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| Obama deflects Romney's challenge on Benghazi attack during Hofstra debate | Obama deflects Romney's challenge on Benghazi attack during Hofstra debate |
| (25 days later) | |
| Barack Obama wrong footed Mitt Romney in a dramatic clash over the Benghazi attack that killed the US ambassador to Libya, an issue which could have been severely embarrassing to the president, but ultimately humiliated the Republican candidate. | Barack Obama wrong footed Mitt Romney in a dramatic clash over the Benghazi attack that killed the US ambassador to Libya, an issue which could have been severely embarrassing to the president, but ultimately humiliated the Republican candidate. |
| Obama swiftly defused questions about who bore responsibility for security failures which left the US consulate in Benghazi vulnerable to attack on September 11. Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state attempted to deflect growing Republican criticism of the president on the issue ahead of the debate by saying the buck stopped with her. | Obama swiftly defused questions about who bore responsibility for security failures which left the US consulate in Benghazi vulnerable to attack on September 11. Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state attempted to deflect growing Republican criticism of the president on the issue ahead of the debate by saying the buck stopped with her. |
| But Obama quickly laid the issue to rest when Romney brought it up. "I am ultimately responsible for what's taking place there," he said. "I'm the one who has to greet those coffins when they come home, so you know I mean what I say." | But Obama quickly laid the issue to rest when Romney brought it up. "I am ultimately responsible for what's taking place there," he said. "I'm the one who has to greet those coffins when they come home, so you know I mean what I say." |
| Romney was undeterred and sought to pin the president down over why his administration had not immediately called the assault that killed the ambassador, Chris Stevens, and three other Americans a terrorist attack. | Romney was undeterred and sought to pin the president down over why his administration had not immediately called the assault that killed the ambassador, Chris Stevens, and three other Americans a terrorist attack. |
| He accused the administration of hiding behind a false claim that the assault was born out of popular demonstrations against an anti-Muslim video. The president and his officials, Romney said, were either incompetent or involved in a coverup in taking two weeks to acknowledge there had been a terrorist attack. | He accused the administration of hiding behind a false claim that the assault was born out of popular demonstrations against an anti-Muslim video. The president and his officials, Romney said, were either incompetent or involved in a coverup in taking two weeks to acknowledge there had been a terrorist attack. |
| "It's very clear. This was not a demonstration. This was an attack by terrorists," said Romney, clearly believing he had his man. | "It's very clear. This was not a demonstration. This was an attack by terrorists," said Romney, clearly believing he had his man. |
| But Obama landed a bombshell. | But Obama landed a bombshell. |
| "The day after the attack, governor, I stood in the rose garden and I told the American people and the world that we were going to find out exactly what happened, that this was an act of terror, and also said that we're going to hunt down those that committed this crime," he said. | "The day after the attack, governor, I stood in the rose garden and I told the American people and the world that we were going to find out exactly what happened, that this was an act of terror, and also said that we're going to hunt down those that committed this crime," he said. |
| "You said in the rose garden the day after the attack it was an act of terror?" Romney asked. "I want to make sure we get that for the record because it took the president 14 days before he called the attack in Benghazi an act of terror." | "You said in the rose garden the day after the attack it was an act of terror?" Romney asked. "I want to make sure we get that for the record because it took the president 14 days before he called the attack in Benghazi an act of terror." |
| Romney appeared to scent blood and pushed Obama to repeat the claim. The president responded: "Get the transcript". | Romney appeared to scent blood and pushed Obama to repeat the claim. The president responded: "Get the transcript". |
| At that point the CNN moderator, Candy Crowley, waded in to say that Obama was right, leaving Romney fumbling for a response. The president chimed in with: "Can you say that a little louder, Candy?". It drew one of the few bursts of applause during the debate. | At that point the CNN moderator, Candy Crowley, waded in to say that Obama was right, leaving Romney fumbling for a response. The president chimed in with: "Can you say that a little louder, Candy?". It drew one of the few bursts of applause during the debate. |
| Romney attempted to rescue the moment. | Romney attempted to rescue the moment. |
| "It took them a long time to say this was a terrorist act by a terrorist group," he said. | "It took them a long time to say this was a terrorist act by a terrorist group," he said. |
| But the Republican presidential candidate had been made to look ill informed and foolish as his attempt to discredit Obama backfired and the president walked away from a potentially damaging encounter largely unscathed. However, there are likely to be conservatives who will challenge Obama's claim. | But the Republican presidential candidate had been made to look ill informed and foolish as his attempt to discredit Obama backfired and the president walked away from a potentially damaging encounter largely unscathed. However, there are likely to be conservatives who will challenge Obama's claim. |
| The transcript of his remarks on September 12 show that he was speaking about the Benghazi attack but also noted that the assault had occurred on the anniversary of al-Qaida's 9/11 on the US. | The transcript of his remarks on September 12 show that he was speaking about the Benghazi attack but also noted that the assault had occurred on the anniversary of al-Qaida's 9/11 on the US. |
| Obama then said: "No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for. Today we mourn four more Americans who represent the very best of the United States of America." | Obama then said: "No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for. Today we mourn four more Americans who represent the very best of the United States of America." |
| Romney's surprise is perhaps understandable because in the days that followed, the administration stuck to the line that the assault was a response to the anti-Muslim video. The White House sent the US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, to say that on television talk shows the following weekend. No mention was made of a terrorist attack. | Romney's surprise is perhaps understandable because in the days that followed, the administration stuck to the line that the assault was a response to the anti-Muslim video. The White House sent the US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, to say that on television talk shows the following weekend. No mention was made of a terrorist attack. |
| Finally, a week after the attack, Matthew Olsen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, called the killings a terrorist attack but even that was not picked up by most other administration officials. In the following week the defence secretary, Leon Panetta, and other officials followed. | Finally, a week after the attack, Matthew Olsen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, called the killings a terrorist attack but even that was not picked up by most other administration officials. In the following week the defence secretary, Leon Panetta, and other officials followed. |
| In the debate, Obama strongly defended his administration's integrity in the face of a concerted Republican campaign claiming that senior officials lied about the circumstances of the Benghazi assault. Romney picked up that theme. | In the debate, Obama strongly defended his administration's integrity in the face of a concerted Republican campaign claiming that senior officials lied about the circumstances of the Benghazi assault. Romney picked up that theme. |
| "Whether there was some misleading or instead whether we just didn't know what happened, I think you have to ask yourself why didn't we know five days later when the ambassador to the United Nations went on TV to say that this was a demonstration. How could we have not known?" he said. | "Whether there was some misleading or instead whether we just didn't know what happened, I think you have to ask yourself why didn't we know five days later when the ambassador to the United Nations went on TV to say that this was a demonstration. How could we have not known?" he said. |
| The president took issue. | The president took issue. |
| "The suggestion that anybody in my team, whether the secretary of state, our UN ambassador, anybody on my team, would play politics or mislead when we lost four of our own, governor, is offensive," he said. | "The suggestion that anybody in my team, whether the secretary of state, our UN ambassador, anybody on my team, would play politics or mislead when we lost four of our own, governor, is offensive," he said. |
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