班加西事件，是指2012年9月11日晚間美國駐利比亞班加西領事館遭激進伊斯蘭恐怖主義武裝份子襲擊，並造成美國駐利比亞大使約翰·史蒂文斯及美國外交事務情報管理官尚恩·史密斯[7]等人身亡。史蒂文斯是1979年以來首位於任职期間殉職的美國大使。[8]事件發生後數個小時內，一處距離班加西領事館約一英里（約1.6公里）的美國建築物亦遭襲擊，造成中央情報局約聘人員泰隆·伍茲（Tyrone S. Woods）及葛蘭·多赫提（Glen Doherty）身亡，[9][10]另有十餘人於襲擊中受傷。事件過後，許多利比亞民眾紛紛以公開示威的方式譴責伊斯蘭武裝份子的攻擊行為，並對已故的美國大使表示哀悼。[11][12]
利比亞東部及班加西是新情報網路蒐集情報的重點區域。在攻擊事件發生之前，中情局曾密切監控伊斯蘭教法團及伊斯蘭馬格里布基地組織可疑成員的活動，同時希望限制他們與利比亞賽來菲團體間的來往。[26]攻擊事件發生時，數十名中情局幹員正在班加西活動。[31]除此之外，亦有報告指出2012年夏時，美國聯合特種作戰司令部（JSOC）曾將與基地組織有關聯的利比亞激進武裝份子亞辛·蘇瑞（英语：Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil）列為目標。[27]:58攻擊事件爆發時，一支包括兩名JSOC成員的特種任務小隊已在利比亞境內執行實地監控任務；不過該任務與國務院及中情局的任務並無關聯，兩者各自獨立。[27]:58[32]
在國會聽證會上，前美國駐利比亞大使約翰·史蒂文斯的首席副官格雷格利·席克斯（Gregory N. Hicks）作證指出，2012年史蒂文斯大使會在班加西的原因是「（希拉蕊）柯林頓國務卿希望班加西領事館成為永久駐所」[註 3]，而大使亦表示理解國務卿女士希望於同年晚些時候出訪的黎波里（利比亞首都）時藉此宣示影響力的企圖。[38][39][40][41][42]席克斯還表示「克里斯（指史蒂文斯大使）希望向班加西的民眾傳達美國支持他們建立新民主制度的夢想。」[註 4][43][44]
在醫院，值班醫師齊亞德·阿布·扎伊德（Ziad Abu Zeid）對史蒂文斯大使施予長達90分鐘的心肺復甦術。[100]根據札伊德醫師的說法，大使因吸入過多濃煙窒息而死，但除此之外沒有任何外傷。[101]醫師表示不清楚遺體後來送去哪裡，但他相信遺體是由利比亞內政部（英语：Ministry of Interior (Libya)）送往機場，並交由美國政府保管。美國國務院則說他們不清楚是誰將大使送往醫院，也不清楚是誰將大使遺體運往機場交予美國政府。[101]
在利比亞政府雷厲風行的掃蕩政策下，許多民兵部隊開始向政府投降。為了驅逐違法的民兵組織，政府組建了一支名為「國家機動武力」（National Mobile Force）的部隊。[155]在利比亞總統宣布要求民兵組織自行解散或歸順政府的同一日，許多米蘇拉塔的民兵組織領導人聚集會面，並最終決定集體歸順政府，同時交出許多先前由他們所控制的公共設施，其中包括米蘇拉塔的三座主要市立監獄；這三座監獄最終交由利比亞司法部管轄。[152]在民兵組織於米蘇拉塔達成共識的前數個小時，兩個於德爾納內活躍的主要民兵組織（其中一個與伊斯蘭教法團有關）迅速撤出該城，並留下五座由他們所控制的軍事基地。[151][152][155]
在9月30日CNN的《與坎蒂·克勞利一同看國情咨文（英语：State of the Union (TV series)）》節目中，時任節目主持人的克勞利評論道：「週五時我們收到行政部門的最終版聲明，而這現在看起來似乎是恐怖組織有預謀的攻擊行為，至少其中部份的參與者是認同基地組織的，」[註 44]接著並詢問資深的共和黨籍參議院軍事委員會委員約翰·麥肯：「他們從9月11日到現在，拖這麼久才得出這樣的結論，你是否感到憂慮？如果是，為什麼？」[註 45]， 而麥肯則回應：「這影響了行政當局試圖傳送基地組織正在衰落的訊息......你還能怎樣告知我們的聯合國大使這是一場自發性的示威活動？......一群人帶著大量重型武器，攻擊持續了數個小時，如果還認為這場示威是自發的、沒有預謀的，那要不是故意忽略重要情報，就是情報本身就相當糟糕。」[註 46][195]
國務卿希拉蕊預定將於12月20日出席國會聽證會，以就攻擊相關事項作證。12月15日，據報導她因身染流感而有脫水、昏厥及暈眩等症狀。因此，她的作證時間向後順延。[204]共和黨籍議員艾倫·威斯特（英语：Allen West (politician)）將這起事件拿來大做文章，宣稱流感只是希拉蕊不願出席聽證會的詭計。前美國駐聯合國大使約翰·博爾頓稱希拉蕊的暈眩症狀為「外交感冒」。[205]
2013年5月13日，歐巴馬總統在一場新聞記者會上表示：「在事件發生後隔天，我便已承認這是一起恐怖攻擊」[註 58]。華盛頓郵報的專欄作家葛蘭·凱斯勒在其《事實調查者》專欄中反駁這項言論，並在文章中開闢大量篇幅區分「恐怖行為」（act of terror）和「恐怖主義行為」（act of terrorism）的差異。[199]在文章中，凱斯勒指控歐巴馬是「歷史修正主義者」，並稱他將攻擊稱為「恐怖主義行為」，然而事實上他在演說中的用詞是「恐怖行為」，藉此推論歐巴馬企圖避免將事件稱為「恐怖主義行為」，是因為他不想將史蒂文斯大使的死怪罪於恐怖主義。[199][210]
