In the wake of the attack on the US embassy in Libya which resulted in the death of four Americans, including the US ambassador to Libya, Ambassador Susan Rice described the attack as a mob enraged over an anti-Muslim video. She came under intense criticism from various politicians, especially Republicans, for these remarks, especially after evidence emerged that the attack was far more premeditated than initially suggested. Rice is now saying that her initial comments about the attack were based on the intelligence sources that were available at the time.
Outside a UN Security Council meeting, Rice said to reporters, “As a senior U.S. diplomat, I agreed to a White House request to appear on the Sunday shows to talk about the full range of national security issues of the day, which at that time were primarily and particularly the protests that were enveloping and threatening many diplomatic facilities, American diplomatic facilities around the world, and Iran’s nuclear program.”
“When discussing he attack against our facilities in Benghazi, I relied solely and squarely on the information provided to me by the intelligence community,” she said. “I made clear that the information was preliminary, and that our investigations would give us the definitive answers. Everyone, particularly the intelligence community, has worked in good faith to provide the best assessment based on the information available. You know the FBI and the State Department’s Accountability Review Board are conducting investigations as we speak. And they will look into all aspects of this heinous terrorist attack, to provide what will become the definitive accounting of what occurred.”
