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Council on Foreign Relations president Dr. Richard Haass on Secretary Clinton's testimony on the Benghazi attack.
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Ericsson like yeah monitored to our parents aren't -- -- -- Richard Haass is president of the council for a license.
Positioning yourself those July -- vote.
2003 it.
Council on foreign relations as an independent.
Nonpartisan membership organization.
-- -- Publisher.
Dedicated to bringing down to doing a resource.
For its members government officials -- executives.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- It would be a pleasure that warm and other interest of substance.
Wanted to help I'm -- -- -- the world and a foreign policy choices president.
About stories please more come.
Out Russian president of the council on foreign relations.
-- -- -- restaurant.
-- sure are.
Well -- I I'm during great sector solutions sale -- in the -- and all such amendments.
Sister Angela.
There was very charming.
And -- information -- That noted that and and those are sort of story this morning also that some of her pre existing this campaign debt had been retired.
-- -- clearly this is -- represents.
I don't know -- a pre endorsement but clearly it's a lot of presidential support.
-- Secretary Clinton should she decide to run for president four years.
Would you also -- council.
Regarding -- -- some.
We'll let you know here's what I data were both in the short run and it in the narrow if you will she got the better of it but I but I think.
The people who were raising the questions about the -- or are missing the point.
Clearly there were mistakes made the mistake of former more security should have been provided fourteen bastard Ernestine.
And some mid level official made a bad call.
But to me the really interesting issue that the committee ought to be asking all about -- -- policy toward Libya.
Did it make sense to go win.
In the first place militarily -- once we -- -- we have done more afterwards.
I didn't support going again but once we did go in.
What I would I raise questions about was.
Why didn't we do more to see that after Qaddafi was -- the situation there -- stabilized.
So now you have a situation in Libya which is getting increasingly -- messy.
Plus the guns from the country are spreading all out all over Africa and the situation -- -- is import related to what happened in Libya so.
Which seemed to me -- the other day is -- going after the big policy questions.
There was a typical Washington de Novo got child and I just start.
The the congress missed the point.
While having so that element asked -- them and of the gotcha question about her but was solve.
It's not unusual.
That -- Near the red -- lose cables all from ambassador and include a normal or should be informed all of them.
That you didn't read them is not a role in usual there's thousands of cable coming in.
The only question I have is whether she or someone close to -- should have been informed.
That there -- -- -- -- -- policy debate here that at some point this ceased to be simply a technical issue.
But -- -- -- consequences.
But the idea that something like this would be decided by a mid level official was really an expert in and questions of security seems to me to be pretty.
Pretty normal.
Quite honestly -- it even if it had reached her she would call that person into the room and she would -- sent to this assistant secretary okay.
The ambassadors asking for this extra protection.
But -- really need -- if we give it to him where is there less protection available sort in any case even if she had gotten personally about my -- issue would have deferred.
-- to the so called expert cautions all.
But for the part to sell it people -- -- -- them.
The -- it's hard to say -- yet I don't know what was the personal advice she gave to the president.
On many occasions one of the most important things are being the secretary stated is not a public job.
Where you show the flag but it's the private relationship with with the president does as one of this principle counselors.
And then it -- really hard to separate.
Heard -- -- assessment of her performance.
Or any secretary say it's for that matter and an assessment of the president of the administration's foreign policy.
So what some variations say OK and so mayor issued saying not I think the most uninteresting -- of their foreign policy -- a general.
Reduction in the US involvement in the Middle East which I think is warranted.
And a general increase of the US so involvement in the Asia Pacific region which again I think maybe it make sense.
So to the extent you know she was a participant and what you might call something -- strategic shift.
I think ultimately historians will look back -- that and so that was probably the right thing there.
