HRC: State Secrets and the Rebirth of Hillary Clinton (60 page)

4
to help Kathleen Kane, a Hillary supporter
Borys Krawczeniuk, “Clinton Backs Kane, but AFL-CIO Goes for Murphy,”
Scranton Times-Tribune
, March 27, 2012.

5
“I am proud to endorse Mark Critz”
Chris Good, “Bill Clinton Endorses Critz in Pennsylvania Democratic House Primary,”
ABCNews.com
, April 12, 2012.

6
edged Altmire by 1,489
“2012 General Primary: Official Returns,” Pennsylvania Department of State, April 24, 2012,
http://bit.ly/189Bzq8
.

7
Kane beat Murphy
Ibid.

8
“invited me to the Oval Office”
John C. Ensslin and Herb Jackson, “Rothman Visits Obama as Clinton Endorses Pascrell for 9th Congressional District Seat,”
North Jersey
, June 1, 2012,
http://bit.ly/15hxRs7
.

9
Pascrell coasted
Alex Isenstadt, “Bill Pascrell Trounces Steve Rothman in Primary,”
Politico
, June 6, 2012.

10
by letting Berman ride
Jonah Lowenfeld, “What’s a Congressman to Do: Vote in D.C. or Ride with the President to George Clooney’s House?”
Jewish Journal
, May 10, 2012.

11
wisdom of letting tax cuts
Melissa Jeltsen, “Bill Clinton: Bush Tax Cuts Should Be Extended Temporarily,”
Huffington Post
, June 5, 2012.

12
had come to the defense of Romney
John Hudson, “Bill Clinton Joins the List of Bain Defenders,”
Atlantic Wire
, June 1, 2012.

13
the economy rebounded
Vicki Needham, “Experts Say Economy Should Grow Despite Who Wins White House in November,”
The Hill
, September 2, 2012.

14
“a one-word answer: Arithmetic”
Bill Clinton, speech to the Democratic National Convention,
New York Times
, September 5, 2012.

15
“It takes some brass”
Ibid.

16
she settled into a chair
“Photo: Hillary Clinton Watches Husband Deliver Convention Speech,”
CNN.com
, September 6, 2012.

Note:
In this and subsequent chapters, the abbreviation ARB refers to the State Department’s Accountability Review Board report on Benghazi, which was
prepared by a semi-independent panel picked by Hillary Clinton and released on December 19, 2012; it is online at
http://1.usa.gov/TYkdAW
. The abbreviation IPR refers to the Interim Progress Report for the Members of the House Republican Conference, a document containing the findings of GOP committees that was released on April 23, 2013; it is online at
http://1.usa.gov/10xGqik
.

1
delivered blunt assessments of Qaddafi’s
State Department cable, August 29, 2008, accessed from
New York Times
online database of WikiLeaks documents on November 7, 2013.

2
He arrived in Benghazi
ARB, p. 13.

3
“go out and meet as many members”
Greg Myre, “Slain U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens Thrived on Tough Assignments,” National Public Radio, September 12, 2012.

4
“as we expand U.S. expeditionary capacity”
Leading Through Civilian Power: The First Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review
, 2010, U.S. Department of State.

5
“famous for always maintaining”
Hillary Clinton, “Secretary Clinton Remarks at Swearing-in Ceremony for Chris Stevens, Ambassador to Libya,” May 14, 2012, U.S. Department of State.

6
“normalized security operations”
IPR, p. 7.

7
in a March 28 cable
State Department cable, March 28, 2012, “Request for DS TDY and FTE support,” accessed from House Oversight and Government Reform Committee website on November 7, 2013.

8
Before Cretz could get a reply
Eli Lake, “U.S. Consulate in Benghazi Bombed Twice in Run-up to 9/11 Anniversary,”
Daily Beast
, October 2, 2012.

9
in a separate incident
ARB, p. 15.

10
the original plan would remain
IPR, p. 11.

11
When Stevens arrived to replace Cretz
Ibid.

12
an IED had blown
Lake, “U.S. Consulate in Benghazi Bombed.”

