Senators Call for Investigation into Libya Attacks
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) called for Congress to investigate last week’s attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. This comes after a dispute about whether the acts that killed four Americans were premeditated.
Roll Call‘s Niels Lesniewksi reports:
“The Obama Administration’s insistence that the attack on our consulate in Benghazi, Libya resulted from a riot inspired by a film, rather than a planned and coordinated attack, defies common sense, ” Graham said in a statement. “It is imperative that Congress conduct an investigation into this matter, as the two scenarios are vastly different in terms of scope and depth.”
U.S. officials have given conflicting statements on whether the attacks were a planned terrorist attack or the result of militants taking advantage of the chaos of a protest mob outside the consulate.
In addition to Graham, other Members of Congress have called for more information about the attack in Libya:
Sens. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Dan Coats (R-Ind.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) wrote to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton questioning the effectiveness of host-country security at the perimeter of embassies and consulates.
“While we laud reports that many Libyan security staff bravely fought to protect U.S. personnel in Benghazi, the incident raises the broader question of the adequacy of indigenous security forces in providing perimeter security, particularly in conflict and transitional countries,” they wrote.
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and ranking member Susan Collins (R-Maine) sought a security audit from the State Department’s inspector general.
Aides to President Barack Obama told reporters traveling with the president to Ohio that he continued to follow the developments in the Middle East, even as he made campaign trips.
Read more on RollCall.com
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