The True Story Of 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi

In 2016, Michael Bay directed the biographical action film 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, which tells the true story of a terrorist attack on the US Ambassador to Libya and the six soldiers who fought back against the militants. The film stars John Krasinski, James Badge Dale, Max Martini, Dominic Fumusa, and Pablo Schreiber. Overall, 13 Hours made $69.4 million at the box office. Though reviews were mixed, 13 Hours was praised for its fact-based depiction of real-life events and earned compliments for avoiding the romanticization of war and instead portraying it as realistically dark and difficult.

The Michael Bay movie follows US Navy SEAL Jack Silva as he arrives in Benghazi, Libya. He joins the Global Response Staff, a group of soldiers working at a CIA base called the Annex. The GRS team scouts the Special Mission where US Ambassador Chris Stevens will stay. They warn the buildings' guards that the threat of attack is high. On the eleventh anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the Special Mission is attacked by members of the Ansar al-Sharia, and Silva and his team must protect the ambassador and the Annex.

The Benghazi Attack In 2012 Explained

A Coordinated Attack Was Carried Out On The American Diplomatic Compound

Though 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is a fictionalized account, the 2012 attack on two United States facilities in Libya did actually happen. On the night of September 11, 2012, members of the Libyan terrorist group Ansar al-Sharia launched an attack on an American diplomatic compound where the US Ambassador J. Chris Stevens was residing.

Early the next morning, the group then went on to complete a mortar attack against a CIA annex that lay about a mile away from the first site of the attack. At first, the attack was thought to be spontaneous, inspired by a recent protest, but further investigations found that it was premeditated.​​ The Benghazi attack was carried out by Ansar al-Sharia, an Islamic terrorist group based in Libya. There was no evidence that al-Qaeda or other terrorist groups were involved in the attack.

Furthermore, despite the accusations, the Obama administration was proven to have made no mistakes or done anything wrong to incite or worsen the attack. Two suspects have been captured in the years since. Ahmed Abu Kattala is the leader of Ansar al-Sharia and was captured in 2014, while Mustafa al-Imam, another suspect in the case, was captured in 2017. The Libyan government condemned the 2012 Benghazi attack, and a protest of 30,000 Libyans rallied against Ansar al-Sharia.

Who Was Killed During The 2012 Benghazi Attack

Four American Citizens Were Killed

There were four American citizens killed during the 2012 Benghazi attack. During the first phase of the attack, when the terrorists stormed the American diplomatic compound, two Americans were killed: US Ambassador J. Chris Stevens and Information Officer Sean Smith. Stevens served as the US Ambassador to Libya from May 2012 until his death in September 2012. He was the first US Ambassador to be killed in an attack in over 30 years, with the last being Adolph Dubs in 1979.

Meanwhile, Smith had orders to protect Stevens and was posthumously awarded the U.S. Department of State's Thomas Jefferson Star for Foreign Service. The other two Americans killed in the 2012 Benghazi attack were CIA operatives and former Navy SEALs, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. The men were killed during the final half of the Ansar al-Sharia attack when the terrorists began ambushing the CIA annex.

Woods served in the US Navy for 21 years before becoming a CIA operative. In 2005, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V" for valor. Doherty served in the US Navy for ten years before joining a security company wherein he played a pivotal role in saving Americans like PFC Jessica Lynch and Captain Richard Phillips.

What Happened To The Real GRS Team During The Benghazi Attack

The Team Fought To Protect Their CIA Annex

Jack Silva

Firstly, John Krasinski's role in 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi was Jack Silva. Though Silva is a real person who did protect the CIA annex during the 2012 Benghazi attack, the name John Silva is an alias. Unlike the other members of the GRS team, "Silva" wanted to keep his identity private. In turn, he declined any publicity for the 13 Hours. Despite this, Krasinski met with "Silva" while making the film to ensure his story was told properly. Though not much is known about "Silva," it can be assumed that he is still alive today.

Tyrone Woods

James Badge Dale portrayed Tyrone Woods in 13 Hours. Both the fictional Woods and the real Woods were killed during the 2012 Benghazi attack. At the time of the event, Woods was a part of the GRS team that attempted to rescue US Ambassador J. Chris Stevens when the militants ambushed the diplomatic site. Later, Woods also helped protect the CIA annex from attack. Ultimately, while standing on the roof of the building, Woods' position was struck by a mortar round, and he was fatally wounded.

