On Benghazi, GOP remains suspicious of Hillary Clinton

By: American Decency Staff

t's common for Republicans to say there are "unanswered questions" about the September 11, 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. In some cases, though, it might be more accurate to say that questions have been answered, but Republicans don't believe the answers.

A prime example concerns then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's knowledge about the lax security surrounding U.S. diplomats in Libya. There's no doubt the situation was terrible; the Obama administration was woefully unprepared for trouble in the months leading up to the violence.

One key piece of evidence is an August 16, 2012 cable, sent from Ambassador Chris Stevens to Clinton's office just 26 days before the attack, raising red flag after red flag about the dangerous lack of security in Benghazi.

U.S. security officers had held an "emergency" meeting the day before, August 15, noting that violence in the area was on the rise and concluding that the American contingent could not defend the post "in the event of a coordinated attack, due to limited manpower, security measures, weapons capabilities, host nation support, and the overall size of the compound."

Washington did nothing. A Senate Intelligence Committee report released in January found "no evidence that significant actions were taken by the State Department between August 15, 2012, and September 11, 2012, to increase security at the mission facility."

As Republicans see it, the Secretary of State was in charge. Responsibility for the failure to secure Benghazi lies with Clinton.

The State Department's internal investigation was conducted by an Accountability Review Board whose members were appointed by Clinton. They seemed determined to build a firewall around the Secretary of State.

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