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Congressman Jason Chaffetz talks about investigation into Benghazi attack
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Segment tonight the Obama administration's Libya narrative continues to fall apart.
As we told -- -- -- talking points memo Vice President Biden claimed that he and the president didn't know about their request for more security there.
White house Press Secretary Jay Carney was asked about this today by Fox News Ed Henry.
You're -- from this podium that the president and the vice president.
Have never been briefed about the fact that security more security was needed in many guys you're saying you're never in the presidential daily briefing never very.
What I set.
Is -- Matters of security personnel.
Are appropriately discussed and decided upon at the State Department by.
Those responsible for it.
Joining us now from New York is congressman Jason chase it's a republic and from Utah -- congressmen or you're just over and Libya and you -- investigating this yourself and you heard some blockbuster testimony.
This week on Capitol Hill what was your reaction first to what the vice president said last night number one.
That they didn't know of any -- -- security request number two.
Blaming intelligence committee -- community for this idea that it was a spontaneous protest I got out of control it.
It it was absolutely shocking for the vice president to admit out loud that he had no idea what was going on.
Ignorance is hardly a defense the fact of the matter is there were two over 230.
Security.
Incidents there in Libya.
Our consulate there in in Ben -- had been bomb -- twice.
-- where else in the world are you aware of any consulate or embassy having been bombed twice its Libya it's 9/11 the British ambassador had an assassination attempt.
And then they the the request for personnel continues to go forward to the administration.
It is not only denied they reduce the security personnel profile there.
In Libya this is a place for the British pulled out there were actually al-Qaeda flags flying above government buildings and when I went to Libya last Saturday.
I was there most of the day not a single person ever mentioned a video.
So this administration continues to have a lot of questions ago on answered back compounded by the fact.
That the White House the vice president they continued they're just not being straight with the American people they have a lot to answer for.
Congressman check -- op Ed do you think that the vice president -- last night.
At the debate on this -- -- -- Well it could very well be that he was never in the loop but he's the vice president of the United States and I don't think ignorance is our it it is a good defense.
I think the reality is they should have known good leadership a good president.
Should be saying my goodness we were bomb did it in in Bolivia twice what are we doing to improve security there not just sit back and wait and see.
We have four people killed we haven't had a US ambassador killed overseas since the 1970s.
-- This man and -- -- Washington Post today is reporting that.
Political chaos in Libya today hampers the US probe.
Of the -- -- -- Ghazi attacks and basically saying that.
When you call over what we call over to officials and -- -- no one's answering the phone.
So it's more than a month later.
And apparently.
According to this article we've made it very little progress because of the situation on the ground which begs the question if it's difficult on the ground now.
Presumably it was difficult on the ground.
-- before September 11.
Correct on September 1 the Interior Minister there in Libya issued a high alert it's the maximum alert they can.
Ambassadors even sent that cable to Washington DC.
That is that is on September 1 in fact the memo went out September 4.
How is it a week before nobody is paying attention -- Washington DC saying oh my goodness there's problems let's get these people some more assets these people need some more hello what about the Republicans voting against more security for the embassies -- I had not done with that last night by Joseph Biden was that true or not.
In the last five years the State Department budget has increased 418%.
This is a question about priorities in fact under testimony we ask certainly -- who's in charge of the embassies and security.
And we -- -- it did was that denial of more personnel in Libya a result of a lack of funding and she said no so it's a it's a red -- it's something they put out there is a straw man to try to distract.
But when your budget -- -- -- 118%.
Over five years you have to make -- -- choices we have over 6000.
Private contractors in in Baghdad.
And yet we barely have two dozen in Libya.
How are you gonna bring Susan -- to capital held testified I wanna hear from the president I wanna hear from secretary -- Clinton I want -- for ambassador rice and I want the intelligence compact community.
To be able to voice this out because I think the administration should have known beforehand that this is gonna happen congressman.
