GOP senator to Obama: Come clean on Benghazi

An angry Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) said Thursday the Obama administration has displayed “arrogance and elitism” in its handling of the attack in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012, and called on President Obama to offer a full explanation during this month’s State of the Union address.

“I simply ask that he take the opportunity during his State of the Union speech on Tuesday, Jan. 28, to give those families and all Americans the whole story,” Roberts said on the Senate floor.

{mosads}Roberts was reacting to Wednesday’s Senate Intelligence Committee report that said the attack was “preventable,” and criticized the administration for initially blaming a spontaneous demonstration for the attack, instead of calling it a terrorist attack. The attack killed four U.S. officials, including U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens.

Roberts said the committee’s findings break an important bond that the U.S. government should have with officials serving in dangerous posts overseas.

“I fear our lack of truth and understanding has broken a bond that those who risk their lives for our nation all share and believe in,” he said. “The bond that if they come in harm’s way, we have their back, and we will be there for them.”

Roberts called on Obama to restore that trust and offered a blistering critique of how the administration has handled the issue so far.

“This has been an incredible example of condescending arrogance and elitism putting politics and personal agenda ahead of protecting the lives of Americans,” he said. “The insult is that 16 months later, we still can’t get the truth.

“I personally, as an individual senator and yes, as a Marine, am fed up with the lack of accountability this administration has taken in response,” he added. “I am fed up with the stonewalling by several of those in the State Department who have ignored requests from the intelligence community for testimony.”