13
“NO, I do not [repeat] not”
IPR, p. 12.

14
expressing concern about a planned reduction
State Department cable, July 9, 2012, “Tripoli—Request for extension of TDY security personnel,” accessed from House Oversight and Government Reform Committee website on November 7, 2013.

15
In addition to attacking
ARB, pp. 15–16.

16
Stevens traveled from Tripoli
Eli Lake, “Who Outed the CIA Annex in Benghazi?”
Daily Beast
, May 24, 2013.

17
“At least one of the reasons”
“The Latest on the Benghazi Hearing,”
Political Ticker
, CNN, May 8, 2013,
http://bit.ly/18PSV7O
.

18
Hillary personally conveyed
Ibid.

19
someone was spotted taking pictures
Nancy A. Youssef, “In Talking Points Controversy, an Unanswered Question: Why Did CIA Say a Protest Preceded Benghazi Attack?”
McClatchy
, May 13, 2013.

20
That morning Stevens sent a memo
State Department cable, September
11, 2012, “Benghazi weekly report,” accessed from House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on November 8, 2013.

21
asking whether Stevens had heard
“Transcript: Whistle-blower’s Account of September 11 Libya Terror Attack,” Fox News, May 8, 2013,
http://fxn.ws/12VVSPQ
.

22
“the continuing efforts”
“What They Said, Before and After the Attack in Libya,”
New York Times
, September 12, 2012.

23
failed to quell the outrage
“Protesters Attack U.S. Diplomatic Compounds in Egypt, Libya,” CNN, September 12, 2012.

24
State Department was consumed
Chris McGreal and Tom McCarthy, “Benghazi Hearings: Hillary Clinton Issues Forceful Defence,”
The Guardian
, January 24, 2013.

25
met with a Turkish official
“Benghazi Timeline: How the Attack Unfolded,” CBS News, November 2, 2012.

26
a local police car left its post
Julian E. Barnes, “Timeline: Military Response to Benghazi Attacks,”
Wall Street Journal
, May 8, 2013.

27
a low of 20
State Department Operations Center, e-mail during Benghazi attack, September 11, 2012, ABC News,
http://abcn.ws/TzmGGE
.

28
as many as 125
Nancy A. Youssef and Suliman Ali Zway, “No Protest Before Benghazi Attack, Wounded Libyan Guard Says,”
McClatchy
, September 13, 2012.

29
“FUCK,” Smith wrote
Sarah Tory, “We Were Friends in Real Life and in Internet Spaceships,”
Slate
, September 12, 2012.

30
heard around Benghazi
ARB, p. 23.

31
The attackers set fires
Greg Hicks, former deputy chief of mission in Libya, testimony, May 8, 2013, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,
http://1.usa.gov/103sFBL
.

32
Within minutes
ARB, p. 23.

33
Stevens began dialing
Hicks testimony.

34
In the safe area
ARB, p. 22.

35
Billowing smoke
Ibid.

36
the other three
Ibid.

37
set out for the compound
Eric Schmitt, “C.I.A. Played Major Role in Fighting Militants in Libya Attack,”
New York Times
, November 1, 2012.

38
4:05 p.m. in Washington
State Department Operations Center, e-mail during Benghazi attack, September 11, 2012, at
ABCNews.com
,
http://abcn.ws/TzmGGE
.

39
The security officers
ARB, p. 24.

40
The five diplomatic security officers
Ibid.

41
Leon Panetta
“Pentagon Releases Official Timeline of Benghazi Attack,” CNN, January 23, 2013,
http://bit.ly/V4uOya
.

42
Panetta would later
Donna Cassata and Richard Lardner, “Panetta Defends Military Response in Libya,” Associated Press, February 7, 2013.

43
instruct special forces teams
“Pentagon Releases Official Timeline.”

44
By eleven-thirty p.m. in Benghazi
ARB, p. 25.

45
Around two a.m. in Libya
“Transcript: Whistle-blower’s Account of September 11 Libya Terror Attack,” Fox News, May 8, 2013,
http://fxn.ws/12VVSPQ
.

