ADVERTISEMENT
  • The Membership Club
  • PT Hausa
  • About Us
  • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Thursday, April 15, 2021
Premium Times Nigeria
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Opinion
  • Health
    • News Reports
    • Investigations
    • Data and Infographics
    • Health Specials
    • Features
    • Events
    • Primary Health Tracker
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Parliament Watch
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • AGAHRIN
Premium Times Nigeria
BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad BUA Group Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Clinton angrily defends handling of Benghazi attack

Clinton angrily defends handling of Benghazi attack

January 23, 2013
4 min read

Mrs. Clinton’s appearance has been deferred for more than a month due to her ill health

The U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, on Wednesday angrily defended her handling of the September 11 attack on the U.S. mission in the Libyan city of Benghazi and denied any effort to mislead people.

The attack by armed militants that killed U.S. Ambassador, Christopher Stevens, and three other Americans threatens to stain Mrs. Clinton’s legacy as Secretary of State.

It may also dent any hopes that Mrs. Clinton, who mounted an unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2008, may run for the White House again in 2016.

By tones emotional and fierce, Ms. Clinton choked up as she spoke of comforting the victims’ families and grew angry when a Republican senator accused the Obama administration of misleading the country over whether the Benghazi incident stemmed from a protest.

“With all due respect, the fact is that we had four dead Americans,” Ms. Clinton shot back as she testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, an appearance delayed more than a month because of her ill health.

“Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided they’d go kill some Americans? What difference, at this point, does it make?” she said, making chopping motions with her hands for emphasis.

Ms. Clinton cast the incident as part of a long history of such violence as well as the result of regional instability since the Arab Spring of popular revolutions began in 2011.

Ms. Clinton is expected to step down in the coming days once her designated successor, Senator John Kerry, is confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

RelatedNews

NiMet predicts three days of sunshine, thunderstorms across Nigeria

Nigeria appoints Permanent Representative to UN agency

Fuel queues resurface in Sokoto

Appeal Court reinstates Edo commission dissolved by Oshiomhole

Republicans harshly criticized her, and President Barack Obama’s administration more generally, with one saying the Benghazi attack and the U.S. response displayed “woeful unpreparedness’’ for the events sweeping the region and another saying Mrs. Clinton should

have been fired.

Militants attacked and overwhelmed the U.S. diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11 in a sustained assault.

Dangote adbanner 728x90_2 (1)

An official U.S. inquiry concluded that the State Department was completely unprepared to deal with the attack, citing “leadership and management” deficiencies, poor coordination and unclear lines of authority in Washington.

Four lower-level U.S. officials were placed on administrative leave following the release of the inquiry, which did not find Ms. Clinton personally at fault.

A separate Senate committee report said the State Department made a “grievous mistake” in keeping the Benghazi mission open in spite of inadequate security and increasingly alarming threat assessments in the weeks before the attack.

Ms. Clinton was originally due to testify on December 20 but had to cancel after she suffered a concussion when she fainted due to dehydration.

Doctors later found she had a blood clot in her head and hospitalized her for several days.

Several senators, noting the ferocity of Ms. Clinton’s defense, said she appeared to have fully recovered. While many senators praised her four-year tenure as secretary of state, some Republicans were unsparing in their criticism.

ADVERTISEMENT

Ms. Clinton at one point said that she had not seen requests from U.S. officials in Libya seeking additional security.

“Had I been president at the time and I found that you did not read the cables … I

would have relieved you of your post. I think it’s inexcusable,” Republican Senator, Rand Paul, of Kentucky told Mrs. Clinton.

“It’s wonderful to see you in good health and as combative as ever,” Senator John McCain, an Arizona Republican, told Mrs. Clinton, who responded by laughing.

He then went on to say that he categorically rejected one of her answers and found others unsatisfactory.

While tarnishing Ms. Clinton’s tenure at the State Department, the controversy over the Benghazi attack also cost Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, her chance to succeed Ms. Clinton as secretary of state.

Republicans in Congress harshly criticized Ms. Rice for her comments days after the attack in which she said the incident appeared to be the result of a spontaneous demonstration rather than a planned assault.

Ms. Rice, who has said her comments were based on talking points from the U.S. intelligence community, eventually withdrew her name from consideration for the top U.S. diplomatic job.

“We were misled that there were supposedly protests and then something sprang out of that, an assault sprang out of that,” Senator Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, told Ms. Clinton, referring to Rice’s appearance on Sunday television talk shows.

“People have accused Ambassador Ms. Rice and the administration of, you know, misleading Americans,” Ms. Clinton said. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”

Ms. Clinton also appeared to try to subtly distance herself from Rice’s comments.

“The very next morning, I told the American people that heavily armed militants assaulted our compound, and I vowed to bring them to justice. And I stood with President Obama in

the White House Rose Garden as he spoke of an act of terror,” she said.