《美國資訊自由法案》關於資訊公開的要求自攻擊發生後就不斷提起。保守基金會「司法觀察（英语：Judicial Watch）」於2012年12月9日依據《資訊自由法案》，向國務院提交公開資訊的要求。司法觀察稍後於2013年1月4日收到國務院同意一項要求的回音。然而，當國務院並未依承諾公開資訊後，司法觀察提起訴訟；而國務院亦為免訟累，而於2013年6月6日公開了7張相片。[244]其中三張展示了三幅不同的阿拉伯語的塗鴉，其大致翻譯為「哈姆扎的王座（Thrones of HamzaIn）」、「真主至大（Allah-u Akbar）」，以及「階級統一（Unity of ranks）」。[245]
^原文："The consulate's only mission was to provide cover for the moving of arms. It had no real political role."
^原文："All CIA activities in Benghazi were legal and authorized. On-the-record testimony establishes that the CIA was not sending weapons ... from Libya to Syria, or facilitating other organizations or states that were transferring weapons from Libya to Syria."
^原文："Secretary [of State Hillary] Clinton wanted the post made permanent"
^原文："Chris [Stevens] wanted to make a symbolic gesture to the people of Benghazi that the United States stood behind their dream of establishing a new democracy."
^原文：In the months [between February 2011 and September 11, 2012] leading up to the attack on the Temporary Mission Facility in Benghazi, there was a large amount of evidence gathered by the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) and from open sources that Benghazi was increasingly dangerous and unstable, and that a significant attack against American personnel there was becoming much more likely. While this intelligence was effectively shared within the Intelligence Community (IC) and with key officials at the Department of State, it did not lead to a commensurate increase in security at Benghazi nor to a decision to close the American mission there, either of which would have been more than justified by the intelligence presented. ... The RSO [Regional Security Officer] in Libya compiled a list of 234 security incidents in Libya between June 2011 and July 2012, 50 of which took place in Benghazi.
^原文："The specific security requests pertaining to Benghazi ... were handled by the security professionals in the [State] Department. I didn't see those requests, I didn't approve them, I didn't deny them."
^原文："there wasn't a single ant outside [before the attack]."
^原文："It was not an innocent mob. The video or 9/11 made a handy excuse and could be fortuitous from their perspective but this was a clearly planned military-type attack."
^原文："extremists and terrorists used (the anti-Muslim YouTube video) as an excuse to attack a variety of our embassies."
^原文："natural protests that arose because of the outrage over the video were used as an excuse by extremists to see if they can also directly harm U.S. interests."
