either the SOCAFRICA or AFRICOM command.  "SOC" stands for "Special Operations Command," which is not limited by geography, whereas "AFRICOM" is a regional command.

On September 11, AFRICOM had been led by Gen. Carter Ham, who Fitzpatrick reported was "arrested" and relieved of duty in the Pentagon for refusing to obey a "stand-down" order which ultimately would have come from the White House.  Fitzpatrick said that the order would have gone out from the White House to all commanders of all military divisions that night.

A second report supports Fitzpatrick's contentions, as does a third in The Washington Times.  Several retired military members and a congresswoman have said that the president is the only person who can issue a "stand-down" order.

Hicks had told members of the committee that two "stand-down" orders had been given to two different crisis teams mobilized after the Benghazi compound came under attack and Stevens went missing.  Hicks said he did not know who had given the order to Gibson.  Hicks had described Gibson as "furious" over the stand-down order and said that Gibson remarked that Hicks showed more courage than the military on the evening of the attack.

On May 6, The Weekly Standard reported that Lt. Col. Gibson's chain of command was SOCAFRICA and described Gibson as "the SOCAFRICA commander."

CBS also reported that Gibson was "commander" of SOCAFRICA, but that does not appear to be accurate.

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