Era. How did you get started on this project . I was curator of the white house for many, many years. A lot of research. Because of the anniversary of john adams moving into the white house, they agreed to publish a book and so this was done. Recall the researcher got a wonderful photographer and a good editor and published a book. In some revisions. Is your favorite part of the project . I loved the research. The writing is little more difficult. Its very satisfied. To see the design come together with the wonderful photographs and so forth. Still is very project next for you . No, i just finished a book a year or so ago called the living white house, which i updated through the Obama Administration and that was done last year. So i am not writing right now anything else. Thank you very much for your time. Now from both tvs recent coverage of Miami Book Fair international, kris paronto and mark geist, members of the cia Annex Security Team responded to the attack on the u. S. Special mission in benghazi would be a on september 112012. They discuss 13 hours, the inside account of what really happened in benghazi. This is about 40 minutes. Joining us are two members of the benghazi response team. Kris paronto and mark geist, also note as eyes and tonto. They are parts of this book, 13 hours the inside account of what really happened in benghazi. We will begin here, mark geist. Where were you on september, 2012 . Guest benghazi, libya. That night i was out having dinner with the people we had to meet that night and talk to. Where just about wraps it up when i got a call from tyrone woods on a cell phone and he said we need to get back to the nx as quick as possible. Theres something going on. Theres trouble at the consulate. We remembered the military . Spirea bear . Guest we were both private military contractors, contracted that the United States government to protect case officers while they go about doing their job. Host kris paronto, where we do that night . Guest as the cia annex. I was on the Quick Reaction force in talent and basically i was standing by, waiting for him to come back so we could call it a night. It was basically you are on edge, but its another normal day for us. Operations going on and were making sure our own people are supported. Host what was the cia annex . Guest it was basically a facility used to do operations of the day. Know how far was that from where the ambassador Chris Stevens . Guest three quarters of a mile. Its not real far away. Just a couple short turns anywhere they are. Host was at a known facility . Guest yes, any state department in the country nearby are well known. Our facilities are not supposed to be known. Over time, especially for a certain period of time, youre just going to be a busy whiteface is coming out of the compound. It is safe to assume that the locals knew it wasnt a local facility. But the consulate, yes. Host why was lasater stevens in benghazi . Guest she was there to help open up a school opening, a local libya and had had a u. S. Airman who got shot down during the ousting of gadhafi. To support him, he had been opening up an American School or an american speaking school and the ambassador come down to do like a ribbon ceremony in for that individual. Host youtube are not on the ambassadors personal team, correct . In fact, did you even see him while he was there . Guest he did come by here. The ambassador did come by. Hes the ambassador of libya. He came by the day before and had lunch and of course is going to come meet with our chief of base. Youll be with the Security Team personally, that he will come and give little toxins a great job in what is going on. This is what the state department is doing. It is more of a meet and greet and say thanks guys for assisting us when you need us. Its also a chance for them to come see the facility. Host was less a Security Threat at that time . Guest benghazi itself was a lawless city. It was part of a country that had a government, but the only place it had any effective control was in aaa. Outside of the greater tripoli area, it didnt have any control whatsoever. When i first got there come you never even saw police cars around. Everything was controlled by the militia. Around. 15 days before 9 11 when the attack happened you started seeing police cars and even a policeman when they answer to the militias. They worked for the government but would answer to the militia. Like afghanistan and iraq. That day being 9 11 was more threatening, that is a better question, it it is a threatening environment every day you are there especially in areas that dont have a solid government. Is very dangerous. That is why we are there. How Many American security personnel such as yourselves, Diplomatic Security, there was g r s and some cia folks. Yes. We got diplomat security officer, six of them. And the Security Team. And it stands for . Global Response Data and there were six of us and the actual c i a staff personnel, 18, 19 of them. That is what we primarily 25. Is that a normal step for a diplomatic compound such as this . For the annex there is never a normal staff. It varies on the location and what help they need to support and things like that. The consulate now, i have been probably in my 30 years of being in the military and contract in, 15, 20 Different Countries and embassies i have been too, having five Diplomatic Security personnel only is not normal. A low number. Especially with no other security on their site. They had five libyan guards that were hired from february 17th martyrs brigade but that was it. They were