Posted: 10/03/2012 at 7:00pm | IP Logged

U.S. Diplomats in Libya Denied More Security Help

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CBN News

Two Republican House leaders say that American diplomats in Libya repeatedly asked for more security at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi before the deadly attack on Sept 11.

In a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Reps. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., and Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, charge that officials in Washington turned them down, even though there had been two explosions and dozens of other security threats.

The two members of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee said the Sept. 11 attack was the latest in a long line of attacks on Western diplomats and officials in Libya.

CBN News Terrorism Analyst Erick Stakelbeck has been tracking this story since the Sept. 11 attack. Click play to hear more from him on the latest develpments, following this report.

According to Chaffetz, there had been more than 50. He said some American staffers in Libya were pleading with Washington to reconsider their request for more security.

In response, Clinton told Issa she's set up an accountability review panel that will determine "whether our security systems and procedures in Benghazi were adequate, whether those systems and procedures were properly implemented, and any lessons learned that may be relevant to our work around the world."

A House hearing on the matter has been scheduled for Oct. 10.