Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is changing her narrative when it comes to the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States consulate in Benghazi, moving from ‘what difference does it make’ to calling the terrorist attacks her “biggest” regret.
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During Monday’s National Automobile Dealers Association’s conference in New Orleans, Clinton discussed the attacks in Libya, which left four Americans dead including Ambassador Chris Stevens. The 2016 Democratic hopeful, who did little to fuel speculation about a potential run, called the deadly attacks a “terrible tragedy” when asked if she would have any “do-overs” during her tenure as Secretary of State.
“My biggest, you know, regret is what happened in Benghazi,” Clinton, who was Secretary of State during the attacks, said. “It was a terrible tragedy, losing four Americans, two diplomats and, now it’s public, so I can say two CIA operatives.”
The former Secretary of State praised Stevens, calling him “one of our very best.”
Since the attacks on the consulate that occurred more than a year ago, Congressional Republicans have worked tirelessly to uncover who in the Obama administration should be held accountable. Clinton, while testifying about what occurred that September day, famously asked the Senate Foreign Relations Committee “what difference at this point does it make” what caused the attacks. Clinton and President Barack Obama consistently denied the violent attacks were the result of terrorism, but rather a reaction to an anti-Islamist YouTube video.
In recounting Sept. 11, 2012, Clinton told NADA conference attendees her decisions during and after the attacks in Benghazi were based on “imperfect information.”
“You make these choices based on imperfect information and you make them to, as we say, the best of your ability. But that doesn’t mean that there’s not going to be unforeseen consequences, unpredictable twists and turns,” Clinton said.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who has ardently called for more answers surrounding the terror attacks, slammed Clinton’s rhetoric, mocking it as “cheap.”
“If she really was sorry, then she would stand up and join me and 22 other senators calling for a joint select committee in Congress to investigate why our facilities in Benghazi were not secure, why we didn’t respond to the reports of terrorist activities, why we didn’t have military assets in place to protect our brave men who were serving there, and and why nobody has been held accountable — not a single person’s been fired at the Department of State, and none of the terrorists who attacked us over a year ago have been brought to justice,”Cruz told Fox News on Monday afternoon. “If she was really sorry — talk’s cheap; she needs to stand up and demand action.”
The Senate Intelligence Committee released a report earlier this month finding both the State Department, which Clinton was at the helm of, and the intelligence community could have prevented the attacks.
On Jan. 10, the State Department released, for the first time, the names of individuals and groups it believes to have been behind the attacks. It also publicly announced a $10 million reward for those with information pertaining to the terrorist attacks.
Watch Clinton’s remarks at the NADA conference below.
h/t POLITICO
