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House to hold hearing on US Consulate attack in Libya

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    Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz weighs in

  • Duration 6:19
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It's just one day before congressional hearings on apparent security lapses in Libya prior to the assassination of our ambassador and three others.

There are new allegations from a top Republican lawmaker regarding what looks like.

In Obama administration's decision to scale back security in the weeks before the deadly terrorist attack on the console it's turning now you talk congressman Jason tickets.

He's on the house oversight and Government Reform Committee and he just returned.

From a fact finding mission to Libya congressman welcome back to the program.

Think they have so.

-- obviously security -- obviously it was a security lapse because we have four dead Americans in Libya.

But this morning on fox you made news by suggesting that you believed there was -- coordinated.

Efforts.

Between the White House and the State Department to scale down security in Libya on what do you base that.

Well.

Clearly they wanted to have the appearance of normalization in Libya sooner rather than later I I went to Libya was their most all the day on Saturday.

Not a single person on the ground did they ever mention of video or did they ever talk about some sort of Friday -- -- protest or anything like that.

To the contrary I think what you're going to see in the hearing tomorrow is a series of requests from the security professionals on the ground.

Asking for more physical resource is to protect the -- the facilities themselves.

And more American personnel in order to help secure things.

Not only did they not get a -- American personnel they actually reduce the number American personnel and what they told them to do is go hire more Libyans which is a very difficult the thing to do in a country that so unstable like Libya.

-- what do you -- allegation that you believe there -- some coordinated effort between the State Department and the white house on this.

I think clearly there was communication between the -- and who is the White House that it's in his this happened who did they sat on the Sunday talk shows was the UN ambassador.

I don't have any doubt in my mind that clearly as these things are happening the White House is involved when you have.

Terrorist type of activities the White House is involved and no doubt about that.

Is that -- -- -- I mean it's supposition it's not that somebody has leaked that to you or you've seen a document.

I think which -- going to see even as latest -- early as today and certainly tomorrow a series of requests in the security professionals on the ground.

Requesting and asking for more materials that is clearly what it has happened because.

Remember there were two bombings in -- -- of our art facility there.

I'm I'm not aware of anywhere else in the world where our physical facility was actually bombed it it was bombed twice.

Twice you had the the British ambassador's wife he had assassination attempts.

And we were coming up on 9/11 and then they White House said there was no actionable intelligence that would lead you to believe that there might be problems and -- -- That any that doesn't pass the basics fifth -- right.

-- do that why would we do that if if says you know you've got whistle blowers were telling you that the request for increase security were being made.

End to the State Department and and you say that they were not only.

Told no but that security was reduced why would we do that.

My personal belief my impression is that they wanted the appearance of normalization as swiftly as possible because that fit the political narrative.

That things were calm cool collected of al-Qaeda terrorists that wasn't a problem in the release.

We help Libya and look how successful it is.

Unfortunately.

Look at the results and and now the we've sent the Marines into our embassy there in Tripoli to help secure it thank goodness they did.

It feels more secure but they're still major questions.

And gaps in in the security parameter for the embassy for -- -- it's not Justin in Libya but across the world and that's the heart of what.

Congressman I said chairman -- than I want to get to in the hearing.

This -- colonel wood who is in charge of security in Libya.

Sat down with CBS news and talk -- will the validated what you said about.

That request being made for beefed up security and the answer be coming back that no you can't you can't have more security in fact we're gonna draw down the forces.

That protect our consulate in our our our Americans over there.

But the State Department came out responses said well.

The colonel was stationed in Tripoli not in Ben Ghazi and therefore he.

He really didn't know what was happening in bank -- -- wasn't in a position to speak to that your thoughts on that.

Well you treat -- as a whole -- Ben -- is just an offshoot of the the embassy there in Tripoli.

And if they're gonna try to discredit somebody impeccable -- Experiences such as colonel -- I think there.

They're in for a very long hearing you also have another person by name Eric Nordstrom.

Who also testified in this and then we have a series of documents and other types of things look at the results -- -- look at the results we have a debt ambassador -- -- happens the 1970s up for dead Americans we could need to get the FBI in there for weeks I couldn't go as a member congress does it still so dangerous.

So how the White House and the the State Department thinks that everything is peachy keen and you know -- really nothing to worry about because this -- overstating the experience.

We've got four dead Americans.

For the critical witnesses tomorrow colonel -- in her -- Eric Nordstrom both -- security professionals are part providing real time.

Our relay is back to the Department of State which consequently would also go into the to the White House is well.

And then you're also gonna have Charlene -- -- lands in charge of all the physical infrastructure the embassies across the globe she was critical these discussions about what security they would get -- not yet.

Even going back to -- potentially ambassador -- Kennedy.

Who also might be witness tomorrow.

PL laid out ended December 2011 member and -- what he thought the security would look like well we didn't even reach the goals that were laid out in the December 11 memo that he need to get in return about five people here six people there.

And remember may get in Baghdad.

President Obama has 151000.

Private security personnel in Baghdad.

151000.

Its its its president Obama's own private army and yet we could even get two dozen people on the ground -- in Libya after a revolution after bombings of our consulate.

It just doesn't add up.

Will continue to watch to see what happens on capitol tomorrow congressman Jason David thank you so much.

Thank you -- President Obama.

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