Transcripts For CSPAN2 Capitol Hill Hearings 20130924 : vima

CSPAN2 Capitol Hill Hearings September 24, 2013

Friend from virginia. Assistant secretary who was responsible for making the decisions as security level in benghazi testified here and i know because it was my question specifically did budget consideration play any role. She said no. Just for the record, she, by saying no, and making sure that it was a matter of policy and not budget, was shes been one of the ones relieved of her position. I wonder why she got relieved of her position after she was able to testify Something Like that before congress. Mr. Ambassador, we need to know a number of things. I want to go through some questions. Was there an autopsy conducted on ambassador stevens body . Yes. It was conducted be by the u. S. Military at Dover Air Force base. Right. There are homicides committed again american citizens on are those autopsy permitted to be made public, for example, congressional investigations . I would have to the up was turned over to the by which was the investigating agency. I was informed he died of smoke inhalation. Im not asking what he died of. Right now. There is an autopsy, is that being kept from congressional investigators . Ly take that question back to the fbi, sir. All right. When you talk about military unit not being dispatched. There was no stand down order and they werent sent because it wasnt enough time. Let me put you on the put myself on the record on this point, that is no one knew how long this attack was going to go on. How long would the attack last . Anybody who didnt dispatch troops or dispatch aid or assistance of some kind to our ambassador who was under attack had no idea whether it was a onehour battle, twoday battle. If were not dispatching help thats a dereliction of some kind of responsibility. You say our military team was not ordered to stand down. There were other American Government plosion perhaps the cia in benghazi that the time . Could have gone our ambassadors assistance . Were they ordered to stand down . The there was a team from the annex that did go to the temporary Mission Facility and did relieve the pressure on that facility. Those yeah. Those and apparently those two navy seals that got there were ordered not go; is that correct . S or in, no , sir im not aware of that at all. A quick not aware doesnt mean no. No , sir, i mean, no. A Quick Reaction team went from the annex to the temporary Mission Facility main building. Then all of them then the annex was reinforced by the state department. There was no stand down alert even to cia personnel who were there . Okay. Now who made the choice to create this fictitious narrative it was a demonstration that got out of hand and not a terrorist attack . We know from the first minute of the attack we have been told they knew it was a terrorist attack. Yet for a full week we had toplevel people in the administration claim it was who created that narrative . I dont know if i can answer the question who created it. I can tell you, sir that the narrative about the what did cause an take on the American Embassy in cairo. You cant answer the question. Were going have to go mr. From rhode island. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Thank you for being here. And ive had the opportunity to as others to listen to the testimony of ambassador pickering and chairman mullen to review the report and the recommendations and to hear testimony 29 recommendations that involved 64 different tasks which seem to me very comprehensive. I agree with your teament service a hardhitting report and respect the work that was done and the thoroughness of the report. As those are being implemented and the tasks completed. Is there anything the congress can do to facility the implementation of the recommendation. Or is any obstacles presently in the way that we should respond to to be sure that the work you are doing with the department of is doing to implement those continue appropriately . I think the most important thing is the past the president s budget request for Embassy Construction and security that is in the fy14 budget request. That will give us the resources to continue implementing the representation. Including the necessary new construction and the upgrade we need protect our people. Theres second and is we have the authority only in certain locations around the world do what is called best value contracting for guards. We now enforce in many locations to take the lowest bidder. Having that in an authorization bill that i know that this committee is working on would be very, very helpful for the department in getting the best kind of local Security Forces possible. Every time we have a hearing on this issue, we have to begin remembering the brave american heroes whose lives were lost. I think our solemn obligations to do everything question to prevent the tragedy from ever occurring again and protecting individuals who are representing our country all over the world. And follow up on my friend from virginias point. The panel in this report has found, i quote, a more serious and sustained commitment from congress and call for a more serious and sustained commitment from congress to support state Department Needs which in total institute a small percentage both at the National Budget and the National Security. One over a conclusion reported that Congress Must do its part to meet the challenge and provide necessary resources to the state department to address security risks and meet mission impartive. As aside in fiscal year 2007, the budget passed be our leadership on the house side provided 320 million less than proposed by the senate. And fiscal year 2012, the year of the attack, the House Republicans propose almost 200 billion less for state Department Security than the senate. So . Notion that resourcing is important in keeping our diplomatic corp. Safe something identified in the report; correct . That is correct, sir. And