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| Kerry defends diplomacy over military at Senate hearing on Benghazi report | Kerry defends diplomacy over military at Senate hearing on Benghazi report |
| (10 days later) | |
| John Kerry, Obama's presumed choice as next secretary of state, has warned against the emergence of a security mentality that would seal US diplomats off from outside contact following the killing of the US ambassador to Libya. | John Kerry, Obama's presumed choice as next secretary of state, has warned against the emergence of a security mentality that would seal US diplomats off from outside contact following the killing of the US ambassador to Libya. |
| At a congressional hearing into institutional failures around the Benghazi consulate attack on 11 September – in which ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed – Kerry criticised the department he is expected to head for "failing to see the wood for the trees". | At a congressional hearing into institutional failures around the Benghazi consulate attack on 11 September – in which ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed – Kerry criticised the department he is expected to head for "failing to see the wood for the trees". |
| The hearing by the Senate foreign relations committee committee, chaired by Kerry, followed the resignation of four senior State Department officials on Wednesday following the release of damning report on security failings that contributed to the attack. | The hearing by the Senate foreign relations committee committee, chaired by Kerry, followed the resignation of four senior State Department officials on Wednesday following the release of damning report on security failings that contributed to the attack. |
| But Kerry also offered a vigorous defence of diplomacy as a means of staving off conflicts that are far more expensive in lives and money, and warned that that mission should not be compromised. | But Kerry also offered a vigorous defence of diplomacy as a means of staving off conflicts that are far more expensive in lives and money, and warned that that mission should not be compromised. |
| "There will always be a tension between the diplomatic imperative to get outside the wire and the security standards that require our diplomats to work behind high walls, concertina wire and full body searches. We do not want to concertina wire America off from the world," he said. "We need to be safe but we also need to send the right message to the people that we're trying to reach." | "There will always be a tension between the diplomatic imperative to get outside the wire and the security standards that require our diplomats to work behind high walls, concertina wire and full body searches. We do not want to concertina wire America off from the world," he said. "We need to be safe but we also need to send the right message to the people that we're trying to reach." |
| Drawing comparisons between his experiences in Vietnam and visits to Iraq and Afghanistan, he said: "As you pass through a village with masses of guns and big armoured personnel carriers and Humvees, the look of confusion and alienation from average Iraqis or Afghans, who just don't understand why we're rumbling through their streets that way, is unmistakable." | Drawing comparisons between his experiences in Vietnam and visits to Iraq and Afghanistan, he said: "As you pass through a village with masses of guns and big armoured personnel carriers and Humvees, the look of confusion and alienation from average Iraqis or Afghans, who just don't understand why we're rumbling through their streets that way, is unmistakable." |
| Kerry said risks have to be taken in order for diplomacy to work. "We have an expeditionary diplomatic corps and they do face very real risks, every day, day in and day out. Bad things have happened before and bad things will happen again, unfortunately, in the future," he said. | Kerry said risks have to be taken in order for diplomacy to work. "We have an expeditionary diplomatic corps and they do face very real risks, every day, day in and day out. Bad things have happened before and bad things will happen again, unfortunately, in the future," he said. |
| The outgoing secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, was unable to attend the hearing after she fell ill, but will testify as a second meeting in January. The deputy secretary of state, William Burns, testified instead and backed Kerry by quoting Clinton as saying that "our diplomats cannot work in bunkers and be effective". | The outgoing secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, was unable to attend the hearing after she fell ill, but will testify as a second meeting in January. The deputy secretary of state, William Burns, testified instead and backed Kerry by quoting Clinton as saying that "our diplomats cannot work in bunkers and be effective". |
| The foreign affairs committee hearing was called to examine the results of the investigation into Stevens' death which found "systematic failures" of leadership and "grossly inadequate" security. | The foreign affairs committee hearing was called to examine the results of the investigation into Stevens' death which found "systematic failures" of leadership and "grossly inadequate" security. |
| Burns acknowledged the mistakes, saying that Clinton has ordered the implementation of all 29 of the report's recommendations, including five that are classified. | Burns acknowledged the mistakes, saying that Clinton has ordered the implementation of all 29 of the report's recommendations, including five that are classified. |
| "We learned some very hard painful lessons in Benghazi. We've already acted on them. We have to do better," he said. | "We learned some very hard painful lessons in Benghazi. We've already acted on them. We have to do better," he said. |
| The hearing was far less partisan than the sometimes bitter charges levelled by Republicans against the White House during the presidential campaign when Barack Obama was accused of a cover up of al-Qaida's involvement in the Benghazi assault. | The hearing was far less partisan than the sometimes bitter charges levelled by Republicans against the White House during the presidential campaign when Barack Obama was accused of a cover up of al-Qaida's involvement in the Benghazi assault. |
