What the military did while Benghazi burned

WHY DIDN’T THEY SCRAMBLE THE F-16 FIGHTERS?

Military leaders decided early on that jets armed with 500-pound bombs were unsuited for the chaotic crisis in an urban area.

“Ultimately, it was my decision that said no, not the right response in this circumstance,” Ham said.

He didn’t have anyone on the ground to provide target information for airstrikes. He didn’t want to harm innocent people or risk inflaming more Libyans to join the attack. He believed some militants had missiles capable of downing a plane.

“Had I made a different decision, had strike aircraft deployed, we don’t really know what the outcome would have been,” Ham said. “Maybe it would have been positive, but maybe it would have got shot down. Maybe it would have killed civilians.”