Lack of security in Benghazi irresponsible

Washington Post:

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) said Sunday that it was “irresponsible” for there not to be more security in place to protect the four State Department officials who were killed in a terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya on Sept. 11.

“In my opinion, it was irresponsible to have our State Department personnel there with only three security guards,” Lieberman said during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday.” “They were easily overrun in the attack of Sept. 11. Either we could have given them the security they deserved, or we should have closed that mission in Benghazi, as the British had done a short while before.”

Lieberman added that the lack of security concerned him much more than how the administration described the situation in the following days — of which Republicans have been highly critical.

“There was no capacity to defend our personnel in a timely way once the attack occurred. And we can’t let that happen again,” Lieberman said.

Appearing on the same show, Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) said references to terrorism were removed from administration talking points, even though it was clear right away that it was terrorism.

“What I do know is that every member of the intelligence committee says that references to al-Qaeda were removed by somebody, and references to attacks, versus demonstrations, were removed by somebody,” Chambliss said.

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I think both criticisms are valid.  We have yet to hear a coherent explanation for the lack of security, but I suspect that the incoherence on discussing those responsible for the attacks is tied to the failure to provide adequate security.  The mob excuse was a convenient way of avoiding the question.  While the mob excuse also was used as a way of avoiding the issue of the resurgence of al Qaeda in Libya, it was those decisions on denying additional security that left the incompetence of the administration naked and in need of a cover story.