[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 13361-13362]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                BENGHAZI

  Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, 12 years ago Al Qaeda terrorists 
attacked

[[Page 13362]]

our homeland, killing nearly 3,000 people. I will never forget the 
heroes of that day, many of whom laid down their lives for others.
  Their courage is epitomized by the words spoken by a fire department 
captain at the World Trade Center. He radioed in to say, ``We're still 
heading up.'' Indeed, these firefighters were still heading up while 
others were fleeing the flames and the acrid smoke. Where that kind of 
courage and determination comes from is hard to contemplate, but we are 
so grateful our first responders have that kind of dedication and 
courage.
  Nor will I ever forget the many people who continue to live with the 
scars, whether they are civilians who lost a loved one that day, 
firefighters, police officers, or other first responders who rushed to 
the scene, or our brave military servicemembers who answered the call 
to defend our country in the years that followed. We must never lose 
sight of their sacrifice.
  This week we have been considering the weighty issue of whether to 
grant the administration the authority to use military force against 
Syria. This day, the anniversary of those horrific attacks on our 
country 12 years ago, should not pass without our calling attention to 
another important matter of unfinished business critical to our 
national security and to our Nation's conscience.
  A year ago today terrorists with links to Al Qaeda attacked our 
diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya. Despite a steadily escalating 
stream of threat reporting, and an obvious inability of Libyan security 
forces to protect our diplomatic personnel and our facilities, the 
State Department had denied urgent requests for increased security 
measures. Officials kept the woefully vulnerable Benghazi compound 
open, setting the stage for attackers to essentially walk right into 
the compound and set it ablaze.
  Tragically we lost four brave, dedicated diplomats and security 
personnel that terrible day and night: Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods, Sean 
Smith, and Ambassador Chris Stevens. We laud their courage and we honor 
their memory, but we must also remedy the security failures and punish 
those responsible for their deaths.
  Today I draw attention to the lessons that must be learned from the 
attacks in Benghazi and to the work that still must be done to bring 
the attackers to justice. First we must ensure that such wholesale 
failure to read the signs of escalating danger and to respond to urgent 
security needs never happens again.
  Last year, as chairman and ranking member of the Senate Homeland 
Security Committee, former Senator Joe Lieberman and I conducted an 
investigation into the terrorist attacks at Benghazi. In our bipartisan 
report entitled ``Flashing Red,'' we found the State Department 
downplayed the terrorist threat in Benghazi despite numerous previous 
attacks on western targets, that they ignored repeated requests for 
additional security, and that they insufficiently fortified a 
shamefully ill-protected American compound. The Benghazi facility 
should either have been closed until security was strengthened or the 
threat abated.
  We identified changes that must be made, including greater attention 
to security at high-risk posts around the world and better management 
to ensure that the recommendations of previous security reviews are 
fully implemented. It was discouraging to read previous accountability 
review board reports after the attacks in Africa, for example, back in 
the late 1990s and see similar patterns of requests for security being 
denied in Washington.
  Second, Secretary of State John Kerry should hold personnel 
accountable for the problems identified in our committee report and by 
the Accountability Review Board. After our committee and the ARB 
identified systemic failures and leadership deficiencies that 
contributed to the grossly inadequate security in Benghazi, it is 
totally unacceptable for the State Department to hold no one 
responsible for the broader mismanagement that occurred prior to the 
attack.
  Finally, a year after the attack, the terrorists who invaded the 
Benghazi compound still have not been brought to justice despite 
repeated promises and pledges by President Obama to do so.
  After a long-delayed investigation, including a period of weeks when 
the FBI agents were not allowed to even access the Benghazi facility, 
Federal authorities have recently filed criminal charges against 
several suspects. But serious questions remain about the pace, the 
extent, and the effectiveness of these investigations and charges.
  A major problem is the willingness--or lack thereof--of the Libyan 
Government to fully cooperate. I am told that the whereabouts of one of 
the prime suspects is known and that he is walking about fully, openly, 
and freely. Yet he has not been picked up. He has not been arrested. He 
has not been taken into captivity. Why not?
  The administration must follow through on its commitment by taking 
the steps necessary to bring the attackers to justice, as the President 
promised. And the State Department, in the meantime, must implement all 
of the actions needed to prevent a Benghazi-like attack from taking 
place again. Surely, on the anniversary of the attacks on our Nation 12 
years ago and the attacks 1 year ago in Benghazi, we owe it to Chris 
Stevens and his colleagues and to the American people.
  Madam President, seeing no one seeking recognition, I suggest the 
absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona.
  Mr. FLAKE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. FLAKE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak in 
morning business for up to 5 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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