Military Breaks Silence After Bombshell Benghazi Allegations

The United States military has released a statement amid allegations two Delta Force operators lied about their roles in the Benghazi attack.

The September 11-12, 2012 attack in Libya resulted in the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

There has long been controversy around what happened in Benghazi, and it turned into a disaster for President Barack Obama and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Now, it's back in the news after a very popular podcast - the "Antihero Podcast" - hinted on an episode that the two Delta Force operators on the ground might have a different version of events than what was depicted in the movie "13 Hours," which tells the story of the attack. Host Brent Tucker is a former member of The Unit.

The two operators were awarded the military's second-highest award, and neither has ever publicly spoken out about the attack. It's previously been reported that one operator may have been involved with going to the hospital where Stevens was believed to be being held, and both have been credited with saving many lives.

Military responds to Benghazi attack allegations.

Things exploded online when John Tiegen, a member of the security team that fought the terrorist attack, alleged that the two operators' citations were lies and fabricated.

Tiegen also claimed he would attempt to block any potential upgrades to the Medal of Honor. He previously claimed the two Delta Force operators "didn’t do Jack f*cking sh*t that night."

His claim was seemingly backed up by Sarah Adams, a former CIA employee who wrote a book about Benghazi.

In response to a video discussing what lies were told involving Delta Force, Tiegen didn't directly address concerns but instead attempted to dox me. Previous attempts to interview him were unsuccessful. Below is a brief summary of the situation

The claims of fabricating war medals are incredibly serious. Accusing two men of having awards they didn't earn and having fabricated citations is about as serious as it gets in the military world. The process to earn the Distinguished Service Cross and Navy Cross - medals below only the Medal of Honor - requires serious vetting.

I reached out to the U.S. Special Operations Command to get a reaction to allegations the awards are based on lies and fabrications. The command didn't mince words.

"We stand by the well established and rigorous process to ensure decorations of that level are fully vetted in earnest ahead of awarding. Any allegations contrary are taken seriously," a Special Operations Command spokesperson told me exclusively.

When I asked if that meant the command stands by awarding the operators the DSC And Navy Cross, the answer only needed to be a few words to get the point across.

"Yes - we stand by them," the command further added.

Controversy has erupted over the Benghazi attack more than 12 years later. Two Delta Force operators are accused of earning awards based on lies and fabrications, but the military stands by the awards. (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Benghazi attack back in the news after more than 12 years.

This situation isn't the first time members of the security team have been embroiled in controversy over the role the two Delta Force operators played.

Kris Paronto said in his Shawn Ryan interview that he had no idea what they were doing during the attack, and said in a 2021 interview Delta didn't save people at the compound, despite claims suggesting otherwise.

At the same time, former Delta Force operator Dave Nielsen told me in a 2024 interview that the men were critical to the operation.

While there's no question the security team did its job and fought the terrorists, the film "13 Hours" has also faced criticism in the past for its depiction of the events. For the record, I enjoyed the film from Michael Bay and I'm fairly certain I have a copy somewhere. However, others have had issues with it and questioned its accuracy and authenticity.

"If one is looking for facts on Benghazi, those reviews contain them. No one will mistake this movie for a documentary. It’s a distortion of the events and people who served in Benghazi that night. It’s shameful that, in order to highlight the heroism of some, those responsible for the movie felt the need to denigrate the courage of other Americans who served in harm’s way," A CIA spokesman said in a statement released at the time of the movie coming out.

The former CIA station chief, who is depicted as a huge coward in the film, disputed he ever issued a stand down order as depicted in the movie.

"There never was a stand-down order. At no time did I ever second-guess that the team would depart," the CIA station chief in Benghazi told the Washington Post going by just the name Bob.

Members of the security team have long maintained a stand down order was issued. An investigation by a Republican-controlled House Intelligence Committee determined there was no stand down order ever issued and the military acted properly with its response efforts.

The situation remains fluid, and we'll be sure to update readers with new information as it comes in. Let me know what you think at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.