U.S. embassy sought extension of security team

WASHINGTON — A State Department memo says the U.S. embassy in Tripoli, Libya, requested that a “security support team” stay in the country for four months beyond the end of its scheduled deployment in August.

The memo is one of the documents a House committee is looking at, as it tries to determine why more security was not provided to the diplomatic facilities in Benghazi. U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed in attacks on Sept. 11.

While the request specifically asked for the protection in Tripoli, much of the request also applied to conditions in Benghazi.

The memo says the team’s 16 special operations members were needed as a security escort, protection of U.S. facilities, trainers for local forces and as a quick response force.