AUGUSTA, Maine — Sen. Susan Collins said Friday it was “troubling and inexplicable” that the United States’ consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi didn’t have stronger security in place, and she asked the State Department’s inspector general to review security requirements at the department’s overseas facilities.
“Surely, the State Department should not have relied on Libyan nationals to guard the consulate,” Collins said in a statement. “Rather, armed U.S. Marines should have been assigned to provide security.”
Collins’ comments followed the Tuesday night killings of the United States’ ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, and three other Americans in a mob attack by protesters angry over a film that ridiculed Islam’s Prophet Muhammad.
On Friday, Collins and Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., wrote to the State Department’s deputy inspector general, Harold Geisel, requesting an investigation into the department’s security requirements at its overseas facilities and recommendations for strengthening security.
Collins and Lieberman are respectively the ranking Republican and chairman of the Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
“The brave men and women who serve in dangerous foreign posts like Libya deserve equally courageous, loyal, and competent security to make them as safe as possible as they perform their missions,” Collins said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ummmm……How about cutting back on the US empire..and minding our own business….Politicans never learn…..Look at what happened to the Roman Empire, the British Empire, the French Empire….60% of the US budget of guns and bombs….Time to knock it off
First time I’ve ever agreed with you. Good call.
Great point.Since I’m sure the NRA crazies will challenge your 60% figure here’s the breakdown.Budget sent to Congress 2/2012.
60%-military
6%-HHS
6%-Education
5%-State
4.5%-Other
4%-DHS
3%-HUD
2%-Ag
1.5% each- DOJ,NASA,Energy
1% or less each- Labor, Treasury,Interior,EPA,Transportation
oneminuteforpeace
afsc.org
Welfare did it!
They are the ones that bankrupted the economy!
Them and the Teachers, Firemen, and Police!
Pesky little rats!
( Poes Law)
Oh Gawd, every time I see Susan Collins climb out of hiding, I cring, Susan Collins meddling in the post office affairs has almost bankrupt the US Post Office, her requiring a a 5.5 billion dollar payment to prefund a retirees health for 75 years ahead, in only 10 years. Her vote and alignment with George W. Bush, put us in the Iraq war that has pretty much bankrupt the US. It is time we took care of this country and it’s people, what is she doing?? Half of those overseas countries don’t like us anyway, because we have gone in debt so far with China, and we have not much to give away anymore, we have given away about every job we used to have here. Susan Collins is a disaster to this country and to Maine.
Susie, we have an old saying here in Maine.”Kinda like shutting the barn door after the horse is gone.” Where in He** have you been?
Better question, where was the administration?
The film is an excuse. No way a series of coordinated
attacks took place on 9.11 because of a film, especially w/the attackers
shouting “We are all Osama, Obama.” Maybe he shouldn’t have said a
damn word about that mission, continually spiked the football over it,
trumpeted his drone attacks, leaked info to the NY Times, etc. Why wasn’t
security stepped up on 9.11, especially when the U.S. was warned there was an attack
coming.
Where was the administration? Oh, that’s right on their 24/7
re-election campaign & fundraising tour.
Your criticisms are ridiculous.
Ha! Sorry to offend your delicate, naive, & immature
sensitivities, darling. Actually, I’ll
throw a line out to ya. You say “criticisms,”
I say factual observations. The
diplomatic corps are under the purview of the Executive branch. Collins is
looking @ what conditions, measures, etc., were/are in place @ these diplomatic
outposts. You disagree that this seems necessary in light of four dead
Americans? Why would you classify as
“ridiculous?”
You’re not a rational or intelligent person if you claim your personal opinions are “factual observations.”
You’re just jealous since we have a real President now instead of the clown before him who was directly responsible for 9/11 and destroying the budget.
Please , do not encourage her. The less that she does the better.
The State Department refuses to allow Marines to carry live ammunition and has ignored numerous credible threats by terrorists organizations to our embassies. Nothing needs to be “reviewed” – people in the State Department need to be charged for intentionally endangering our own citizens. This is the end result of political correctness – dead Americans and politicians caught with a deer in the headlights look not knowing what they have done to us.
Sorry wrong again.This is Christian conservatives and shriekers like Bachmann being irresponsible.DOJ needs to go after the nuts who made this video and jail them for treason.It won’t happen.What will?More calls for regulation of the Internet and more Patriot Act spying.Watch and learn.
This is apparently the new Received Wisdom, but there’s a fair amount of evidence that the ‘mob attack’ was an Islamist military operation that had nothing to do with the film except as a pretext.
The attack in Libya was retaliation for the killing of a Libyan terrorist killed in Pakistan by a US drone strike. Obama smugly expects everyone in the Muslim world to love him and gush over him because of his speeches. Neither he nor Secretary of State Hillary Clinton can comprehend that radical Muslims hate us and want us dead – and that drone strikes are equivalent to poking a nest of bees. Political correctness is to blame here – liberals can’t comprehend a world where real evil exists. Barney the purple dinosaur behavior is a poor example for foreign policy. America needs leadership – right now we have a leadership vaccum.
ROMNEY / RYAN 2012 !!!
What do you think they would do that would make this situation better? More troops and bombs over that way?
“How about cutting back on the US empire..and minding our own business…..60% of the US budget of guns and bombs”
When you saw the wild-eyed young people rioting in the streets this week didn’t they remind you of the American “Christians”who gun down doctors at the entrance to their own clinics? No marines on guard there.
One seldom sees Swedish or Dutch embassies being sacked or needing extra security.
Americans should realize that there are areas of the world where manifestations of our government are not wanted.
— And that there are good reasons for the unpopularity of our government.
I think I heard Romney say on TV yesterday that “the Middle East needs American leadership.”
What arrogance.
The Middle East needs to be left alone. For thousands of years they have happily fought among themselves without any help from corporate America’s profitable war machine and they liked it that way.
If we want them to like us or at least tolerate us, bring the war machines and corporate America home and send them tourists. I’ve always wanted to see Petra and Baghdad.
The humble Farmer
Good points all especially about the doctors.There is no slimier group of lawbreakers in America than the anti choicers- well funded and have never been brought to justice.Marines SHOULD be on guard at reproductive clinics if need be.
I think you make great points. We need to lead by example and not by force.
Gee Thanks Susan for being so incisive days after the fact while four people are dead and countless dollars in damage has been done. Maybe you and Joey failed to do your six figure jobs instead!The ambassador didn’t take five weeks off.Look in the mirror and there’s the problem
Let the Muslims kill themselves off…..Pull our people out and let them destroy each other, they love violence, it is all they know..
Go away Collins.
thumbs up
Hey!
The horse is missing!
Close the barn door!!!
As Chair of the Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, I am surprised that Senator Collins doesn’t already know what type of security is provided at our overseas embassies.
Here come the Republicans beating their war drum any chance they get. First, Romney the war chief then his warriors, chanting WE need a war, we need a war ….. this one has such great potential with a religious component as its center piece, the ultimate fight for peace!
Every time I see Sen. Joseph Lieberman stand behind a speaking Sen. Susan Collins, I know who is doing the talking.