^原文："Some of the attackers of the U.S. Mission in Benghazi on September 11, 2012, have been identified as associates of Muhammad Jamal, and some of the Benghazi attackers reportedly trained at MJN camps in Libya."
^原文："since our founding, the United States has been a nation that respects all faiths. We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others."
^原文： "troops who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan"
^原文："then last night, we learned the news of this attack in Benghazi"
^原文："As Americans, let us never, ever forget that our freedom is only sustained because there are people who are willing to fight for it, to stand up for it, and in some cases, lay down their lives for it."
^原文："No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for. Today we mourn four more Americans who represent the very best of the United States of America. We will not waver in our commitment to see that justice is done for this terrible act. And make no mistake, justice will be done"
^原文："Some have sought to justify this vicious behavior, along with the protest that took place at our Embassy in Cairo yesterday, as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet,"
^原文："We enjoy our security and our liberty because of the sacrifices they make ... I want people around the world to hear me: To all those who would do us harm, no act of terror will go unpunished. It will not dim the light of the values that we proudly present to the rest of the world."
^原文："we don't have and did not have concrete evidence to suggest that this [the Benghazi attack] was not in reaction to the film."
^原文："There was no intelligence that in any way could have been acted on to prevent these attacks. It is—I mean, I think the DNI spokesman was very declarative about this that the report is false. The report suggested that there was intelligence that was available prior to this that led us to believe that this facility would be attacked, and that is false ... We have no information to suggest that it was a preplanned attack. The unrest we've seen around the region has been in reaction to a video that Muslims, many Muslims find offensive. And while the violence is reprehensible and unjustified, it is not a reaction to the 9/11 anniversary that we know of, or to U.S. policy."
^原文："One young woman, her head covered and her eyes haunted with sadness, held up a handwritten sign that said 'Thugs and killers don't represent Benghazi nor Islam.' The President of the Palestinian Authority, who worked closely with Chris when he served in Jerusalem, sent me a letter remembering his energy and integrity, and deploring—and I quote—'an act of ugly terror.'"
^原文："We've seen the heavy assault on our post in Benghazi that took the lives of those brave men."
^原文：The currently available information suggests that the demonstrations in Benghazi were spontaneously inspired by the protests at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and evolved into a direct assault against the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi and subsequently its annex. There are indications that extremists participated in the violent demonstrations.
This assessment may change as additional information is collected and analyzed and as currently available information continues to be evaluated. The investigation is ongoing, and the U.S. government is working with Libyan authorities to bring to justice those responsible for the deaths of U.S. citizens.
^原文：Based on the best information we have to date, what our assessment is as of the present is in fact what began spontaneously in Benghazi as a reaction to what had transpired some hours earlier in Cairo where, of course, as you know, there was a violent protest outside of our embassy—sparked by this hateful video. But soon after that spontaneous protest began outside of our consulate in Benghazi, we believe that it looks like extremist elements, individuals, joined in that— in that effort with heavy weapons of the sort that are, unfortunately, readily now available in Libya post-revolution. And that it spun from there into something much, much more violent. We do not—we do not have information at present that leads us to conclude that this was premeditated or preplanned. I think it's clear that there were extremist elements that joined in and escalated the violence. Whether they were al Qaeda affiliates, whether they were Libyan-based extremists or al Qaeda itself I think is one of the things we'll have to determine.
^原文："I'm saying that based on information that we—our initial information, and that includes all information—we saw no evidence to back up claims by others that this was a preplanned or premeditated attack; that we saw evidence that it was sparked by the reaction to this video. And that is what we know thus far based on the evidence, concrete evidence."
^原文："It is, I think, self-evident that what happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack. Our embassy was attacked violently, and the result was four deaths of American officials. So, again, that's self-evident."
^原文："What we do know is that the natural protests that arose because of the outrage over the video were used as an excuse by extremists to see if they can also directly harm U.S. interests."
^原文："The attacks on our civilians in Benghazi were attacks on America ... And there should be no doubt that we will be relentless in tracking down the killers and bringing them to justice."
^原文："a crude and disgusting video [that] sparked outrage throughout the Muslim world"
^原文："I have made it clear that the United States government had nothing to do with this video, and I believe its message must be rejected by all who respect our common humanity."
^原文："There is no video that justifies an attack on an Embassy."
