The Government’s Mixed Messages Regarding the Benghazi Survivors - ...

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Back in December, and again in January, Tavern Keepers asked the question:

“Where are the Benghazi Survivors?”

The answer remains elusive. The mixed messages continue from the federal government, as this past week White House Press Secretary Jay Carney says access is not being denied to the survivors of the terror attack that claimed the lives of Ambassador Chris Stevens, computer expert Sean Smith, and former Navy Seals Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods.

Without transparency from the Obama Administration on the whereabouts of the survivors, there has been much frustration and speculation by lawmakers, but not so much in the mainstream media, with some notable exceptions. Catherine Herridge from Fox News reported that on Thursday, a “special meeting” on the terror attack was convened by House Speaker John Boehner, who referred to the meeting as “a friendly exchange of information and some decisions about a way forward.” Hopefully the stonewalling will cease and families and friends of the victims will find the answers they seek.

Herridge reports that the State Department “has been non-committal” about making survivors “available to investigators.” She reported that “an agency spokesperson” said, “The CIA respects requests from Congress and we will provide a response through the appropriate oversight committees,” but after repeated requests for this information, including a threat from Senator Lindsey Graham to issue subpoenas to the survivors, the statement rings hollow.

Several lawmakers have made public (and contradictory) statements on the Benghazi Survivors whereabouts:

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

In January, Hillary Clinton testified that there were 25-30 survivors of the attack, which prompted the question: How does the Secretary of State not have a direct answer to such a basic question? Clearly, the survivors would have much insight to give about the events on the ground on September 11th, but not one journalist has spoken to any of them. In fact, the White House has not even named them, five of whom were reportedly injured, one seriously.

In response to whether Clinton spoke to the survivors, Clinton said,

“…I still have a DS agent at Walter Reed seriously injured. Getting them into Frankfurt Ramstein to get taken care of, the FBI going over to immediately start talking to them—We did not think it was appropriate for us to talk to them before the FBI conducted their interviews.”

The secrecy surrounding the survivors is unusual and a bit frightening, frankly. What reason could there possibly be for keeping the people who experienced the terror attack first hand under wraps?

Secretary of State John Kerry

Secretary of State John Kerry, much like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, seems to be at a loss when anyone asks them the simplest questions about the Benghazi survivors.

Kerry was asked by Fox News correspondent James Rosen why nobody has “heard from” the Benghazi survivors. Kerry stumbled through the answer, saying

“Well, I – I mean, I can’t tell you the answer to that,”

and went on to say that he visited one of the survivors at the Bethesda hospital in Maryland, and also spoke with his wife.

Rosen pressed John Kerry on the issue by asking, “Will we hear from them?” Kerry responded:

“I can’t tell you – I don’t know what the circumstances are of any requests to talk to them or not.”

Senator Lindsey Graham

Just last Friday, Senator Lindsey Graham revealed that he actually has spoken with “some of the survivors,” as he told FOX News anchor Bret Baier, “Their story is chilling.” He continued to accuse the Obama Administration of “hiding” the survivors. He said,

“The bottom line is, they feel that they cannot come forward. They’ve been told to be quiet, and at the end of the day, we can’t let this administration or any other administration get away with hiding from the American people and the Congress; people who were there in real-time to tell the story.”

Congressman Jason Chaffetz

In December, Jason Chaffetz (R- UT) said:

“My understanding is that we still have some people in the hospital. I’d like to visit with them and wish them nothing but the best but the State Department has seen it unfit for me to know who those people are—or even how many there are.”

In March, Chaffetz charged that the Obama Administration actually changed the name of one of the Benghazi Survivors. He said that the paperwork that documents the interviews of the survivors has not been shared, they have not been given access to the accountability review board members, the State Department continues to withhold the names of the survivors, and further lamented that “They (the State Department) are totally disregarding the history of the House of Representatives in the United States Congress…” The most disturbing piece of information, however, was that Chaffetz managed to speak with one of the fathers of the survivors (Perhaps it was Diplomatic Security special agent David Ubben), but he said that the father told him:

“Yes, this person is at the Bethesda Naval Hospital, but you will not be able to find him because the State Department changed his name on all his records.”

Clearly, the State Department is not big on transparency. Chaffetz stated that this action was “totally contrary to what the President has said.”

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney

Jay Carney stated:

“The White House is certainly not preventing anybody from having any access to the survivors of the Benghazi attack,”

after he was asked pointedly during a press conference by Fox News correspondent James Rosen whether the “various lawmakers who have been seeking access to the Benghazi survivors should in fact have that access.” The answer is surprising, considering the various statements made to the contrary by several lawmakers.

He continued:

“Cooperation with and briefing of members of Congress continues in the investigation, as appropriate, and has been in keeping with the incredible amount of cooperation we have provided to Congress, and all of their inquiries with regard to the Benghazi matter.”

It is troubling that after so much time has passed, so many questions remain about the horrific terror attack. With more and more people asking about the survivors of the attack, perhaps they will come forward and the families of the victims will get some answers.