guarding the tears. Not in my opinion. I worked state department contracts prior to c. I. A. Contracts and it was very low, very underand and especially with a highranking ambassador. It seemed odd to us. The cover of the book, it is called 13 hours the inside account of what really happened in benghazi. The numbers are up on the screen. If you would like to dial in and talk with mark geist, 202585389 zero, free 891 for those in the mountain and pacific time zones. What time did the incident occur, the invasion . There are several time lines. My time line when i looked at my watch, i said that to everybody i have been interviewed by and the subcommittee, 9 30, that is what had on my watch when we were called in the incident began and we found out about it. Sole proximate almost 25, 27 minutes after the initial call. We left. Were able to get about halfway there. We ere with it as you reinforce a lot of the position where we were going to drive. We had to dismount, get out of her vehicle and go on foot for two games to get to theo consulate. We took at least 45 minutes to an hour to arrive from initial call until he got on the consulate. By that time there was already a fire. Call and the ambassador was missing. Ady the buildings were filled with smoke. We were lucky were able to push them off and get although when we would get into and throughsmn the compound and get the people out we could. Get in it took almost an hour for us to reach the consulate after the initial call. Reach the consulate after the initial call. Why . Did you get the call right away . That is the 1 million question. We were told to stand down. We were delayed approximately 27 minutes of the compound we dont know house side of our chain of command where it came from. We know it came from the Standing Orders and those came from the base is in libya but anybody hired . We dont know. We would like to know but we have no idea. Host what about the libyans . About 630 in the morning about 546 00 after the mortars a militia that is actually part of the Libyan Government is what helped to escort us to the airport but that was almost 10 hours later but up until that time there was no real significant assistance. The murder brigade a few of their people had showed up that helped out on their own but there was not a substantial force from any libyan militia until about 6 00 in the morning. Host city went to the libyan businessman house and you drove her back where . To the annex while the attack was taking place at the consulate we came back on a different route. Host you did not take her back to the consulate . She was never there. Could you communicate . At that point to be a good listener that i understood the situation they were giving over the radio to make sure i had things ready because may do more than likely they would hit us so we had to be ready to major we had positions and in the meantime nobody but try to sneak up on the compound. Host how many people died . On our and we lost four. Those of ron and our team can those due to smoke inhalation at the consulate. It was tough. On there isnt we have reports anywhere between 20 and 40. There is a u. S. Military element in there but we were not keeping score that is not how works. Host when and how was in passenger stevens finally discovered . Guest we found out after the fact, the gentleman carrying him with a phone in his mouth was a neighborhood friend. Redgrave finally left the consulate and the smoke died down the locals could go in there between 12 and 130 in the morning they could get far back enough into the of the law because the fumes had died down they found his body in and pulled him now. He died of smoke inhalation the reports of drug industry and tortured is a corrupt incorrect. He died of smoke inhalation. Host he was locked into the secure area youre a military background . Indicated 12 years with the marine corps got out 1996 then i became a Police Officers six years three of those i was chief of police in a small town in eastern colorado then i started my own business of private investigations and bail bond then win the war kicked off i had to get back into the game. I read your with the Ranger Regiment and was with the 19th special forces group of a contractor nine years before they got me up and every country in the middle east have worked in and been deployed to. We have extensive experience there on the ground we are very lucky we did. That is what saved the lives. Host tactically what would you have done differently . Tactically personally we would have disobeyed orders earlier and left if i had control of the supporting elements or had the ability to contact them there would have been there sooner but our movements come of the shooting, is splitting up of teams, i think we did that correctly. I think that is why were able to save lives and fight off though large force. I do take responsibility. Is not leaving early enough or to save the ambassadors wife i take that personally. That is the biggest mistake it keeps me of that night. Host it was not our job to protect the ambassador serving in the area of operations that when they are there we feel we are responsible and the fact we cannot get over their quick enough was probably one of the biggest things the way i would guess it in the most recent report the chiefs base was trying to get the zero libyans to find out information to assess the Technical Information and. I will not depend on a libyan or a nationalist to do that i will depend on americans that are highly trained and retrieve the six of us we had over 100 years of experience. In