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Security and i'm just wondering if you might mention one reform that would be helpful, so that you would have known of the needs there of security that went undone? >> well, obviously i have thought about this almost constantly since that date, senator, because, you know, i do feel responsibility. i feel responsible for the nearly 70,000 people who work for the state department. i take it very seriously but the specific security requests pertaining to gauze dpauz -- benghazi, were handled by the security professionals in the department. i didn't see those requests. they didn't come to me. i di...

This constrained our mission and led to husbanding of resources to such a degree that restricting the use of resources even for security has become a conditioned response. this is to say that the decisions about security resources being made more on costs than on need and value. and the answer can't be to cut more from other foreign affairs accounts to fund security. that approach fails to recognize that diplomacy and foreign aid are but down payments that yield dividend to us in terms of goodwill open borders for the export of american products, protection of our intellectual property and mos...

We can prevent some of this happening. i was curious about a number of things. first of all, were you ever asked to participate in any sort of internal or inner agency meeting before this attack with regard to the deteriorating security situation in libya? >> well, senator, you know, again, i appreciate your kind words, you know, and i reiterate my taking responsibility. and as i have already said, with specific security requests, they didn't come to me, i had no knowledge of them. with regard to the situation in libya, not just eastern libya, across libya, there were a number of conversations...

The capitol that protect us, which we're very grateful for and we pay for. it does cost money. to me i was not disappointed to hear the co-chair say, quote, congress must do its part to meet this challenge and provide necessary resources to the state department to address security risks and meet mission imperatives. frankly i think it's a no-brainer. the fact that we would even have a problem with it, to me, doesn't make any sense. i hope we can work together to get the resources that we need for security. which brings me to a question about working more closely with the dod. and hear this. ha...

To provide more capabilities and capacities at higher risk posts? before you answer that, could you maybe address the issue in mali right now. when you look at mali, you see a government that is weak, they don't have the best securities & exchange commission. are we working on that post? >> well, senator, thank you. you've raised a lot of very important issues. i will try to be as quick as i can in responding to them. let me start with the budget because this is a bipartisan issue. since 2007 the department has consistently requested greater funding for embassy construction and diplomatic secu...