Thirteen hours by Mitchell Zuckoff, a book review
I had barely started reading Zuckoff’s, an American professor of journalism at Boston University, 13 hours, a couple of days before, but I was already about 200 pages in, it was that absorbing, when I had a video chat about it with my best friends, the brothers Xh. The book details the events of September 11th, 2012, specifically the Benghazi attack on the US ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens. 2012 is not that far ago, therefore I was wondering why I didn’t have any recollection of the news related to this attack. I reckon that back then I was fully absorbed in my studies as a science major and had little time or interest, to watch the news.
So, I felt the need to ask them if they recalled these events. And so, we started a passionate discussion on geopolitics and history. Yes, they recalled seeing the news. Moreover, they had seen the movie based on the book I was reading. When talking to them, I was still at a point in the book where I couldn’t tell if the ambassador makes it out of the attack alive, and they spoiled it a bit for me. So, spoiler alert: He doesn’t. I couldn’t believe that someone could go all the way through to managing to orchestrate a life taking attack to such a high-level US diplomat. The fact that it resulted in the death of 4 American citizens, including the Stevens, might just be a testimony of Obama’s administration’s (or some chains of it) to provide proper security measures for their staff.
I believe Zuckoff is very careful in maintain a neutral position of presenting the facts, not letting the story fall, unprotected, into political conspiracy (although, considering the stakes, it unavoidably would be surrounded by it).
Here is a brief summary: Benghazi is a hot spot of security threats. After Ghaddafi’s fall off power, local militia where fighting over for control. Ambassador Stevens, based on Tripoli, decides to pay Benghazi a visit, in the anniversary of the 09.11. twin towers attack. The problem is, there are so many security holes in the plan. His security team is low in number, probably under armed, the compound where he would be staying wasn’t properly secured (the safe haven didn’t have anti-fire/smoke protection, which would ultimately cost him his life). 13 hours is the story of a six men security team based on the nearby CIA’s annex, and their astonishing effort to save their fellow American’s lives. Throughout the book it seems that Washington was very slow to react to the events and the American never really received proper help. This was a big point of critique for Hillary Clinton, then secretary of state, during her candidacy. The official version was that Benghazi was too far for the special forces in Italy or Germany to arrive in time. However, it was later revealed that Pentagon proposed to send a Commanders In extremis Force (CIF) unit for support, but Washington declined.
The story is well written, it tells a bit of history on Benghazi as it slowly moves towards the central event. I think Zuckoff chooses to start the story with the arrival of former NAVY SEAL, Jack Silva (concealed identity), because he is new to Benghazi and thus the reader (and through the movie, the viewer) might learn about the environment as Silva is. Coincidentally, Silva had also served in Kosovo, my home country, so I felt an instant admiration.
After the chat with my friend, I grew ever more enthusiastic about learning how the even had expired and I read the remaining couple of hundred pages during the night. In terms of story telling the events are very gripping and read like fiction. I watched the movie as well (although I am a skeptic when it comes to watching a movie after reading the book on which it is based) and I can tell that it depicts the storyline close enough to be worth watching. Therefore, I recommend both, the book and the movie.
Just after I had finished the book, I had the chance to work on a project with a former Army who served in Germany (among others) and I asked him about his opinion, and he simply said “ah, that Benghazi thing, it was a total sh*t show”. Couldn’t agree more. As one of the guys in the movie says, though, “any other six man, I don’t think that we make it”. The fact that they managed to protect the civilian lives inside the building is close to miraculous./*54745756836*/