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Sen. Graham: Benghazi survivors are 'afraid' to share story

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    S.C. lawmaker's search for answers on attack

  • Duration 8:16
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Jonathan thank you -- One of the lawmakers pushing hard for details about -- Ghazi.

Is south Carolina Republican senator Lindsey Graham.

He and senators John McCain and Kelly -- are asking -- formal letters to secretary of state John Kerry and CIA director John Brennan.

For them to provide the names of all of the attack survivors.

Senator Graham spoke with me today about the effort and started by telling me he has met with some of the survivors.

Have had contact with some of the survivors their story is chilling they feel afraid to tell at this important day.

Come forward to tell their story the best evidence of what happened in Ghazi.

It's not a bunch of politicians in Washington trying to cover their political I asked this to people who live through the debacle.

And I'm doing everything I -- to get them before the congress and the American people an appropriate fashion.

So that we can learn firsthand what happened and then -- ESP choir are they not being forthcoming.

I think -- exhibit a of a failed foreign policy I think and then -- debacle before during and after.

Shows what happens when you lead from behind al-Qaeda is not on the run bin Laden may be dead but al-Qaeda is alive and well all over the.

The region -- guys -- example of that are these survivors back on the job summer back.

Working for the government some are still injured.

The bottom line is they feel that they cannot come forth they've been told to be quiet.

And at the end of the day we can't we can't let this administration or any other administration get away with hiding from the American people in the congress.

People who were there in real time to tell the story again what Susan Rice told the American -- five days after taxes collapsed.

What the president told the American people for weeks after the attack makes no sense.

This was never spontaneous event house back hateful video it was always.

A pre planned terrorist attack.

What are they telling -- the American people need to hear what happened that night.

They need to hear from the people who -- on the ground they're desperate situation.

They need to understand from the people who were there for months how bad it was -- and how frustrated they -- that nobody would listen to them and provide aid.

They were requested this is a story of a administration.

Deaf and blind to the reality -- people living with every day in Libya.

It is important that they be able to tell the story without reprisal -- they get they get to tell their story without fear.

We will understand that during that night.

-- they felt abandoned.

And they will tell us very clearly that the threats from building for months and nobody would listen to them this -- -- did they tell.

Their story there was a big CIA operation there as we have reported on.

We actually don't know the extent of what was going on a lot of those people obviously will not talk because there right undercover.

How much does that factor into all of this collaboration.

What congress has an oversight role if you have a CIA operative anyone know what happened that night didn't do it in any classified setting.

Make a record so that we can learn from the mistakes and not repeat then there are a lot of people there who could testify publicly.

I'm not asking.

The administration to turn over witnesses to the congress.

Two to compromise intelligence.

I'm asking the administration turn over to the congress and the American people.

The witnesses that people live through this so we can learn from our mistakes.

And quite frankly they're hiding from the American people and the congress the primary source of the truth and in Gaza the people who live through it why was in bad.

-- Stevens in Ben Ghazi if he had been sending up all of those.

Memos and cables that that place was essentially security unsustainable.

Why was he there because that's where the action was regarding the rising Islamic extremist.

Who are trying to get their hands on weapons that are flowing friendly in Libya.

We were desperately trying to control the anti aircraft missiles the man pants.

That were all over -- did and now all over the mideast.

Cris Stevens.

Got outside the wire -- -- it was his job.

Don't blame the soldier.

When he's.

Going outside the wire to do his job blamed the commander who creates a bad environment for the soldier there was violence all over being Ghazi.

Months before September the eleventh.

The British lifting -- they chose wisely we chose poorly the person -- blame.

It's not clear statements -- plan to present instance Secretary Clinton said why does it matter you know -- that hearing.

Others have said that this is a political.

Effort on your part to get.

Points before you re election.

That's -- they say if you heard you have but nobody right nobody said that about me and Senator McCain or asking the Bush Administration.

To tell us the truth about Iraq it wasn't a few dead -- we challenge -- construct that everything was going fine in Iraq.

That we didn't need a surge of troops we challenged interrogation policies of the Bush Administration because it mattered to me.

To make sure that when we're at war that the truth comes out and we make appropriate adjustments.

To Secretary Clinton madame secretary here's why it matters when I wanna know why the system down so broken that you know.

Could not understand what was being said in Libya and that when our investor tells.

Your State Department on your watch we can't defend the consulate from a terrorist attack and oh by the way bingo I've been Gaza is full of al-Qaeda flags how could she not.

Read that.

Including how did you not get that input -- -- I understand from our military clearly why and seven and a half hours.

Could you not help these poor people -- now want to understand.

How the Obama administration could have ever come up with a story this was anything other than a terrorist attack from the beginning.

It had nothing to do with a video we're not done a cover up.

They failed foreign policy episode and read in the New York Times all of the successes of the Obama administration.

You cannot have a country for the commander in chief gets to celebrate his successes and had his failures.

You think we'll get to the bottom if we do not have these survivors come forward in an appropriate way.

How will continue to make life difficult in the senate.

And I am begging my house colleagues.

If they -- not voluntarily.

Released the names of these survivors of the congress.

For appropriate inner peace to get to the bottom all happening -- that you -- -- house Republicans Jason changes.

Frank Wolf have done a great job but to our leadership in the house.

You're gonna have to pregame moment guys what is the end of this if you have people testifying people find out things what do you think the end game.

Well I think if we knew the truth about being does -- some people will be far nobody's been -- and quite frankly has to Secretary Clinton.

She's going to be able to talk about her success -- a secretary of state and she had some no doubt about it.

But she's gonna have to account for her failures.

And it really does matter to have to make sure that the record is clear about what happened on her watch and what happened on president Obama's watch.

So that in game for me -- to gain the truth and if we -- get to the truth and no one gets fired.

It will be unbelievable belief inappropriate.

To allow people to keep their jobs who lives of people and then -- down so badly and this -- Secretary Clinton.

You cannot tell the American people you had a clear eyed view of the prison in Gaza.

Given what I -- and what I know comes from the people who were there and it's time for the people who were there to tell the American people what happened.

I thank senator Graham log onto our homepage at foxnews.com slash special report click on the video tab there you can see the full interview.

With senator Graham.

And then this question do you think we will ever know the whole story on Ben -- we are staying on this story as you can see let me know on Twitter you can follow me at -- there.

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