[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 104 (Friday, July 19, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H4823-H4824]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   UNANSWERED BENGHAZI QUESTION NO. 4

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2013, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. 
Wolf) for 30 minutes.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, today I ask my fourth question in a series of 
unresolved issues surrounding the Benghazi terrorist attacks. With only 
eight more legislative days before the Congress departs for August 
recess, I'm increasingly concerned that these questions will remain 
unanswered by the time we mark the 1-year anniversary of the Benghazi 
attacks the week we return from recess in September.
  That is why I continue to raise these questions to provide the 
American people with a better understanding of how little we really 
know about this incident, despite nearly a year of investigations in 
multiple committees. Unless these questions are answered by the 
committees, or rather by a select committee focused on Benghazi as I 
have advocated for more than 8 months, the American people will never 
learn the complete truth.
  Today I am pleased to share one piece of good news before I raise the 
fourth critical unanswered question. At my request today, the House 
State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee reported out a 
bill that prohibits funding from the Millennium Challenge Corporation 
(MCC) from going to the country of Tunisia.
  Last year, Tunisia detained the first suspect in the Benghazi terror 
attacks, Ali Harzi, after he was deported from Turkey in the weeks 
following the attack.
  Tunisia, despite being a beneficiary of more than $300 million in 
U.S. foreign aid by the American people, refused to allow the FBI 
access to this suspect for nearly 5 weeks. It was only after 
congressional threats to cut off the aid that the Government of Tunisia 
reconsidered its position.
  Ultimately, the FBI interrogation team returned to Tunisia and was 
allowed just 3 hours to interview Harzi,

[[Page H4824]]

with his lawyer and a Tunisian judge present. Not long after the FBI 
interview, Harzi was inexplicably released by the Tunisian authorities, 
and his release was celebrated by the terrorist group Ansar al Sharia.
  Consider that for a moment the Tunisian Government kept the FBI 
interrogation team waiting on the ground for 5 weeks before they 
ultimately left the country. Only under the threat from certain Members 
of the U.S. Congress did Tunisia relent and allow the FBI team to 
return to interview this suspect for a mere 3 hours. Then, when the 
terrorist is released, there is a celebration. That's shameful. We lost 
four Americans in the attack on Benghazi and a number were wounded and 
two were wounded very seriously.
  Because of Tunisian's obstruction of the FBI's investigation, the 
House has taken the first step today to send a signal to Tunisia and 
other countries harboring the terrorists responsible for the death of 
four Americans in Benghazi. This is an important and overdue step--
overdue because the Obama administration could have long ago suspended 
or terminated its payments to Tunisia or other countries that failed to 
cooperate with the FBI in this investigation.
  This brings me to today's question, the fourth in a series of 
critical unanswered question: Why has the Obama administration not 
taken any steps to apply pressure to countries that have refused to 
allow the FBI access to terrorists responsible for the Benghazi attack?
  After nearly a year of investigation, has the FBI had access to any 
other suspects in any other country other than their brief interview 
with Harzi?
  Even more importantly, nearly a year after the Benghazi attacks, why 
has no Benghazi terrorist faced any form of justice for the killing of 
four Americans, including a sitting U.S. Ambassador?
  Reports indicate that upwards of 100 terrorists may have attacked the 
consulate and annex. We can't even bring one of those 100 to justice 
after a year? How is it that after nearly a year of investigation, and 
despite the full resources of the U.S. intelligence, defense, and law 
enforcement agencies, we are still unable to locate, apprehend, and 
bring to justice any of the suspected terrorists?

                              {time}  1315

  One can't help but ask whether the administration really wants a full 
and transparent accounting of what transpired on that fateful night. 
The administration's record certainly does not reflect it.
  The American people may wonder if the government really wants 
progress made in this investigation for fear that it will no longer be 
able to hide behind the FBI investigation as its excuse not to comment 
on what happened in Benghazi.
  Consider that in May, the Associated Press reported, and I quote from 
the Associated Press:

       The U.S. has identified five men who might be responsible 
     for the attack on the diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, 
     last year, and has enough evidence to justify seizing them by 
     military force as suspected terrorists, officials say. But 
     there isn't enough proof to try them in a U.S. civilian court 
     as the Obama administration prefers. The men remain at large 
     while the FBI gathers evidence.

  If this report is accurate, it recommends a stunning abdication of 
responsibility on the part of this administration to allow known 
Benghazi terrorists to continue to walk free because the President 
refuses to use military force to capture or eliminate them.
  When will the FBI be able to gather enough evidence to use in a 
civilian trial against them if they're denied access by countries 
because the administration refuses to use the tools of American 
diplomacy to bring pressure to bear on those countries?
  Additionally, there's a larger question of whether it is even 
appropriate, if enough evidence is gathered, to bring the terrorists to 
the U.S. for a civilian trial. Benghazi was a battlefield, not a crime 
scene. Those responsible should face justice as enemy combatants, not 
as common criminals.
  As we mark the 1-year anniversary of the Benghazi attacks, how can 
any of us really say to the families of the victims, or the wounded 
survivors--and we should know who the survivors are, because they are 
heroes--that the U.S. has done everything they can to locate, capture, 
and hold accountable those responsible?
  I want to credit Representative Kay Granger, the chair of the 
Appropriations Subcommittee that blocked additional funding for 
Tunisia. I hope this Congress will similarly hold accountable the other 
countries that obstruct the FBI's efforts to arrest or interview other 
suspects. It is increasingly clear the Obama administration will not.
  How many years will it take until any, if not all, of the Benghazi 
terrorists face justice for killing four Americans and seriously 
wounding several others?
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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