WASHINGTON (AP) — From Tripoli to Washington, military leaders struggled to learn what was happening in Libya and find a way to help when a diplomatic post and CIA compound in Benghazi came under attack the night of Sept. 11, 2012, and the next morning.

Spotty communications and a lack of nearby troops or planes at the ready frustrated their efforts. There were 10 uniformed service members in Libya when the call for help came, according to testimony to congressional investigators. They were based at the capital, Tripoli, some 600 miles from the nearly lawless port city of Benghazi, which had fallen under the control of militias since the overthrow of Moammar Gadhafi.