Panetta's response to Portman-McCain leaves questions unanswered

U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio), ranking member of the Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, has joined Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, in expressing his dissatisfaction with Secretary Leon Panetta’s response to the letter they sent on Oct. 10, directing the Defense Department to review the support provided to the U.S. mission in Libya and take the necessary steps to ensure improvements are made where necessary to best support American diplomatic security worldwide.

Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) joined Portman and McCain in releasing the statement below:

“Over the past month, we and our colleagues have sent 13 separate letters to senior administration officials, including President Obama, seeking an explanation for why no U.S. armed forces were available to go to the aid of the four American citizens who died during the Sept. 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.

"Today, we finally received from the Secretary of Defense the first response to our many letters. Unfortunately, Secretary Panetta's letter only confirms what we already knew – that there were no forces at a sufficient alert posture in Europe, Africa or the Middle East to provide timely assistance to our fellow citizens in need in Libya. The letter fails to address the most important question – why not?

“This question is all the more puzzling considering that the attack in Benghazi occurred on the anniversary of the worst terrorist attack in American history – a day when we know that our enemies around the world are plotting and planning to hit us again.

"Furthermore, the attack was only the latest in a series of assaults against Western interests in Benghazi, including an attempted assassination of the British Ambassador and two previous attacks on our consulate in Benghazi this year. It was for this reason that U.S. security professionals on the ground in Libya had made repeated requests for additional personnel and security assistance.

“In short, we knew that our enemies wanted to hit us in Benghazi. They had already tried on at least two occasions. The most glaring example can be found in the August cables from the Embassy in Tripoli to the State Department. Our own people on the ground were concerned about the threat. And yet, on the one day out of the year – September 11 – when the threat level is perhaps the highest, the military was not in a position to come quickly to the aid of Americans under attack in Benghazi.

“We reiterate our requests to the president, the director of National Intelligence, the acting director of the Central Intelligence Agency, the assistant to the president for Homeland Security, and the attorney general, to level with the American people and tell us what happened and why these four brave Americans were not better protected.”

The recent attacks against American embassies in Egypt, Libya, and Yemen have called into question whether improvements are needed to ensure the State Department can fulfill its responsibility to protect American personnel and property overseas.

In the letter, both Sens. Portman and McCain request that the Defense Department provide a thorough review of any additional support that can be provided for the State Department.

Portman and McCain also sent a follow-up letter on Oct. 27 (copied below):

The Honorable Leon Panetta 
Secretary of Defense 
1000 Defense Pentagon 
Washington, D.C. 20301

Dear Secretary Panetta,

On Oct. 10, 2012, we wrote to you regarding Defense Department support to diplomatic security and specifically support provided to the U.S. mission in Libya. Recent media reports have brought up questions regarding the availability of Defense Department resources to provide support during the attacks on Sept. 11-12, 2012.

As you continue to work to provide answers to the original inquiry, we would like to follow up to ensure your review and response addresses this issue.

Specifically, we request responses to the below questions regarding Defense Department support to U.S. personnel in Libya on September 11th and 12th, 2012:

What military forces were available to provide support to U.S. personnel in Libya?

What military forces were requested to provide support to U.S. personnel in Libya, by whom, and what forces were provided?

What communication and coordination did you have with the President and other members of the National Security Council regarding possible Defense Department support in Libya?

Also, as you address planned changes to Defense Department support for the diplomatic security mission in the previous inquiry, please also include any proposed changes to processes or organization to respond to crises similar to this attack.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.