The Democratic Members of the Benghazi Select Committee submit this report in honor of the memories of Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty; the other extraordinary heroes in Benghazi and Tripoli who risked life and limb to help their fellow Americans; and the men and women of the Defense Department, State Department, and Intelligence Community who serve the United States every day around the world. We deeply regret that this report is not bipartisan. In May, we asked Chairman Trey Gowdy to work with us on a joint report with conclusions we could all agree on, followed by areas on which we may disagree. We also offered to provide him with a draft of our report in advance. But Chairman Gowdy mocked our request as “mildly amusing.” We are issuing our own report today because, after spending more than two years and $7 million in taxpayer funds in one of the longest and most partisan congressional investigations in history, it is long past time for the Select Committee to conclude its work. Despite our repeated requests over the last several months, Republicans have refused to provide us with a draft of their report—or even a basic outline—making it impossible for us to provide input and obvious that we are being shut out of the process until the last possible moment.
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HONORING COURAGE, IMPROVING SECURITY, AND
FIGHTING THE EXPLOITATION OF A TRAGEDY
Report of the Democratic Members
June 2016
Select Committee on the Events Surrounding
the 2012 Terrorist Attack in Benghazi
Elijah Cummings (MD), Ranking Member
Adam Smith (WA)
Adam Schiff (CA)
Linda Sanchez (CA)
Tammy Duckworth (IL)
June 27, 2016
democrats-benghazi.house.gov
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1
FINDINGS
15
I.
EVIDENCE OBTAINED BY THE SELECT COMMITTEE CONFIRMS
CORE FINDINGS OF PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS
17
A. Courage and Heroism of First Responders
18
1. Response of Diplomatic Security Agents
21
2. Response of Annex Personnel
35
3. Response of Tripoli Security Team
41
4. Lifesaving Medical Care
47
B. The Department of Defense
53
1. Military Response Could Not Have Prevented Deaths in Benghazi
55
2. Military Posture Prevented More Rapid Response, and Significant
Improvements Made Years Ago
73
3. Unsubstantiated Claim of Intentional Delay or “Stand Down”
78
C. The Department of State
104
1. Security in Benghazi Was Woefully Inadequate
106
2. Secretary Clinton Never Personally Denied Security Requests
132
3. Secretary Clinton Was Active and Engaged
135
4. Terrorists Caused Attacks in Benghazi, Not U.S. Foreign Policy
143
5. Unsubstantiated Claim That Documents Were “Scrubbed”
149
6. ARB Review Was Independent, Thorough, and Efficient
155
D. The Intelligence Community
165
1. No Advance Warning of the Attacks
167
2. CIA Security Team Temporarily Delayed to Seek Local Support
171
3. Unsubstantiated Claim that CIA Shipped Arms From Libya to Another
Country
181
4. Intelligence Assessments Evolved as More Information Became
Available
184
5. No Evidence Intelligence Assessments or Talking Points Politicized
200
E. No Intentionally Misleading Public Statements
214
1. Secretary Clinton’s Statements
217
2. Ambassador Rice’s Statements
228
II.
SELECT COMMITTEE SQUANDERED MILLIONS OF D