Why is Susan Rice on the hot seat over Benghazi attack?
The temperature under Susan Rice鈥檚 hot seat didn鈥檛 cool any over the weekend.
Republicans vow to get to the bottom of UN Ambassador Rice鈥檚 role in reporting what happened when the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, was attacked on the anniversary of 9/11.
As the Obama administration鈥檚 first major spokesman following an attack that killed US Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other embassy personnel, Ms. Rice left the impression that 鈥渆xtremist elements鈥� had joined a 鈥渟pontaneous protest鈥� against an anti-Islam YouTube video that was roiling the region.
Although President Obama strongly defended Rice at his first post-election press conference last week 鈥� suggesting his opponents should come after him if they have a problem 鈥� Republicans aren鈥檛 letting up on Rice, reportedly at the top of Obama鈥檚 list to become Secretary of State when Hillary Clinton resigns as expected.
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"She's going to have to come in and testify at some point, whether it's in a closed hearing or an open hearing," Sen. Saxby Chambliss, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on "Fox News 厂耻苍诲补测.鈥�
Sen. Lindsey Graham suggests a strong political motive in Rice鈥檚 characterization of the attack, particularly when she added that the United States under Obama鈥檚 leadership had 鈥渄ecimated al Qaeda.鈥� Intelligence officials and the President later acknowledged that terrorists likely affiliated with al Qaeda had been part of the attack.
鈥淭he story she told helped reinforce the political narrative helpful to the president," Sen. Graham said on NBC's "Meet the Press" show. "I don't know what she knew, but I know the story she told was misleading.鈥�
"Had the truth come out a few weeks before the election that our consulate in Benghazi had been overrun by an al Qaeda-sponsored, affiliated militia, that destroys the narrative we have been hearing for months that al Qaeda's been dismantled," Graham said.
Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee,聽suggests 鈥� without providing any evidence 鈥� that the administration changed the 鈥渢alking points鈥� provided Rice before she appeared on five Sunday news shows five days after the attack at Benghazi.
鈥淭he intelligence community had it right, and they had it right early,鈥� Rep. Rogers said on 鈥淢eet the Press.鈥澛�
In closed House and Senate hearings last week, former CIA Director David Petraeus indicated that US intelligence officials knew from the start that terrorists had carried out the attack, according to lawmakers who spoke with reporters after the hearings. But the retired Army four-star general could not 鈥� or chose not to 鈥� say how the initial talking points had been changed.
Democrats are pushing back against Republican charges in the matter.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein acknowledges that one day after the Benghazi episode, 鈥淧etraeus very clearly said that it was a terrorist attack.鈥� But she says Rice was only able to speak 鈥減ublicly on unclassified speaking points.鈥澛�
Officials have said that initial public statements (including Rice鈥檚) used the word 鈥渆xtremists鈥� 鈥� both to conceal intelligence-gathering sources and methods (so as not to reveal the terrorist groups it was tracking) and also because that was seen as the more inclusive word.
鈥淭here was only one thing changed, I鈥檝e looked into it and I believe it to be fact, that was the word 鈥榗onsulate鈥� was changed to 鈥榤ission,鈥欌�� Sen. Feinstein said on 鈥淢eet the Press.鈥� 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the only change that anyone in the White House made, and I have checked this out.鈥�
鈥淲hat has concerned me about this is really the politicization of a public statement that was put out by the entire intelligence committee, which Susan Rice, on the 16th, who was asked to go before the people and use that statement, did,鈥� Feinstein added. 鈥淪he was within the context of that statement, and for this, she has been pilloried for two months.鈥�
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