Rice on Benghazi: Blame the intelligence community

Foreigh Policy ^ | October 5, 2012 | Josh Rogin

[yoe]

U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice told Republican senators that her televised statements last month on the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi were based entirely on information she was given by the intelligence community.

"In my Sept. 16 Sunday show appearances, I was asked to provide the administration's latest understanding of what happened in Benghazi," Rice wrote in a Thursday letter to Sens. John McCain (R-AZ), Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC). "In answering, I relied solely and squarely on the information the intelligence community provided to me and other senior U.S. officials, including through the daily intelligence briefings that present the latest reporting and analysis to policy makers. This information represented the intelligence community's best, current assessment as of the date of my television appearances, and I went out of my way to ensure it was consistent with the information that was being given to Congress."

[snip] "Ambassador Rice claims the administration launched a 'comprehensive' effort to determine what happened in Benghazi, but the administration failed to secure the scene of the terrorist attack for three weeks -- allowing evidence and sensitive information to be compromised and destroyed. From beginning to end, the administration's behavior in the wake of the attack indicates a breathtaking level of incompetence and suggests an intent to deliberately mislead Congress and the American people."

[Sioux-san]

I would love to do a citizen’s arrest.

[thirst4truth]

Received a letter back from my Senator, who happens to be a democrat and serves on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, want to see it?

Dear Mrs. Woodward:

Thank you for contacting me about the recent attacks against U.S. embassies abroad. I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter.

Like you, I am saddened and angered by the recent attacks against U.S. embassies abroad. On September 11, 2012, Christopher Stevens, a dedicated, lifelong civil-servant who was serving as our country’s ambassador to Libya, was killed in a reprehensible and senseless attack on our embassy in Benghazi. Sadly, an Oregonian was also among the four Americans killed in the attack in Libya. Tyrone Snowden Woods, 41, was a Portland native and Oregon City High School graduate who was working on a private security detail for the U.S. State Department.

As you may know, in response to these attacks Senator Rand Paul demanded a vote on his bill that would have immediately cut off all assistance to Libya, Egypt, Pakistan, and any country that has had protests at our diplomatic posts, including countries who are steadfast allies, like Israel and India. The bill would have also set an impossible bar for reinstating aid — requiring the U.S. to have in U.S. custody anyone associated with demonstrations, even if they are peaceful. Instead of punishing the terrorists who murdered our Ambassador and State Department employees, Senator Paul’s bill would instead weaken emerging democracies and play into the hands of extremists who are trying to drive a wedge between their countries and the United States.

This is why 80 of my Senate colleagues and I voted against this dangerous proposal. Everything must be done to swiftly bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice. However, I don’t believe that the violent actions of a few should blind the United States to continuing and strengthening key strategic partnerships in critical regions throughout the world. Please know that as a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, I intend to scrutinize every dollar of foreign aid carefully to ensure that it is targeted appropriately and spent effectively.

While we may disagree on this issue, I trust there are many other issues upon which we do agree. Again, thank you for keeping me apprised of your concerns.

Sincerely, Ron Wyden

United States Senator