Two former officials at the center of the Obama administration’s handling of the September 2012 Benghazi attacks support the creation of a select committee to investigate the events, and hope that Democrats will take part.
Leon Panetta, who served as defense secretary at the time of the attacks, and former CIA director Mike Morell announced their support at an event for Panetta’s institute. Per Politico:
“A lot of people have looked at this, but the polls show that the American people still have questions. I want to make sure that all of those questions are cleared up. There are still some questions about the role of the agency. And there are still questions about my own personal role and I want to clear that up,” Morell said during a panel discussion at the Panetta Institute in Monterey, Calif. “It might be surprising for you to hear me say this, but I am a supporter of the creation of this committee because I want all the facts to come together in one place and be presented as one — by one entity as one thing, so the American people can see all of this.”
“I am hopeful that at least getting the facts on the table will be helpful,”
In April, Morell testified before Congress about the attack.
Panetta echoed Morell’s sentiments. While he expressed “concern whether [the committee is] going to be a political effort,” he added that Democrats should not boycott it, as some members of Congress have suggested.
“The problem has been sometimes bits and pieces of information keep coming out,” he said, according to the San Jose Mercury News. “I hope Democrats participate, and it really is a legitimate effort.”