A newly reported claim by a U.S. security team in Benghazi of orders not to respond to the Sept. 11, 2012, attack that killed the U.S. ambassador contradicts the State Department's official report.
The Fox News Channel's Bret Baier interviewed three security contractors who were at the CIA annex about one mile from the besieged U.S. special mission, where Ambassador Chris Stevens and other Americans were under assault.
The three essentially served as first responders to any attack on the mission.
The security contractors – Kris "Tanto" Paronto, Mark "Oz" Geist and John "Tig" Tiegen – told Fox News they wanted to depart for the mission but were delayed by the commanding CIA officer in Benghazi, whom they refer to as Bob.
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"It had probably been 15 minutes I think, and … I just said, 'Hey, you know, we gotta – we need to get over there. We're losing the initiative,'" said Tiegen in an interview to air in a Fox News special Friday night. "And Bob just looks straight at me and said, 'Stand down, you need to wait.'"
"We're starting to get calls from the State Department guys saying, 'Hey, we're taking fire, we need you guys here, we need help,'" said Paronto.
The three said that after a delay of about 30 minutes, the security team departed without orders and asked their superiors to request air support, which never arrived.
Unreported by Fox News is that the narrative of order to wait directly contradicts Page 23 of the report from the State Department's Accountability Review Board, or ARB.
The page states: "Just prior to receiving the TDY RSO's distress call shortly after 2142 local, the head of Annex security heard multiple explosions coming from the north in the direction of the SMC."
The ARB report said "the Annex response team departed its compound in two vehicles at approximately 2205 local."
"The departure of the Annex team was not delayed by orders from superiors; the team leader decided on his own to depart the Annex compound once it was apparent, despite a brief delay to permit their continuing efforts, that rapid support from local security elements was not forthcoming."
In the Fox News interview, members of the security team said they believe the delay cost Stevens his life.
"Ambassador Stevens and Sean [Smith], yeah, they would still be alive. My gut is yes," Paronto said, with Tiegen agreeing.
"I strongly believe if we'd left immediately, they'd still be alive today," Paronto continued.
The claims contradict CIA agents cited in an Associated Press report who insisted a quicker response would not have saved the lives of those killed in the attack, including Stevens.
The Fox News report was based on the soon-to-be-released book, "13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi."
Another book set for release Tuesday raises further questions about the lack of reinforcements, such as air support, on the night of the attack.
"The REAL Benghazi Story: What the White House and Hillary Don't Want You to Know," by reporter and radio host Aaron Klein, breaks new ground on the events that led to the attack and presents evidence that contradicts the Obama administration's version of what took place that ill-fated night.
A major section of the book investigates events surrounding the highly trained Special Forces known as C-110, or EUCOM CIF.
The C-110 is a 40-man Special Ops force maintained for rapid response to emergencies, which means they are trained for deployment for events like the Benghazi attack.
On the night of the attack, command of the C-110 was transferred from the military's European command to AFRICOM, the United States Africa Command. The military claimed the forces were on a training mission in Croatia.
Klein shows that despite Obama administration claims that the force would have taken six hours or more to deploy to Benghazi, it could have made it to Libya in about two-and-a-half hours or less.
Klein also cites explosive new reasons for what the forces were actually doing in Croatia the night of the attack.
Instead of being deployed to Benghazi during the attack, the C-110 was told to return to its normal operating base in Germany.