the wars on around the world. Tyrone was the most deletes military force is with us deals he had retired and was an instructor at the ads and with his experience, if you have a guard dog will you let him do his job or hold him back . Host then there is a third gentleman off to the side who was also there in the book 30 hours. Lets take some calls from riverside california. Caller my question is i heard the ambassador had some inside information in it was possible he was targeted and the victims that were beheaded wanted the information is that anything about that and god bless our president. Faqs. I can speak for myself that i have not heard of any information that was similar to that. That would have brought the danger to him. Because of those sheer numbers is a possible . It is possible there were targeting for a kidnapping but no veto would have solid information and as far as the headings we do have information on those it has said it confirmed on our and so we really dont have a solid the answer because it has not been solidified. Caller when hillary was testifying in made the statement what difference does it make how does that make you feel . Eight agree. Whether it was in that context i have heard it is in the wrong context but the matter what context somebody at that level in politics it always makes a difference. If you dont find out the truth about what happens you can not evaluate what you did right or wrong. Eight garett three very much. Me as well. We had people dying. Our friends died. It is a huge difference when americans die on him and soil. Foreign soil and today it still makes me a angry to hear that. It makes us to hold on to tell the truth to put it out there. They you for saying that because i will dig give my heels to know that they know that it matters. Host San Francisco goahead. Caller fate you for your service. I have a comment i dont think it is fair to take the secretarys comment out of context i know that she did not mean what you are replying. She said these people were dead. And no matter what you could not bring them back. I have watched that testaverde and i did not get those negative aspects of her response that you imply that you heard. But my question is, i am sure you are aware of the hearings that isis has had of benghazi in the you have opinions of what has come out if it was useful . The hearings taking place are useful. We have to get as much information as possible to evaluate and determine what was right and wrong. The only way to do that is to kick that horse and tell is down. We have not reached that full complexity because neither betty on the ground has been talk to. We were there on the ground. We told the truth. We told the House Committee what happened. Whether they want to believe us or not is up to them but there is no other people on the ground but us in our stories have not changed or referred. If the subcommittee wants to say things that does not represent the book then have them on the show. We will just keep telling you what actually happened in the comments but you are in charge you are a leader you dont say that about military personnel when they die. Especially the way they died or when we did not have the support that we needed but i understand your position and is respected. Spinach the author of 13 hours in benghazi with the senate Security Team. Illinois please go ahead. Caller i want to say faq for your service many times people go into harms way. That makes a difference it is important. I would like your opinion if the States Department participated to close the embassy said in a proper way . He said he did not get out soon enough it sarah is like the best response was you didnt respond quickly enough to the situation on the ground a and we didnt get you out of there like we should have. What is your response . The thing that should have happened first and foremost, before 9 11 is ensure u. S. Facility rehab overseas has the access available to protect themselves because you always have that but also a Response Force to love those people to survive and not have to depend on themselves only this the best thing to do is make sure you have the strong president to put that bigger defense said you dont look like a victim or going down without a fight. Either defend your team to make sure they are properly defended or not. We were stuck in the middle you either show the force or the lead so you bring up the good point we will not fully secure our facilities overseas then we should not have been there. No argument. You are on the air. Caller what do you do when you were in the high style countries . Can you go out or interact with people . Our job is to understand the community and the environment that we were kids and so when we are not on a specific mission we do sayings to better equate ourselves for what is going on in that environment and we worked out a lot and play a lot of xbox. [laughter] were very lucky we are allowed to go off site whenever we want to. Yes we do mingle in town and go to coffeeshops we know citys better than the locals and there are good people in benghazi that we became friends with that just want to get back on their feet and one their country back somewhere hurts us more than most because we do have a relationship with these people and when we leave they will die because of their relationships with us. But we do read a lot we read a lot of books arrear over seas to know what is going on within the country and the history and to try to stay busy. Downtime is the worst. Host is there a libyan Security Team guarding the consulate that night . When the breakin occurred they fled . Yes. The murders brigade that group was hired by the state department to provide security at the consulate. Vocal forces. They saw one shot fired but then they were gone. They went into the villa was one shot fired . They are very, very good at planning. A and they walked into the compound and check and over without having to do much. Host is that Standard Operating Procedure to have nonamerican is guarding the compound . Gimmicks security is layered. Just like a Foreign Government or consulate or embassy it is the u. S. Personnel guarding that . Because the people that will come to that are locals from that country antiactors of the local security forces. So the reporter that needed to be developed was not there. And because we developed a good reporter into afghanistan or kurdistan it has not been developed but the size of the force was not lot of the 417. It was in position. Caller from the description of the numbers of personnel and with their rich doing from what this gentleman has been saying and other information i have received it sounds like this really was not a standard consulate that more of the cia operation and there was more activity relating to intelligence gathering and Counter Insurgency activities and what would normally be considered diplomatic activities. So if what i said was correct, is there a different evaluation and to be applied in terms of security or the way this situation should be approached . The second question, the man had a lot of courage and was a patriot, but i have to ask realistically commented the ambassador demonstrate good judgment in going to use the place under the circumstances that were prevailing . The cia and expand the Council Letter to completely separate entities independent of one another. Theyre operations may be coordinated to gather back in washington but we were completely independent of them and those of us. Event that is the case. I get what you are saying that it was used for cover but whether it was or not means is still needs security was intelligence gathering . Of course, we are cia that is what we do. We have to find a terrorist or al qaeda or any other organization. As far as the ambassador will he say it is his fault . No way. Could use better judgment . If it was me i would have so i will not say i agree with you that maybe he made a bad judgment call there was the ambassador and he felt comfortable but working in the state department before in having almost 80 guys as your ambassador i thought he was under protective but he is the ambassador and will do what he wants to do. The fiber not have made the same decision if i was him. We all had to resign. Imus the job immensely. Host why did you have to resign . It is a part of it. Our names were out there. The book has nothing classified in it but because our word names are out there and our call signs with the affiliation rate cannot do it anymore. Host what you doing these gay is . Spending time with my kids and my wife. I am a bookseller. We with love it if you cannot to buy the book. Host a couple minutes left. Caller i just want to say thank you for your service and for coming forward with your story. This is truly amazing science sorry for the loss of your team members it is shameful he did not have the with that said, i just wanted to know what kind of response overall you guys are getting from people now that the book is out. Also, if and when you come to columbia so you can find my copy. Host south carolina. Guest you know, first off, thank you for your support. The support of the people out there when we are meeting the people is what makes this all worthwhile. You know, it is wonderful to see and hear what people have to say. It is refreshing to see the love people have for this country would be true to them. In south carolina, i know if it was directly up to us, we would hit every state and every major town. I am a smalltown guy, so that you hit every small town. We are going to try and get out that way. Follow us on facebook or twitter and we will make you know when we get in that direction. Host how do they follow you . Personal names . Guest personal names. There is nothing to hide with this. You can call the publisher and tell anyone is in the city. They are the ones that train on this. Appreciate your phone call. Thank you very much. Host ramona and inferred, florida. Beware the last call. Caller yes, there was just not enough security they are in the first place. In the second place, the report just came out yesterday about republicanled interviews. There is no stand down order. There was no obama cover up. See you guys are out there trying to push a vote to get your money because you have no job no more and trying to blame it on the Obama Administration and i think that is wrong. You should tell the truth. Exactly the truth. Host thank you, maam. Guest man, during the house until subcommittee, i looked at mike rogers in the eye and i said if we wouldve not been delayed, which we were delayed three times, that we would have saved the ambassadors life. I will go on record again with whoever wants to talk to me a news media organizations and say that again, which i said multiple times. Why he came out with the force he did, i dont know what to say. Youll have to ask him. What we said in the book is what happened on the ground and that is the truth. As far as bookselling, i do have my own business on the side. I dont need the bookselling business. We didnt do this to sell the book. We did it for the truth. We also deployed a year after that, waiting for the adni