Why Libya matters

With so much attention on what was said after Sept. 11, we need to remember what happened before that day makes the difference.
Frankly, however, while “what did the administration know and when did it know it” is an important question to ask, it pales in comparison to the underlying failure that led to the attack. Put simply, the security withdrawal and attempted “normalization” of consulate operations in Benghazi was more than a mistake — it betrayed the administration’s fundamental misunderstanding of the Middle East. It still views the Middle East through ideologically influenced rose-colored glasses, and such a view is not only costing lives; it is costing the United States its strategic influence.