Benghazi!
A New History of the Fiasco that Pushed America and its World to the Brink
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Benghazi!
Narrated by:
Jim Meskimen
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Narrated by:
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Jim Meskimen
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By:
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Ethan Chorin
In recognition of the 10th anniversary of the attack in Benghazi, a noted Libya expert and eyewitness to the attack provides a startling reconsideration of one of the defining controversies of our era.
Ten years after an attack on the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, cries of "Benghazi!" still echo across America. But instead of a landmark event to be taken seriously, it has become a punchline, an empty word, or a code for controversy and political theatre. In this thrilling retelling, Ethan Chorin reveals Benghazi as a watershed moment in American history, one that helped create the world America lives in today: polarized, fearful, and dangerously unstable.Here, Benghazi is not a story contained in 13 hours, but a decades-long history beginning with the rise of Muammar Gaddafi, stretching through 9/11, the War on Terror, and the Arab Spring, and reaching into the present day, as the impact of the attack and ensuing controversy remain visible in America and around the world. Chorin draws on his own bone-chilling experience during the Benghazi attack, his expertise as a former diplomat and scholar of Libyan history, and new interviews with Libyan insiders, eyewitnesses, and key players like Hillary Clinton and Ben Rhodes. With this ambitious, engaging narrative, Chorin makes clear why Benghazi still matters so much ten years later—and why we can’t afford to continue overlooking and misunderstanding it.
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Benghazi!: A New History of the Fiasco That Pushed America and Its World to the Brink by Ethan Chorin is a deeply researched and thought-provoking account that goes far beyond the events of the 2012 Benghazi attack.
Rather than focusing solely on the assault itself, Chorin examines the decades of U.S.–Libyan relations, tracing the roots of the conflict from Gaddafi's rise through successive American administrations. As a former U.S. diplomat who was in Benghazi during the attack—and who had planned to meet Ambassador Chris Stevens the following day—Chorin brings both firsthand experience and extensive regional knowledge to the subject.
One of the book's greatest strengths is its portrayal of Chris Stevens. Chorin presents him as a dedicated diplomat deeply committed to Libya, while highlighting his repeated requests for increased security and the failures that left the mission vulnerable. The book is equally candid in its assessment of broader U.S. policy, questioning the effectiveness of certain NGO initiatives and the reliance on unstable militia groups for security.
Where the book became less compelling for me was in the final quarter. The analysis shifts into a more overtly political discussion, with the author's personal sympathies—particularly toward Hillary Clinton—becoming more apparent. The inclusion of criticisms of Donald Trump and broader discussions about climate change and America's global responsibilities felt somewhat disconnected from the central narrative and detracted from what had otherwise been a measured historical analysis.
I also would have welcomed more detail about the attack itself. Readers looking for a blow-by-blow account of the events in Benghazi may find the emphasis on historical context outweighs coverage of the actual assault.
Overall, this is an insightful and well-researched examination of the political, diplomatic, and historical forces that culminated in the Benghazi attack. While I plan to read additional perspectives on the subject, I found this to be an excellent starting point for understanding the broader context behind one of the defining foreign policy events of the last two decades.
Partisan and chaotic take on Benghazi tragedy.
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