Mark "Oz" Geist

Mark Geist, also known as Oz, was another member of the GRS team during the 2012 Benghazi attacks. He attempted to protect US Ambassador J. Chris Stevens and, early the next morning, stood against the Ansar al-Sharia at the CIA annex. Geist survived the attack but did sustain some injuries, such as broken bones due to shrapnel. Max Martini played Geist in 13 Hours.

John "Tig" Tiegen

John Tiegen, or Tig, served with the GRS team at the time of the 2012 Benghazi attacks. Tiegen accompanied the GRS team to the diplomatic site where US Ambassador J. Chris Stevens was facing an attack and aided in protecting the CIA annex later the next day. Tiegen was formerly a US Marine. Dominic Fumusa portrays him in the film.

Kris "Tanto" Paronto

Kris Paronto, otherwise known as Tanto, was the fifth member of the CIA's GRS team. Like his colleagues, he assisted in trying to rescue US Ambassador J. Chris Stevens and protecting the CIA from the 2012 Benghazi attack. After the attack, Paronto served in Yemen for about a year before leaving the CIA. Soon after, Paronto became an author and public speaker. Pablo Schrieber played Paronto in 13 Hours.

Dave "Boon" Benton

The final member of the GRS team during the 2012 Benghazi attack was Dave "Boon" Benton. He was a part of the rescue attempt to save US Ambassador J. Chris Stevens and additionally helped guard the CIA annex against the Ansar al-Sharia militants. Benton is a former US Marine Scout Sniper. David Denman played Boon.

What Happened In Libya After The Benghazi Attacks

The Incident Strengthened The Bond Between Libya & The United States

After Ansar al-Sharia attacked US Ambassador J. Chris Stevens and the CIA annex in Libya, Libyan officials outwardly condemned the terrorist organization and apologized for what occurred. Libyan Prime Minister Mustafa Abushagur put out a statement reading, "we reject and strongly condemn the use of force to terrorize innocent people and the killing of innocent people." Furthermore, several demonstrations were held in Benghazi and Tripoli the day after the attack.

Libyans showed their support for the United States and US Ambassador Chris Stevens, both in person and on social media. Ultimately, Libya's response to the Benghazi attacks brought the two countries closer together. While the countries already had a strong relationship, as evidenced by US Ambassador Chris Stevens entering the country despite the dangers, this event strengthened the bond even further.

When Libya supported the United States after the attack, the United States reciprocated this support, maintaining a good relationship with the country. Ultimately, Libya also helped investigate the incident and concluded that the attack had been premeditated.

Why The US's Response To The Benghazi Attacks Was So Controversial

People Accused The Obama Administration Of Making Things Worse

While the 2012 Benghazi attack was a distressing and tragic event, the aftermath was no better, as the US government began to criticize the Obama administration for its handling of the attack. Many members of the government claimed the Obama administration misled the country by not confirming why the attack happened. There was also criticism that Libyan officials told the US government there would be greater security risks for Americans, yet the US did not leave. The Benghazi attack had a long-lasting impact on the United States, which explains why 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi was made.

Did The Changes The Film Make Hurt Or Help The Movie?

13 Days Promoted Some Dangerous Conspiracy Theories

Some have complained that the movie's depiction of the incident was inaccurate. The biggest and most controversial addition to the movie was when the CIA chief in Benghazi told his military contractors to stand down when they asked permission to defend the embassy. However, the real-life CIA chief said this stand-down order never happened (via Vox). These changes hurt the movie because they promoted some conspiracy theories that arose but were eventually proven false.

13 Days: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is a Michael Bay action movie about men being heroic, and it has little to do with anything real that happened outside the actual attacks and the actions of the men who fought to protect the building. It took a lot of liberties with the government's handling of the situation because Bay decided to make a U.S. official a villain, and the heroes needed to overcome his incompetence to save the day. It makes for a better movie but won't stand the test of time, thanks to its inaccuracies.