finally, would you address for a moment, you know, the department is obviously operating in highrisk, high threat locations all orlando the world. Including places with a lack clearly defined and capable support. It raises security risks for our diplomatic core and Development Expert but imposes particular strain on the existing resources. And should we as a congress begin to think differently working with the executive way we plan and appropriately manage these requirements sort of in the changing landscape of the really highrisk, high threat locations with now serve all around the sphwhorld i think this is an effort that has to be undertaken by jointly by the outlined in the longer statement has made change how we look at high threat, highrisk posts. Ic the two things needed there as pointed out. We need to continue to work with hose nations to help increase their capability through additional training of their Security Force and Capital Cities or other places. We need additional appropriations and the bill that passed out of the appropriation subcommittee and the bill does exactly that. If we can construct facility of the and in the attack that took place right after 9 11. The buildings held off the attackers and our people were remain safe. Its important that we hold the terrorist response with the activity in can the state Department Personnel leaved of their duty. Congress has a responsibility to fulfill our obligations in ensuring that the resources are available to keep it. I yield back, mr. Chairman. We go to mr. Steve shall shab bot of ohio. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I want to get some questions. I want to address something that thrubled me for some time. Im speck speaking about the hoops the committee had to jump through to get the fact of surrounding the murder of our four finest. State department is clayed and delayed coming forth with information on the matter. When we were finally presented with relevant data a couple of months ago it amounted to what many call a document dump. Thousand of pages of paper and disarape. And no particular oared in term of crinology. Making it difficult to locate documents that were helpful. I brought it up with secretary clinton. She wasnt particularly responsive. Youre welcome to weigh in, if you would like that. Stindz as i understand it, sir, the state department was asked for every document it possessed which was relevant to benghazi. When we received the request we try to give out everything for fear to be blunt, accused of holding something back. It generates when you have worldwide security efforts. It generates many, many documents. It was a total mess and not particularly helpful. Let me go on. I have limited time. On august 23rd the state department sent a letter which stated they were, quote, the only people responsible for the lethal attack on our special Mission Compound were the terrorists who organize straited the attack. They must be brought to justice and the government remains committed to doing that, unquote. Now no one will argue who was directly it to blame for the attack resulting in the death in the american. As the arb and numerous congressional hearings have revealed there are other people who need to be held accountable for the fact the terrorist attacks succeeded. By the language of the later, the state department want us to believe that the departments bureaucracy could have done nothing more to protect our diplomats . That was not the finding of the arb. And the actions referenced in the august 23rd letter, sir. We are confirming the finding of the recommendations for of the arb. Four individuals were held accountable. They were relieved of their position. Okay. When former secretary of state, clinton, testified in january, she stated repeatedly and took responsibility for the attacks. In fact, she stated, again, ill quote, as i have said multiple times i take responsibility and nobody is more committed to getting this right. Unquote. Do you believe secretary clinton has been held truly accountable for failure under her watch . I think what the arb did was take from the original intent of the congress which established. The congress in the legislative thats not what i asked. If secretary clinton has been truly held accountable. Yes or no . She said she was responsible, im not going challenge her statement. But where is the accountability though . . There is in every organization and Cabinet Department and agency, in effect, a line of authority. There are people who set the policy and there are those who then implement this policy or go back up to see leadership and say the policy cannot be im sorry. Let me move on. They described four of the state Department Employees as having, quote, failed in the perform of theyre duties. Unquote. With respect to benghazi. Now let me get this straight. I know, its been covered before. I think its very important. The only disciplinary action knead out to the four who failed and the perform of their couths was being put on administrative leave for awhile. And reassigned to other positions within the state department. Now there are benefit of federal employees continued during that time, of course, they are going to be subject to obamacare. Arguably that force. And they havent missed a paycheck. Is that about right . It seems like pitiful discipline to me. Sir, i believe that being an assistant secretary of any Cabinet Office or being a Deputy Assistant secretary of any Cabinet Office is a senior position of grave and great responsibility. To be leaved of your position in that regard, i believe, is a serious ability of accountability. Let me conclude i think that failing to call secretary clinton actually interview her was a grows oversight by the arb and is really almost incomprehensible. You continue need to respond. I yield back. A poiivet clarification. It was probably up with secretary kerry when he was here. The comment that he made about the documents i think affects us all