^原文："In the immediate aftermath, there was information that led us to assess that the attack began spontaneously following protests earlier that day at our embassy in Cairo. We provided that initial assessment to Executive Branch officials and members of Congress ... As we learned more about the attack, we revised our initial assessment to reflect new information indicating that it was a deliberate and organized terrorist attack carried out by extremists. It remains unclear if any group or person exercised overall command and control of the attack, and if extremist group leaders directed their members to participate."
^原文："Friday we got the administration's sort of definitive statement that this now looks as though it was a pre-planned attack by a terrorist group, some of whom were at least sympathetic to al Qaeda,"
^原文："why do you think and are you bothered that it has taken them this long from September 11th to now to get to this conclusion?"
^原文："it interferes with the depiction that the administration is trying to convey that al Qaeda is on the wane ... how else could you trot out our U.N. ambassador to say this was a spontaneous demonstration? ... It was either willful ignorance or abysmal intelligence to think that people come to spontaneous demonstrations with heavy weapons, mortars, and the attack goes on for hours."
^原文："Hicks argued that Rice's comments so insulted the Libyan president—since they contradicted his Sept. 16 claims that the attack was premeditated—that it slowed the FBI's investigation. 'President Magariaf was insulted in front of his own people, in front of the world. His credibility was reduced,' Hicks said, adding that the president was apparently 'still steamed' two weeks later."
^原文："it took the president 14 days before he called the attack in Benghazi an act of terror."
^原文："The day after the attack, governor, I stood in the Rose Garden and I told the American people and the world that we are going to find out exactly what happened,"
^原文："That this was an act of terror, and I also said that we're going to hunt down those who committed this crime."
^原文："You said in the Rose Garden the day after the attack, it was an act of terror. It was not a spontaneous demonstration, is that what you're saying?"
^原文："this is either a massive cover-up or incompetence"
^原文："we know that there were tapes, recordings inside the consulate during this fight ... So the president went on various shows, despite what he said in the Rose Garden, about terrorist acts, he went on several programs, including The View, including Letterman, including before the UN where he continued to refer, days later, many days later, to this as a spontaneous demonstration because of a hateful video. We know that is patently false. What did the president know? When did he know it? And what did he do about it?"
^原文：With all due respect, the fact is, we had four dead Americans! Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night and decided they'd go kill some Americans?! What difference, at this point, does it make?! It is our job to figure out what happened and do everything we can to prevent it from ever happening again, Senator. Now, honestly, I will do my best to answer your questions about this, but the fact is that people were trying in real time to get to the best information. The [Intelligence Community] has a process, I understand, going with the other committees to explain how these talking points came out. But you know, to be clear, it is, from my perspective, less important today looking backwards as to why these militants decided they did it than to find them and bring them to justice, and then maybe we’ll figure out what was going on in the meantime.
^原文："The day after it happened, I acknowledged that this was an act of terrorism."
^原文："this bill advances efforts to improve the physical infrastructure at posts overseas to comply with the highest standards of protection; to increase training for those responsible for guarding our compounds and personnel; to put in place procedures that respond appropriately to threats, reducing the chances of another attack like that suffered in Benghazi, Libya; to review the policies and procedures of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security; to authorize the use of best value contracting at high risk, high threat posts; to authorize security improvements at soft targets; and to provide for security enhancements in line with Accountability Review Board recommendations."
^原文："cannot believe that the FBI is not on the ground yet"
^原文："The Obama administration's White House and State Department actions before, during, and after the Benghazi terrorist attack on September 11, 2012, ranged from incompetence to deplorable political manipulation in the midst of an election season."
^原文："Obama would not say whether he thought the attack was terrorism. Yet he would later emphasize at a presidential debate that in the Rose Garden the same day, he had declared the attack an act of terror."
^原文："Two days before the election, CBS posted additional portions of a Sept. 12 '60 Minutes' interview where President Obama seems to contradict himself on the Benghazi attack."
^原文："An organized attack. Anybody who tells you that what happened to our ambassador and our consulate in Libya was as a result of a protest over an offensive movie, you should ask them why they think that. That's the first version of events we heard. That does not seem to explain what happened that night or by the facts or the more facts we get."
^原文："This is really a journalistic scandal. I mean, the fact there was not a word about any of this in the [New York] Times or the [Washington] Post today."
