Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was personally responsible for the security in Libya when the U.S. consulate in Benghazi was attacked on Sept. 11, 2012, says former Navy SEAL and OPSEC (Special Ops Operations Security) chairman Scott Taylor.
"Libya was a country that was classified as one where the government would not be able to respond," Taylor told J.D. Hayworth on "America's Forum" on
Newsmax TV Thursday.
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Typically, he explained, "an embassy across the world, of course, they rely on host nation governments to protect them."
However, "if there was a government that did not have the capacity to respond, then based on that 1999 ARB [Accountability Review Board report], the secretary of state would personally and actively review the security."
Taylor argues that "that's an excellent point, of course, to show that Hillary Clinton was supposed to personally and actively review the security there."
"And we should know, and American people should know, if she did her job," he added.
The Benghazi Select Committee began public hearings Wednesday.
The 1999 ARB was mentioned by the committee's chairman, South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy, during the testimony of the first witness, Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security Gregory Starr,
Slate.com reported.
"'The Secretary of State should personally review the security situation of diplomatic facilities, closing those which are threatened,'" said Gowdy, citing the report.
"Why do you think the 1999 ARB went out of its way to use the word personally?" Gowdy asked Starr.
"No comment, sir," Starr responded.