on the committee. We are still in a position where those documents, as you know, are not copy is not made available to us. We cant copy the documents. You can go down there and somebody can see a document, but we cant make copies of them. We have asked for a seventy those documents, and when we ask the secretary of state, secretary kerry said its no policy of mine. We raised our objection to this. This is one of the reasons this is ongoing because we dont have copies of those documents. So, again, we would like to have copies of the documents turned over to this committee. Thank you, ambassador. We go now to mr. Alan grace of florida. Ambassador, i would like to ask you a few questions about benghazi. The scandal that never was. Who decided that ambassador stevens go to benghazi on september 11th, 2012 . It was the ambassadors decision, sir. Now was secretary clinton responsible in any way for viewing and approving the incountry movement of ambassadors ambassador stevens or anyone else . No , sir, under departmental policy ambassadors only need washington permission if they leave their country of assignment. Not the capitol city. Did the ambassador, when he went benghazi have a normal security detail and the rules at that time . Yes, sir, he had two Diplomatic Security special agents who accompanied him from tripoli to benghazi. Benghazi was a diplomatic post not an embassy . It was a temporary Mission Facility, yes, sir. Is it even possible provide the same kind of security at the temporary Mission Facility as we try to provide at our embassy . We can never achieve the kind of perfect security we need other than a purposefilled embassy. We have a series of standards, and we were working through the standards. We are constantly adding, i think in response to the subsequent lman from virginia. I offered to submit for the record a list of all the improvement we had made to the temporary Mission Facility in benghazi. There was no specific money appropriated for benghazi. We were simply taking money from other locations that all the requests they put forward as i mentioned, save one which was the guard tower which were determined unnecessary and too attentiongetting. All the request were fulfilled. With regard to it itself. How long it was between the time the attack began and the time of the ambassadors unfortunate death . I would say it was probably somewhere definitely under 90 minutes. Now was there any kind of military force substantial u. S. Military force close enough to even engage the attacker in the 90 minute period . No , sir. Was think any forth even in more time that could have rescued the ambassador give the actual situation on the ground as it was. Tragically, no , sir. Did the white house ever ignore any report regarding attack . No , sir, not that im aware did secretary clinton ignore any reports regarding attack . No , sir, i personally spoke to the secretary clinton that evening. And it was constantly briefed by our Operation Center all evening. If you were the president on the United States on that night would you have done anything different . What i know that the president did of say to the secretary of defense do everything you can. I think thats probably what i would have done was turn to my senior military command authority and tell them to do whatever was necessary. Which what he did. Regarding the accountability review board report. Did they vined them in any way liable for any kind of misdismuct. No , sir. Did the board find the president liable for any kind of misconduct . No , sir. Was it in fact within their power to have done so if they felt that were the case . They certainly could have found the secretary of state. Their charge is to review state department operations. Im not sure that legislatively legally extended outside the state department. But it certainly extended to the secretary of state. Are you familiar with the term secondguessing. Have you heard that term before . Yes, sir. What about the term 2020 hindsight . I yield the rest of my time. Thank you very much. Thank you. Well go to mr. Joe wilson of south carolina. Thank you, mr. Chairman for your leadership to seek explanation for the murder of four heroic americans in benghazi. Its imperative we fully understand where the systemic break down occurred within the state department so no more servicemembers die while serving our country. I agree with congressman of california theres been disseat and denial. Mr. Kennedy, i appreciate your attendance today at the Senate Hearing previously you acknowledged you denied an extension of the 16american Security Support Team sst; is that right . Yes, sir. That was the team based in tripoli. Not in benghazi. It was a tripoli assignment. They never assigned to benghazi. And if i might, i continue want to take your time. No, no, please. When we first went to tripoli, we were our Embassy Burned down in tripoli. We asked them for assistance. Two of their officers went in with two of ours. We did a survey. We asked for 16 department of defense personnel. Over the course of standing up the emily. They worked themselve out of a job. Depament personnel. State they sent someone to do el continuer landing zone survey and look for unexploded order nation. They did their mission and there was no mission left for them to accomplish. There were eight, in effect, security personnel. The state Department Also replaced those security personnel with personnel on the state department roles. On the night in question, even though its tripoli not benghazi. Six of the poxes were still based in we are talking about people within the same country . Its just a really sad to me there was not prerks given or defense to the four americans killed. Additionally, the Security Support Team testified before Congress Last year that the team was facing the department of state. And that they loaned considerable support to the state department of security position

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