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Sen. John McCain explains why he was disappointed and disturbed with his meeting with the embattled ambassador over the Benghazi attacks
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Weeks and weeks on the record has been trying to get to the bottom of what really happened in Ben Ghazi.
Republican senators also pressing for answers and UN ambassador Susan -- so how are those meetings going.
Not well.
GOP senator Bob -- -- calling the whole issue Ben Ghazi eight tawdry affair.
And Senator John McCain had the first meeting with -- ambassador right we spoke with him a short time ago.
Saturn ICA said thank you -- Today the president met with his cabinet and he said among other things about ambassador rice -- she's extraordinary -- -- be proud of the job and the rustic -- applauded is seven opinion.
You share.
No.
I of course admire.
Ambassador rice's record I think she's served the country and obviously.
That's important but.
A number of things that she's done in the past but particularly this handling.
Of the Ben Ghazi tragedy that took the lives of four Americans is.
To me.
Raises many many questions about her qualifications to be the secretary of state.
Are you met with her yesterday how long did you have with her.
I think was well over an hour that we spent -- very and senator Graham and I and many of the questions so we have we're not answered there was other questions so for example.
I asked her why now well on the nationwide chose on Sunday she said that the president -- killed Osama bin Laden and and decimated to al-Qaeda that -- was simply a false statement.
Al-Qaeda is on the rise mean they've reconstituted themselves in many places -- all over.
The Middle East including pouring into Syria as we speak as well as Libya Iraq except try.
Like I say what you -- series as well maybe I should have said core that -- decimated core al-Qaeda.
Well.
First -- answer directly vastly different from what she actually said man number two is said.
That that really is kind of meaningless to take out core al-Qaeda.
But again I want to emphasize.
Many of these questions are right at the doorstep of the -- the United States why did he on the 25 two weeks later.
Talk to the United Nations about hateful videos why is it that he told.
Sixty minutes.
That he did not know.
What was the -- the attack kind of -- guys see when he claimed in the debate where if Mitt Romney that he had called it a terrorist act.
At the White House which he had not done so and he continued -- -- -- Very issue was talking about hateful videos and not knowing.
Entertainment shows my -- for the most part entertainment shows.
You are out in in terms of what she did tell you and I saw CBS report that I post on Greta -- dot comets which under the headline who's on first because militants seem to decide who took out al-Qaeda and terrorists who put it back in and they both the some have claimed they found to have responsibility -- -- they denied any its most bizarre thing.
But one of the.
I've when she -- the interesting thing about that after the raid -- -- and Latin.
We knew every single detail -- you know.
Within 24 hours absolutely.
-- -- many of which placed people's lives in jeopardy such as the doctor.
Who's now in prison for life and others.
But yet here we are ten or eleven weeks later and we still don't know that.
From the basics.
Of what happened and by the way I'm still looking for that picture of the president in the situation room.
With his cabinet watching the -- raid.
The consulate -- -- Garcia I don't think we see that anytime soon.
What what what I didn't understand and maybe she maybe -- -- just isn't and in the reports zip.
Did the discussions about who took out al-Qaeda and who put it back in it but one thing and India's.
Where did she come up with the idea of video and their protest was that in the talking points are set did that come from some other.
Source did she say.
She said that that was some talking points when so many of these things you get in a little bit of minutia but they're so interest and the classified information that they had indicated that it was an al-Qaeda affiliated attack.
They said though they didn't want to put the classified information into the unclassified.
Talking points which were told the American people.
Which painted a vastly different picture now.
Are we supposed to give Americans the wrong information because.
We don't want to reveal classified information with that -- screen you see why would she even once sent out to go to the five taxes should not the secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
She reported to us that Secretary Clinton was tired and I understand why Secretary Clinton might be tired but that's still.
The president himself said that.
And -- -- had nothing to do with -- guys see.
And again these.
Just a short time and -- are meeting.
The director of the CIA told us that the changes in these talking points had come from the FBI.
And then called us back a number of hours later and said no it was stunned by the CIA do you mean that all these weeks later they still don't know.
Who made the changes in the talking points and -- why is that important.
Because -- impression that the American people gave -- guy from.
Ambassador -- comments that this was a spontaneous demonstration.
Triggered by -- hateful video that was not true.
And finally by the way after our meeting investor rice admitted for the first time.
That that was.
True -- only a matter of Sheehan admitted six weeks ago didn't listen and understand the wind this information has been if we get -- -- every single -- -- but she's just a -- six weeks to go and why not -- publicly why sit behind closed doors with three senators.
And we still don't know who made the changes in talking points.
We still don't know why that I asked lead director of the CIA how many analysts are there in the CIA I don't think this is classified.
He said 2500.
Now when you think that one of those analysts would've said hey.
Let's call Germany where the survivors.
Of the consulate attack have been taken -- them was this a spontaneous attack or not.
That would of taken care of the whole issue because they would have said what they did -- FBI that there was no mob attack or spontaneous attack there so.
The all of this could have been resolved with one phone call I in and I asked the director of the CIA.
Why didn't someone call he should because the FBI was conducting a criminal investigation.
Now -- that reason not to ask the survivors.
I want to attack on the -- Yeah was even -- they're investigating the Tunisian man in in Tunisia and -- piece of -- but hard to think that the FBI was aggressively investigate this I said many times -- -- -- dead people watching DC that have.
More aggressive investigation by the DC metropolitan police department.
And -- CNN reporter.
Weeks later.
We visited the consulate and found us kinds of classified information noted foreign policy dot com on October 26 which was almost two months later.
It it it -- -- whole thing.
Deserves.
A select committee.
We now have four committees in the house for committees in the senate all of which are investigating certain aspects which are clearly overlapping.
Of this whole investigation.
That's one of the reasons why we get conflicting stories -- -- really does you know Watergate was a break camp.
Wouldn't senator Lieberman and I first proposed a commission after 9/11 was great resistance to it because of the terps.
Battles within the congress but there's certainly -- a full and complete investigation by -- select committee in my view.
-- managed just one quick question senator Feinstein commissioned a study -- see if from close gitmo -- -- 170 or so gitmo.
Prisoners could be brought here to the United States apparently -- the reporters that they could be brought the United States to put in different US facilities do you have any objection to that.
Yes I have great objection to -- -- -- -- would be in violation of legislation.
That the congress passed and I I think it would be.
Basically insertion of the ticket of authority that is clearly not would be -- violating existing laws.
So that means that would we can expect.
-- up being hotly contested.
I think you would be very hotly contested them by the way.
An example of the deterioration.
In Iraq.
A guy named act to cool who was responsible for a very sophisticated operation that -- five American soldiers was in prison in Baghdad.
-- released went back to Lebanon where he's one of the Hezbollah leaders and I just -- I think last week there.
Senate think -- -- thank you.
