A special operations team, geared up and about to offer assistance to the Americans trapped at the besieged foreign mission in Benghazi, Libya, was ordered to “hold in place,” a witness testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Thursday.

Adm. Mike Mullen, a member of the Benghazi Accountability Review Board, testified that although technically no “stand down” order was sent to the special forces team, the unit was nonetheless ordered to “hold in place,” according to Breitbart News.

Breitbart reported:

Testifying before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Admiral Mike Mullen said that the direction given to Special Operations Command Africa commander Lt. Col Gibson was to “hold in place” on the night of the attacks. Gibson is the boss of Gregory Hicks, the former deputy chief of mission in Libya who had testified that a “stand down” order was given to Special Forces who wanted to help Americans who were under assault in Libya.

Whether there was a stand down order has been part of an ongoing debate between administration officials and those who were in Libya during the attack. Those on the ground have vehemently insisted that a stand down order was issued. The administration has steadfastly denied it.

Let’s put an end to the semantics. Whether it was a “stand down” order or a “hold in place” order is of little consequence. It’s a distinction without a difference.

The result was the same. Americans who had every right to expect aid from their government were denied it, and four brave souls are dead. Still a “phony scandal?”