Ms. Clinton’s voice cracked as she spoke of comforting families who lost loved ones in the attack, the first since 1988 in which a U.S. ambassador was killed.

“For me, this is not just a matter of policy – it’s personal, she told the Senate panel on what is likely to be the last day that she will testify before Congress before stepping down as secretary of state.

“I stood next to President Obama as the Marines carried those flag-draped caskets off the plane at Andrews,” she added, her voice breaking as she described the ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland when the men’s remains were brought home.

“I put my arms around the mothers and fathers, the sisters and brothers, the sons and daughters and the wives left alone to raise their children,” she said.

“I take responsibility,” Ms. Clinton said, echoing comments she first made in a TV interview on October 15 and stressing that she has accepted all of the recommendations of the

independent review panel that held lower-level officials responsible.

“Nobody is more committed to getting this right. I am determined to leave the State Department and our country safer, stronger and more secure,” she added.

Ms. Clinton is due to testify before a House of Representatives committee.

Reuters/NAN

  • WhatsApp
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
  • Telegram
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Pocket

Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility

Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.

For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.

By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.

Donate


TEXT AD: To advertise here . Call Willie +2347088095401...


JOIN THE CONVERSATION

  • Disqus (0)
premiumtimes



PT Mag Campaign AD

Previous Post

Former Botswana president, Felix Mogae, slams Nigeria on corruption, impunity

Next Post

Vigilant villagers intercept politicians’ attempt to hijack SURE-P jobs

More News

Real Madrid play Liverpool in CHampions league. {CREDIT: Twitter handle of Champions League]

UCL: Real eliminate Liverpool, Guardiola’s City finally qualify for semi-final

April 14, 2021
Dr. Hajo Sani

Aisha Buhari’s biographer appointed Nigeria’s ambassador to UNESCO

April 14, 2021
House of representatives during plenary. [PHOTO CREDIT: Official Twitter handle of House of Reps.]

Don’t punish FG for state governments’ action, Reps tell JUSUN

April 14, 2021
Traditional leaders, participants at book launch on Economy and Restructuring of Nigeria

Yorubas have ‘graduated from restructuring to self-determination’ – Gani Adams

April 14, 2021
Omojuwa and Oby Ezekwesili

Alex Saab: Omojuwa backtracks over Ezekwesili’s link to PR firm

April 14, 2021
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo presided over a virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) Meeting [PHOTO CREDIT: @BashirAhmaad]

Ramadan: Osinbajo preaches love, kindness, generosity

April 14, 2021
Next Post
No evidence yet to prosecute Customs boss for forgery, says Lagos AG

Vigilant villagers intercept politicians’ attempt to hijack SURE-P jobs

The leaking thatch roof called OBJ By Philemon Adjekuko

Police as Beasts of no Nation, By Philemon Adjekuko

Discussion about this post

Search

#EndSARS: Latest Updates




Polaris Bank


JAIZ Ad


Explore Akwa Ibom Ad


Explore Akwa Ibom Ad


Access Bank Ad


NITDA Ad





Glo Ad

Subscribe to News via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of news by email.

Join 1,651,522 other subscribers.

Advertisement






netherland biz school Advert



Zenith Advert

ADVERTISEMENT

Our Digital Network

  • PT Hausa
  • Election Centre
  • Human Trafficking Investigation
  • Centre for Investigative Journalism
  • National Conference
  • Press Attack Tracker
  • PT Academy
  • Dubawa
  • LeaksNG
  • Campus Reporter

Resources

  • Oil & Gas Facts
  • List of Universities in Nigeria
  • LIST: Federal Unity Colleges in Nigeria
  • NYSC Orientation Camps in Nigeria
  • Nigeria’s Federal/States’ Budgets since 2005
  • Malabu Scandal Thread
  • World Cup 2018
  • Panama Papers Game
  • Our Digital Network
  • About Us
  • Resources
  • Projects
  • Data & Infographics
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • News
    • Headline Stories
    • Top News
    • More News
    • Foreign
  • Investigations
  • Business
    • News Reports
    • Financial Inclusion
    • Analysis and Data
    • Business Specials
    • Opinion
    • Oil/Gas Reports
      • FAAC Reports
      • Revenue
  • Agriculture
    • News Report
    • Research & Innovation
    • Data & Infographics
    • Special Reports/Features
    • Investigations
    • Interviews
    • Markets
  • Arts/Life
    • Arts/Books
    • Kannywood
    • Lifestyle
    • Music
    • Nollywood
    • Travel
  • Sports
    • Football
    • More Sports News
    • Sports Features
  • Projects
    • Panama Papers
    • Paradise Papers
    • Parliament Watch
    • AGAHRIN
  • Opinion
  • PT Hausa
  • The Membership Club
  • Dubawa
    • Dubawa NG
  • About Us
    • Advert Rates
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Store
  • DONATE

All content is Copyrighted © 2020 The Premium Times, Nigeria

Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.