Highly sensitive U.S. military equipment stored in Libya was stolen over the summer by groups likely aligned and working with terrorist organizations, State Department sources told Fox News -- in raids that contributed to the decision to pull Special Forces personnel from the country. The stolen equipment had been used by U.S. Special Forces stationed in the country. Lost in the raids in late July and early August were dozens of M4 rifles, night-vision technology and lasers used as aiming devices that are mounted on guns and can only be seen with night-vision equipment.
"This stuff is how we win wars. The enemy doesn't have that," one source said.
The overnight raids happened at a military training camp run by American Special Forces on the outskirts of Tripoli, in the weeks before the team was pulled from the country in August.
That U.S. team was funded by the Department of Defense Section 1208, which provides support to assist and stand up foreign counterterrorism forces in other countries. And in the case of Libya, the trainers were also tasked with hunting down the Benghazi attack suspects that killed four Americans one year ago. As Fox News previously reported, members of that team are leaving Libya.
((((want to bet that Section 1208 likely has special forces on the ground in syria too...alexis---hmmm, but that would mean 'boots on the ground!'))))
"The loss of this military equipment is what pulled the plug on the U.S. operation," one source with direct knowledge of the events told Fox News. "No one at the State Department wanted to deal with the situation if any more went wrong, so State pulled its support for the training program and then began to try and get the team moved out of the country."
The 12-member American team was not at the training camp when either raid occurred, as they regularly stayed at a nearby villa that served as a safehouse at night.
Located just outside of Tripoli, the camp was supposed to be secured each night by Libyan forces. But on two occasions, the camp was attacked and raided by either militia members or groups affiliated with terrorist organizations.
The training and the stolen equipment was provided by American forces and thus paid for by U.S. taxpayer dollars.
The raids and stolen equipment quickly caused a rift among U.S. Special Forces, Libyan military leaders and ultimately the U.S. State Department.
"They didn't want anything to go wrong and they didn't want to take the blame. Sensitive items were taken," one source said. "Bad guys can now shoot people at night with no signature."
http://www.foxnews.com/us-military-weapons-equipment-stolen
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