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Former secretary of state reflects on the state of the presidential race and suspicions of a cover-up in the terror attack on the US consulate in Liby...
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A regular there.
-- -- say Hillary Clinton again defending the administration's response to the Libya attack.
Independent accountability.
Review board is already hard at work looking at everything not cherry picking you know one story here -- one document there but looking at everything which -- Highly recommend as he appropriate approach to subbing as -- complex as I have had attack like this.
Second state Condoleezza Rice -- held secretary Clinton's job Secretary Rice Sam thank you for joining us and tell me what do you think of the state department's response to Libya.
Well clearly.
I want to start by saying that the emails and everything else just show again about our diplomats are in very dangerous places send.
It reminds us that people like investor Chris Stevens give the last full measure on behalf of their country and so that's the first thing to remember.
Secondly be accountability review board to which the secretary -- they have responded.
Will indeed.
Take a look at whether or not the preparations were adequate that given what was known about the intelligence picture I myself have received.
Reports from accountability accountability review will review boards and that will be the purpose of those investigations.
There is then the issue awful quiet intelligence agencies.
People on the ground.
Did or did not know all about what was going on that and that they -- I know that chairman Mike Rogers.
Wants the Intelligence Committees to look at questions Bob what the Intelligence Committees knew what the intelligence community knew.
How they communicated that to.
Policy makers and that's the appropriate venue.
For that discussion.
Just.
If he if if there's a problem at a US embassy just sit it -- general course and I realize that each each and incident it is unique.
But if there is a problem and an embassy what -- what is what happens purses or some sort of protocol that the the F -- -- M and the embassy notifies the state -- what's the what's the process.
Well clearly there.
Is -- notification to the State Department through the operations center.
That there is trouble at an embassy and then the operation center will try to ascertain what is happening.
We'll notify the relevant officials.
So there is a protocol.
But when things are unfolding very very quickly.
It's not always easy to know what is really going on on the ground and to my mind the really important questions here.
Are about how information was sought collected it did the various agencies really coordinate and share intelligence in the way.
That we had hoped.
With the reforms that were made after 9/11 so that there's a big picture to be examined here.
But we don't have all of the pieces and I think it's it's easy to try and jump to conclusions about what might have happened here it's probably better.
To let the relevant bodies to their work.
If there were let's say if there's an attack at an embassy though -- that relevant it says it goes to relevant officials at the operation center and make that determination would that be if there's if there's something violent going out an embassy would expect that to -- after the secretary of state and beyond.
Well I.
I think that it wasn't.
But under the circumstances.
I can't tell you.
Where the information was passed probably with an attack of this magnitude.
It would have gotten to the very highest officials.
But the problem is when -- -- -- fog of war like this.
There are a lot of competing stories coming -- there's a lot of competing information coming in and it takes a little while to know precisely what has happened.
If there are probably here at fox have been here eleven years at -- say well you know first and I wanna know is that -- look at certain ideologues are certain protocols are some minutes are unique to -- If you're if you're investing in this you can and you want to know what happened.
Is it when you look at an email trail or what what what is sort of internal to our.
Diplomatic could have -- procedures -- would look for.
-- while I think.
-- the accountability review board it will want to look at what the embassy was communicating about the situation on the ground.
What the State Department was doing in response to the communication about what was going on on the ground and not just what happened that particular night.
But what signs there were up trouble -- earlier on what that the intelligence picture look like.
Because you you can't simply keep your diplomats and -- bunker if they have to get out and do their work.
But you want to make certain that you're taking the right safety precautions for them as well and that's -- kind of work that the accountability review board will do but there are protocols in place.
I have no reason to believe that they weren't followed.
But it is not very easy in circumstances like this to know precisely what's going on as it's unfolding.
I don't I -- whether -- but one more question on Libya I'm just say curious that no sort of senses.
Jeff Francis just say they have the how many how many emails would you expect in a given day.
From a consulate in a troubled area decides survey universe or realize that they know nothing is perfectly -- and to spend about.
Is it tennis right -- and how -- -- traffic.
Well it would be a lot and not just emails but cables from the embassies as well maybe even phone calls from the embassies.
I'm quite certain that when circumstances like this are unfolding.
There is a lot of information flowing -- and it's slowing in very rapidly it's flowing in from multiple sources.
And I want to emphasize again Greta one of the problems we had with 9/11 and that we sought to fix.
Was the coordination between all of the various agencies that would have been reporting on something like this the intelligence agencies back in Washington the intelligence agencies on the ground.
What was being reported from that Tripoli embassy as opposed to the consulate that was under attack.
And we worked very hard to add to make sure that all of this was shared.
Put together in a way that policy makers could use it.
Now I think chairman Rogers will want to look at whether or not this is indeed working and we have to make sure that it's working.
But that's really the question that's on my mind this how good was the coordination and did all of those changes that we made after nine elevenths.
Really service well.
Okay you've been on the campaign trail with then the Republican ticket I'm curious there there appears to be at least the polls say and -- a gender gap.
The women don't give -- thought about this gender gap.
Well the polls certainly show and.
A gender gap but I will tell you when I go out and I talk to women across the country.
They are impressed with what -- governor Romney and congressman Ryan are saying about issues that matter.
To them as much as a matter -- also the since the people want jobs.
So many women are unemployed particularly women of the middle class women are small business owners.
They want an environment in which small business is not going to be overtaxed and -- -- -- regulated and have mandates that it can't fulfill.
Because they want to hire people.
Women are of course mothers.
Those college students who are unemployed and are not finding jobs despite their brand leading brand new minted.
College degree and so I signed that women are concerned about the very issues still which governor Romney and congressman -- speaking.
Now to the degree that there is concern about what this can probably be called the social issues.
I'm I would like to say to people that I am not always an agreement with everything that's written in the Republican platform.
About social issues but I know all -- that Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are going to respect the views of those who may disagree.
On these issues they're going to take that into account and I'm quite comfortable.
That those who talk about a war on women.
Are not in just engaging in hyperbole my I think it it's it's far worse than that it is.
Condemning people who are going to be reasonable and -- -- it didn't take into account the views of those with whom they don't agree.
Cigarettes -- nice to see you and let's -- against senate.
Take care thank you.