| There was only a brief mention on Thursday of the role played by Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the United Nations, who was at the centre of Republican ire in recent months after she gave a misleading account of events in the days following the attack. | There was only a brief mention on Thursday of the role played by Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the United Nations, who was at the centre of Republican ire in recent months after she gave a misleading account of events in the days following the attack. |
| Instead, the divisions emerged over the role of spending cuts in the failure to provide sufficient security to the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi. Kerry rebuked Congress for cutting the department's diplomatic security budget by hundreds of millions of dollars. | Instead, the divisions emerged over the role of spending cuts in the failure to provide sufficient security to the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi. Kerry rebuked Congress for cutting the department's diplomatic security budget by hundreds of millions of dollars. |
| "Congress also bears some responsibility here. Congress has the power of the purse. We use it for any number of things, but it's our responsibility. And for years we've asked our State Department to operate with increasingly lesser resources to conduct essential missions," he said. | "Congress also bears some responsibility here. Congress has the power of the purse. We use it for any number of things, but it's our responsibility. And for years we've asked our State Department to operate with increasingly lesser resources to conduct essential missions," he said. |
| Pointing out that America's international affairs budgets was less that 10% of the Pentagon's $650bn of military spending, he said: "Adequately funding America's foreign policy objectives is not spending. It's investing in our long term security and more often than not it saves far more expensive expenditures in dollars and lives for the conflicts that we fail to see or avoid." | Pointing out that America's international affairs budgets was less that 10% of the Pentagon's $650bn of military spending, he said: "Adequately funding America's foreign policy objectives is not spending. It's investing in our long term security and more often than not it saves far more expensive expenditures in dollars and lives for the conflicts that we fail to see or avoid." |
| Senator Barbara Boxer, a Democrat, noted that while $200m was cut from the State Department security budget, the Pentagon spent $388m on military bands. | Senator Barbara Boxer, a Democrat, noted that while $200m was cut from the State Department security budget, the Pentagon spent $388m on military bands. |
| Some Republicans hit back. Senator Bob Corker said he was dismayed that the hearing was focussing on additional money. | Some Republicans hit back. Senator Bob Corker said he was dismayed that the hearing was focussing on additional money. |
| "We have no idea whether the State Department is using its money wisely or not," he said. "What I saw in the report is a department that has sclerosis, that doesn't think outside the box, that doesn't use the resources that it has in any kind. I cannot imagine sending folks out to Benghazi – after what we saw from the security cameras and the drones – I cannot imagine that we had people out there with a lack of security existing," he said. | "We have no idea whether the State Department is using its money wisely or not," he said. "What I saw in the report is a department that has sclerosis, that doesn't think outside the box, that doesn't use the resources that it has in any kind. I cannot imagine sending folks out to Benghazi – after what we saw from the security cameras and the drones – I cannot imagine that we had people out there with a lack of security existing," he said. |
| Corker said it if wasn't safe, Stevens and other officials should not have been sent. | Corker said it if wasn't safe, Stevens and other officials should not have been sent. |
| Boxer picked up on a central criticism of the report which said the US mission in Benghazi should not have relied on a pro-government Libyan militia for protection. | Boxer picked up on a central criticism of the report which said the US mission in Benghazi should not have relied on a pro-government Libyan militia for protection. |
| Thomas Nides, deputy secretary of state for management and resources who is in charge of implementing the report's recommendations, responded that it would be almost impossible for the US to provide sufficient protection on its own. | Thomas Nides, deputy secretary of state for management and resources who is in charge of implementing the report's recommendations, responded that it would be almost impossible for the US to provide sufficient protection on its own. |
| "The fact for us on the ground is we rely on local governments to protect us. We have to do that because we do not have enough troops on the ground, and most of the countries will not allow us to," he said. | "The fact for us on the ground is we rely on local governments to protect us. We have to do that because we do not have enough troops on the ground, and most of the countries will not allow us to," he said. |
| Senator Jim Risch, a Republican, said he has visited US embassies all over the world and was never impressed by the local security guards. "I feel really good when I see those marines standing there and they say 'Go on in, sir' when you walk in. But usually before that you have to go through a tranche of these locals," he said. | Senator Jim Risch, a Republican, said he has visited US embassies all over the world and was never impressed by the local security guards. "I feel really good when I see those marines standing there and they say 'Go on in, sir' when you walk in. But usually before that you have to go through a tranche of these locals," he said. |
| "You get a real sense of incompetence when you go through there. Generally, those people are confused. Most of them you wouldn't meet going into a theatre here in the United States having the kind of competency they have." | "You get a real sense of incompetence when you go through there. Generally, those people are confused. Most of them you wouldn't meet going into a theatre here in the United States having the kind of competency they have." |
| Another Republican, John Barrasso, asked Burns if the people who attacked the Benghazi consulate have yet been identified. Burns suggested not, saying that the FBI and other agencies are still pursuing the investigation. | Another Republican, John Barrasso, asked Burns if the people who attacked the Benghazi consulate have yet been identified. Burns suggested not, saying that the FBI and other agencies are still pursuing the investigation. |
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