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| Version 6 | Version 7 |
|---|---|
| Hillary Clinton: I took Benghazi responsibility | Hillary Clinton: I took Benghazi responsibility |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Hillary Clinton has said she took responsibility after an attack on a US consulate in Libya in 2012 that killed four Americans. | Hillary Clinton has said she took responsibility after an attack on a US consulate in Libya in 2012 that killed four Americans. |
| She told a Congressional committee that as secretary of state she introduced reforms to protect diplomatic staff after the attack. | She told a Congressional committee that as secretary of state she introduced reforms to protect diplomatic staff after the attack. |
| Committee chairman Trey Gowdy said: "We owe them [the victims] the truth." | Committee chairman Trey Gowdy said: "We owe them [the victims] the truth." |
| Mrs Clinton's party says the Republican-led panel is a witch-hunt trying to harm her presidential bid. | Mrs Clinton's party says the Republican-led panel is a witch-hunt trying to harm her presidential bid. |
| In her opening statement she said she had asked Chris Stevens, one of the four killed, to go to Libya as US envoy. | In her opening statement she said she had asked Chris Stevens, one of the four killed, to go to Libya as US envoy. |
| "After the attacks I stood next to President Obama as Marines carried his casket," she said. | "After the attacks I stood next to President Obama as Marines carried his casket," she said. |
| "I took responsibility, and as part of that before I left office I launched reforms to better protect our people in the field and help reduce the chance of another tragedy happening in the future." | "I took responsibility, and as part of that before I left office I launched reforms to better protect our people in the field and help reduce the chance of another tragedy happening in the future." |
| Five key questions on the latest Benghazi hearing | Five key questions on the latest Benghazi hearing |
| Mrs Clinton said her appearance was her way of honouring the lives lost, and she called on those present to put national security above partisan politics. | |
| Democratic Representative Elijah Cummings, seated next to the chairman, said Republicans were wasting taxpayer money in an effort to derail Mrs Clinton's presidential campaign. | |
| Analysis - Rob Wilson, BBC foreign affairs analyst | Analysis - Rob Wilson, BBC foreign affairs analyst |
| The opening statements of the Republican chairman, Trey Gowdy, and ranking Democratic member, Elijah Cummings, couldn't have illustrated the political divide more clearly. | The opening statements of the Republican chairman, Trey Gowdy, and ranking Democratic member, Elijah Cummings, couldn't have illustrated the political divide more clearly. |
| Gowdy spent most of his time speaking about the events in Benghazi and the inadequacies of the previous seven investigations - trying to stress the need for the current probe and downplay allegations that it's all about Clinton herself. He mentioned her emails, but only in the context of his committee's investigation. | Gowdy spent most of his time speaking about the events in Benghazi and the inadequacies of the previous seven investigations - trying to stress the need for the current probe and downplay allegations that it's all about Clinton herself. He mentioned her emails, but only in the context of his committee's investigation. |
| Cummings, on the other hand, hardly mentioned Libya at all and spoke almost exclusively about the Washington-based political process surrounding the committee's work - attacking the Republican members of the committee and the party's leadership. | Cummings, on the other hand, hardly mentioned Libya at all and spoke almost exclusively about the Washington-based political process surrounding the committee's work - attacking the Republican members of the committee and the party's leadership. |
| There have already been seven congressional investigations into the attack, by suspected Islamist militants, on the US compound in the Libyan city of Benghazi on 11 September 2012. | |
| The raid led to the deaths of ambassador Chris Stevens and three other US embassy staff. | |
| Mrs Clinton said Mr Stevens was well aware of the risks of his job. | |
| "Make no mistakes, the risks are real," she said. "Nobody knew the dangers of Libya better." | |
| Withdrawing American presence from Libya would have been a mistake, she said. | |
| "To retreat from the world is not an option. America cannot shrink from our ability to lead." | |
| Observers say this is a key moment for Mrs Clinton, who solidified her position as the Democrats' frontrunner for presidential candidate after her potential rival, Vice-President Joe Biden, ruled himself out of the race on Wednesday. | Observers say this is a key moment for Mrs Clinton, who solidified her position as the Democrats' frontrunner for presidential candidate after her potential rival, Vice-President Joe Biden, ruled himself out of the race on Wednesday. |
| Her appearance before the House of Representatives Select Committee on Benghazi could further strengthen her position or raise doubts about her suitability as a presidential nominee. | Her appearance before the House of Representatives Select Committee on Benghazi could further strengthen her position or raise doubts about her suitability as a presidential nominee. |
| The Republicans on the committee are also under pressure to prove they have good reason to bring Mrs Clinton before them, and are not just using it as an excuse to undermine her presidential candidacy. | The Republicans on the committee are also under pressure to prove they have good reason to bring Mrs Clinton before them, and are not just using it as an excuse to undermine her presidential candidacy. |
| Key questions | Key questions |
| What are the possible consequences for Clinton? | What are the possible consequences for Clinton? |
| The committee does not have the power to punish but depending on the conclusions there could be political consequences for Hillary Clinton, which might affect her presidential campaign | The committee does not have the power to punish but depending on the conclusions there could be political consequences for Hillary Clinton, which might affect her presidential campaign |
| Why were we told the attack was related to a video? | Why were we told the attack was related to a video? |
| Many Republicans believe the White House was trying to deflect attention from policy failures in the battle against terrorism. The House Intelligence Committee said intelligence analysts, not political appointees, made the wrong call, and there was no deliberate attempt at a cover up. | Many Republicans believe the White House was trying to deflect attention from policy failures in the battle against terrorism. The House Intelligence Committee said intelligence analysts, not political appointees, made the wrong call, and there was no deliberate attempt at a cover up. |
| What did Clinton know about security requests? | What did Clinton know about security requests? |
| She has said in previous testimony that requests for additional security didn't reach her level. But she has taken responsibility for the failure. And the State Department review laid out steps to improve security at diplomatic missions. | She has said in previous testimony that requests for additional security didn't reach her level. But she has taken responsibility for the failure. And the State Department review laid out steps to improve security at diplomatic missions. |
| What did the other Congressional committees find? | What did the other Congressional committees find? |
| This is the eighth congressional investigation. Previous committees criticised Mrs Clinton and the Obama administration on a number of points, especially the poor security at the Benghazi mission. And the intelligence was flawed. | This is the eighth congressional investigation. Previous committees criticised Mrs Clinton and the Obama administration on a number of points, especially the poor security at the Benghazi mission. And the intelligence was flawed. |
| What is there left to discover? | What is there left to discover? |
| The committee has suggested there will be new evidence of how poorly the state department responded to security requests for the Benghazi mission, and new evidence on how the military responded to the attack. | The committee has suggested there will be new evidence of how poorly the state department responded to security requests for the Benghazi mission, and new evidence on how the military responded to the attack. |
| Read Barbara Plett Usher's answers in full | Read Barbara Plett Usher's answers in full |