by Dee Newman
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform last Wednesday held hearings to examine so-called "security failures that led to the Benghazi tragedy.” The committee’s chairman, Representative Darrell Issa, Republican of California, in criticizing the Obama Administration declared that lawmakers are obligated to protect federal workers overseas and that we should spend more on diplomatic security.Issa’s consistent effort to use the committee's oversight authority as a partisan attack on President Obama has greatly damaged his and the committee's credibility. Given the fact that Mr. Issa joined his Republican colleagues in the House in cutting nearly a half-billion dollars from the State Department’s two main security accounts, his latest attacks seem almost ludicrous. The cuts would have covered things like security staffing, providing more local guards, armored vehicles and security technology, as well as, other things like embassy construction and upgrades.
In addition, in 2009, Mr. Issa voted for an amendment that would have cut nearly 300 diplomatic security positions. Issa also supported Representative Paul Ryan's ( Mitt Romney’s running mate's) draconian budget proposal that cuts foreign affairs spending by more than 10 percent.
2 comments:
Well. Several things: One. Yes, it is a fact that the administration's request for security related funding was cut by over several hundred million dollars, and this curtailed boosting security in the global hotspots. But, I also think the Dept. of State was remiss in not considering the fact that 9-11 remains a time when heightened security would make sense. They claim security was according to protocol. Five agents available at the Libyan embassy. I still say, what is adequate on any given day may not be adequate when a day like 9-11 rolls around.
The Libyan embassy is not in Benghazi. The embassy is in Tripoli and was and is much more protected. I agree that the outpost should have been much more protected, but you could say that about numerous outposts throughout the world which are not, have not ever been properly protected under any administration. This cannot be blamed on Obama.
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