10 Facts About the Embassy Crisis

There has been a wide degree of speculation and sensationalism directed at the Embassy crisis.  So let me be the first to provide you with 10 facts we know already.

1. The Benghazi compound was not equipped to host and protect the large contingent of 37 people it received.  The captain of the police force stated he was prepared for 10 and repeatedly asked for more men and more vehicles to assist in providing security.  Those requests were either denied or delayed by Libyan officials.
2. We have no confirmation the Ambassador was raped.  There has been a wide degree of speculation and innuendo (translation: lies) by a variety of people for whatever reason that he was raped.  Mind you, no one who has people (who can be verified) on the ground can verify these claims.
3. The attack was planned.  Let's face it folks no one brings an RPG and moltov cocktails to a peaceful protest unless they're not there to protest.
4. There have been arrests.  Could this be a Libyan attempt to mitigate other pesky threats or the result of a legitimate and thorough investigation by the Libyan government?  Here's what we do know: Libyan internal security before the war was pretty invasive by Middle East standards and the revolutionaries had many defectors from that regime come over to them.  Is it possible the Libyans have the intelligence network necessary to ferret these individuals out?  Given what we know of the previous regime, it is possible.
5. Not everyone there attacked the Embassy.  Many protesters claim to have been caught completely off-guard by the attackers.  Many went back home to get their own rifles for their protection and to assist local authorities.
6. Many casualties were local national police who were woefully unprepared for this threat.
7. The film was used as a backdrop for the protests.  If you're planning a terror op, you couldn't have asked for a better situation to work with - massive protests, a public thirsty for action, non-participatory governments who would be unprepared for an attack, and the anniversary of your last great attack on your adversary. 
8. The infamous "apology" was issued by a public relations person who rushed a statement to attempt to mitigate the damage done by this film.  We also know the President knew nothing of the Ambassador's death until Wednesday and neither did anyone else. To claim there was an "apology" for the film by US authorities is speculative at best.
9. The situation is still dynamic though less so than it was 24 hours ago.
10. We have ZERO official confirmation the Marines were told to be unarmed at ANY embassy.  If you know US Marine commanding officers and the USMC's history in the Middle East (Lebanon), you know how laughable asking the Marines to go unarmed is.  That has NEVER been a Marine RoE and any speculation or rumor that this was the case is more than likely false. Wired now reports this is categorically false. As if you had any doubt.