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It does make a difference. But I think she handled herself extremely well. Look, there are three questions. Why was security not provided, despite the pleas? Why was help not sent to these guys over seven hours of attacks? And who's responsible for the massive cover-up and fake stories about this video, anti-Muslim video? And she said, to the third, I had nothing to do with the walking points. I have nothing to do with the military. I take responsibility for the lack of security. However, all these memos and cables that came, they all didn't come into my office personally, but I take responsibility. I think she handled it well. And the issue, I think, is pretty much gone now. And the Republicans did not succeed in what they were trying to do.
-Pat Buchanan |
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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took responsibility at two congressional hearings on what happened at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya four and a half months ago, on September 11th. Four Americans were killed in the attack, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens. Secretary Clinton became emotional as she described the scene at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C., describing how she quote, Stood next to President Obama as the Marines carried those flag-draped caskets off the plane at Andrews. I put my arms around the mothers and fathers, the sisters and brothers, the sons and daughters, and the wives left alone to raise their children. Unquote. In Libya, before the attack, Ambassador Stevens cabled the State Department, asking for more security. At the hearing, the secretary was asked about how this request and others like them from the U.S. embassy in Libya were handled. Sec. Clinton responded, quote, The specific security requests pertaining to Benghazi, you know, were handled by the security professionals in the department. I didn't see those requests. They didn't come to me. I didn't approve them. I didn't deny them. Unquote. Hearing this, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said this to the secretary, quote, Had I been president at the time and I found that you did not read the cables from Benghazi, you did not read the cables from Ambassador Stevens, I would have relieved you of your post. I think it's inexcusable. Unquote. Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) charged the administration with falsifying details of the assault, quote, We were misled that there were supposedly protests and then something sprang out of that; an assault sprang out of that. And that was easily ascertained that that was not the fact. And the American people could have known that within days, and they didn't know that. Unquote, to which Sec. Clinton responded, quote, With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided they'd go kill some Americans? What difference at this point does it make? It is our job to figure out what happened and do everything we can to prevent it from ever happening again, Senator. Unquote. |