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How will Romney handle Benghazi attack at debate?

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    Campaign previews foreign policy strategy

  • Duration 4:56
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Stakes are high you know that heading into round two tonight twelve hours from now debate number two will be wrapping up.

And the fallout from the attacks and -- Ghazi almost certainly come out tonight so -- governor Romney deal with this issue.

With me now former ambassador to the United Nations for special.

Political affairs is Richard Williamson a former rather foreign policy advisor for the Romney team in mr.

ambassador good morning.

And thank you for your time.

How does this story change now after -- Hillary Clinton took responsibility last night.

Well this story -- changed almost daily ever since the tragic events.

Of terrorists killing.

Ambassador Chris Stevens and the other three Americans I knew Chris Stevens I worked -- them.

Here's a great diplomat.

Loyal American.

We all mourn his loss and have sympathy to his family.

But the disturbing thing is that the administration is -- this story time and time and time again.

About what happened and ultimately the American people just want transparency.

Want to know the facts they can make their own decisions.

And the White House knows that to the American people what -- you then what are you advising Mitt Romney to say about this issue tonight.

Well I think there's two points one.

They should be an effort to get transparency.

From President Obama what he knew and when he knew it.

And why they didn't open up and have -- with the American people.

And then the other line of inquiry.

Is the fact.

That this was evidence that he is so called success.

On the war on terror wasn't so successful.

Targeted killings alone cannot solve this problem.

You need a broader strategy.

And our governor Romney outlined that in his speech at BMI last Monday.

And this helps provide a clear choice the American people for three more of the same and strong optimistic bold leadership under president Romney and.

In light of that Hillary Clinton told Wendell Goler and a host of other reporters in Lima Peru last night -- the president and and mr.

Biden.

But neither one were involved in security decisions at the consulate Ben Ghazi.

And the other thing she said mr.

ambassador is that I want to avoid some kind of political gotcha.

-- on how how does that frame this issue.

Yeah they weren't there -- -- divert attention from this they wanna say it's just political.

But the death of an American ambassador the first since Jimmy Carter over thirty years ago.

Is not a Republican issue it's not a democratic issue it's an American issue and Americans want to know the answers.

And the administration.

Has to come clean has to provide transparency.

That is the minimum requirement and finally let me just say.

It is a presidential level decision.

Protecting our diplomats overseas.

The president's obligation.

To make sure that diplomats in difficult situations.

Have adequate security so they can do their job do you believe there's -- they failed here -- is it.

Different called for governor Romney to go after the president on this given the town hall would they be your hundred voters sitting in front of him or are do you see this pretty black and white and straight forward.

Look I think that the governor can ask questions about why we can't get transparency.

Why we can't get a full explanations of the American people they have a right to know to make judgments about his stewardship.

As president and I think governor Romney quite properly.

We'll be asking questions probing.

Had tried to ask the president to man up accept this responsibility.

And explain to the American people the failure.

It resulted in four American -- -- that's the case ovals we'll see how the president responds on that twenty minutes ago general Jack -- Told us in the presidential daily briefing it would almost certainly contained.

The information about previous attacks in Libya specifically in Ben Ghazi over the past six months or so.

That now is that -- that a point of contention that you've advised the governor to go after.

We'll look guys I know and respect general -- I have read presidential daily intelligence briefings I agree with the generals.

Assessment.

-- information was there the White House has certain responsibilities.

The leader of the free world.

Has responsibilities.

In the American people wanna know how they were discharged.

And I think it.

You can run but he's not going to be able to -- he's gonna have to man up and tell the American people what he bloody new when he knew it.

And what he's doing okay ambassador thank you Richard Williamson -- -- bit rather have a preview of what we can expect later tonight up on this issue.

Sir thank you for your time and to our viewers at home we did invite the Obama team on today they declined today's invitation but we certainly hope they'll.

They'll pick us up on that perhaps tomorrow or later in the week thank you mr.

ambassador.

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