Issa Statement on Unclassified ARB Report on Benghazi Attack

December 19, 2012

Clinton must personally address misleading testimony, information withheld from public report 

WASHINGTON – House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa issued the following statement on the Accountability Review Board’s (ARB) report on the September 11, 2012, diplomatic compound attack in Benghazi.
“I appreciate the Accountability Review Board’s work reviewing the facts about the September 11th attacks and the security failures that preceded it.  The board’s conclusions follow and confirm the accounts of U.S. security officials based in Libya who testified before the Oversight Committee in October and contradicts senior officials in Washington who testified that the security posture was adequate.  In light of the report, I am concerned that the carefully vetted testimony of senior State Department officials at the October hearing was part of an intentional effort to mislead the American people.
“While I appreciate the board’s hard work, I am deeply concerned that the unclassified report omits important information the public has a right to know.   This includes details about the perpetrators of the attack in Libya as well as the less-than-noble reasons contributing to State Department decisions to deny security resources.  Relevant details that would not harm national security have been withheld and the classified report suffers from an enormous over-classification problem.  I intend to work closely with my colleagues at committees with relevant jurisdiction to address information that has been withheld.  At some point Secretary Clinton will need to personally address the remaining issues.”