46
Hicks received a call
Hicks testimony.

47
Meanwhile the CIA team
ARB, p. 27.

48
After the mortar attacks
Ibid.

49
“This is the first time”
Hicks testimony.

50
Around seven-thirty a.m. local
ARB, p. 27.

51
America’s Ramstein Air Base
“Hillary Clinton Senate Hearing on Benghazi,”
Transcripts
, CNN, January 23, 2013,
http://bit.ly/1fWxX9Z
.

52
“We will wipe away our tears”
Hillary Clinton, “Remarks at the Transfer of Remains Ceremony to Honor Those Lost in Attacks in Benghazi, Libya,” September 14, 2012, U.S. Department of State.

53
“ ‘Greater love hath no man than this’ ”
Barack Obama, “Remarks by the President at Transfer of Remains Ceremony for Benghazi Victims,” September 14, 2012, White House.

54
“The people of Egypt”
Ibid.

55
The original draft
John Dickerson, “Susan Rice and Her Attacks,” CBS News, June 6, 2013.

56
militants with ties
Josh Rogin, “Benghazi Talking Points Could Scuttle Top Diplomat Nominee,”
Daily Beast
, June 5, 2013.

57
the easy availability of weapons
“The White House’s Benghazi E-mails,”
New York Times
, May 15, 2013,
http://nyti.ms/1eekOgI
.

58
unhappy with the draft
Ibid.

59
Toria Nuland
Ibid.

60
“The penultimate point”
Ibid.

61
Republicans would later use
Dylan Byers, “ABC’s Jon Karl: ‘No Evidence Hillary Clinton Was Aware’ of Benghazi Revisions,”
Politico
, May 10, 2013.

62
But Sullivan
“White House’s Benghazi E-mails.”

63
The language that had
Ibid.

64
“No mention of Cairo cable”
Ibid.

65
“Putting together the best”
Louis Jacobson, “Jay Carney Says Susan Rice Didn’t Play Down Terrorist Involvement in Benghazi,”
PolitiFact
, May 13, 2013.

66
no demonstration in Benghazi
Oren Dorell, “White House Releases Benghazi Emails,”
USA Today
, May 16, 2013.

67
slightly varying versions
Jacobson, “Jay Carney Says.”

1
He had cut a video
Stephanie Condon, “Bill Clinton: Romney Thinks We’re Dumb,” CBS News, October 18, 2012.

2
“a heck of a secretary of state”
Mark Leibovich, “Bill Clinton Presses On in Campaign for Barack Obama,”
New York Times
, November 4, 2012.

3
she had more cash on hand
October 2012 quarterly report of Hillary Clinton for President, Federal Election Commission,
http://bit.ly/14D3Y74
.

4
helped a handful of House candidates
Michelle Breidenbach, “Former President Bill Clinton Campaigns for Slaughter, Hochul in Rochester,”
Post-Standard
, October 19, 2012,
http://bit.ly/QE1zfL
.

5
jammed in a series of robocalls
Alexandra Jaffe, “Clinton Cuts Robocalls for 45 Dem House Candidates,”
The Hill
, November 5, 2012.

6
his own set of side trips and political tasks
Caitlin Huey-Burns, “In Senate Races, Bill Clinton Takes on a Supporting Role,”
Real Clear Politics
, October 31, 2012.

7
Bill would offer his support
Glen Johnson, “Bill Clinton Cites Senate Balance in Email Appeal to Warren Supporters,”
Boston Globe
, October 3, 2012.

8
“I take responsibility”
Elise Labott, “Clinton: I’m Responsible for Diplomats’ Security,” CNN, October 16, 2012.

9
a forty-two-second video
Ian Schwartz, “Unaired RNC Ad from 2012 Rips Obama for Benghazi: 3AM Call Was Ignored,”
Real Clear Politics
, May 10, 2013.

10
even with unemployment at 7.9
Julie-Hirschfeld Davis, “Obama First Since FDR Re-Elected with 7.9 Percent Joblessness,”
Bloomberg
, November 7, 2012.