Throughout the mammoth session Republican hostility toward Clinton was evident as her political opponents attempted to land blows on the Democratic presidential hopeful.
Peter Roskam, a Republican from Illinois, accused the then secretary of state of turning a blind eye to the situation in Benghazi:
“No one recommended closing, but you had two ambassadors that made several, several requests. And here’s basically what happened to their requests (rips paper in half): they were torn up.
Hilliary Clinton said she was clearly aware of the dangers faced by US diplomats: “I was the boss of ambassadors in 270 countries. I was the boss of ambassadors in places like Afghanistan, where shortly before I visited one time, the embassy had been under brutal assault by the Taliban for hours. I am very well aware of the dangers that are faced by our diplomats and our development professionals. There was never a recommendation from Chris Stevens or anyone else to close Benghazi.”
Hilliary Clinton said she accepted responsibility and introduced a series of reforms following the attacks.
The raids, launched by Islamic militants, took place on September 11, 2012.
US Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three others were killed.
Stevens was the first US ambassador to die in the line of duty since 1979.
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