Review Finds State Dept. at Fault in U.S. Deaths at Libya Consulate

Report blames 'systemic failure,' Hillary Clinton accepts recommendations for improvement

Three months after the deadly attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, an independent review panel is citing “systemic failures” and “management deficits” regarding the U.S. State Department's handling of security. Failures on the part of top State Department officials to provide adequate security at the consulate resulted in the Sept. 11, 2012, deaths of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

The report by the Accountability Review Board for Benghazi, released late Tuesday, also found that the attack on the U.S. consulate was the result of a planned terrorist attack as opposed to a spontaneous protest to an anti-Islam video as initially reported. The board did not find that any individual U.S. government employee to be engaged in misconduct. However, it noted that some senior officials at the State Department “demonstrated a lack of proactive leadership and management ability in their responses to security concerns posed by Special Mission Benghazi.”

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who heads the State Department, accepted all of the recommendations for improvement made by the independent panel. Clinton, who announced plans to step down from the post some time ago, has been thought to be a strong contender for the 2016 presidential race. Clinton has said she has no plans to run at this time. However, if she does decide to run, her handling of Benghazi will likely be a major talking point for Republicans. (Politico)

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