Fmr Regional Security Officer, Eric Nordstrom, On The Refusal Of State Dept For More Security in Libya, "FOR ME, THE TALIBAN IS ON THE INSIDE OF THE BUILDING"

Per C-Span Transcript:

00:00:31	THESE FOLKS HAVE TO RELY ON YOU TO MAKE THE DECISION.
00:00:39	IT DOES COME FROM THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH.
00:00:42	IF YOU LOOK AT THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART, THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS A GREAT DEAL OF RESPONSIBILITY.
00:00:50	WE LOST FOUR AMERICAN LIVES.
00:00:52	WE HAVE TO ASK THESE TYPES OF QUESTIONS.
00:00:56	WHAT DID WE LEARN FROM THE LOSSES?
00:00:59	IF WE DO HAVE PEOPLE OUT THERE IN HARM'S WAY, ARE WE PROTECTING THEM THE WAY WE SHOULD?
00:01:06	THEY PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE.
00:01:14	IT IS PRIORITIES THAT COUNT.
00:01:16	HOW DO YOU PRIORITIZE THOSE?
00:01:18	I HAVE TO TELL YOU, I HAVE WATCHED THIS THING SINCE SEPTEMBER 11.
00:01:25	I AM TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY IN THE WORLD WE WILL CONTINUE TO TRY TO FIND OUT WHO TO BLAME.
00:01:30	THERE IS A GROUP OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD AND WERE REALLY BAD PEOPLE.
00:01:35	WE PUT OUR PEOPLE IN HARM'S WAY.
00:01:37	DO WE DO THE BEST JOB WE COULD TO PROTECT THEM?
00:01:41	THEY PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE.
00:01:45	AFTER, WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN BENGHAZI, WHY DID WE LEARN FROM THAT?
00:01:52	THERE IS NOT A CRIME SCENE THAT HAS BEEN MORE CONTAMINATED THAN THAT ONE.
00:01:59	IT HAS BEEN A LONG DAY FOR ALL OF US.
00:02:03	FOR THOSE FOUR AMERICANS AND THEIR FAMILIES, IT IS A MUCH LONGER DAY.
00:02:11	I DO APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
00:02:16	AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, WE HAVE A COMMITMENT TO DO WHAT WEEK -- WHEN WE TOOK OUR OATH OF OFFICE.
00:02:25	WE BETTER START TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THIS AND PLACE EMPHASIS ON WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.
00:02:33	>> THANK YOU, MR.
00:02:35	JORDAN. >> I WILL BE BRIEF.
00:02:38	WE HAD 230 TO SECURITY INCIDENTS IN LIBYA.
00:02:44	WHEN THE 231ST HAPPENED, THE ADMINISTRATION BLAMED IT ON THE VIDEO.
00:02:50	WE HAD TWO GUYS ON THE GROUND TO REPEATEDLY ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL AND ARE DENIED.
00:02:56	DENIED BY PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN TO THE COUNTRY.
00:03:01	THERE IS A PROCESS IN PLACE OR PROFESSIONALS COME TOGETHER AND MAKE ASSESSMENTS AND DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT THE FIELD IS REQUESTING.
00:03:16	EARLIER, HE SAID FACTORS THAT YOU LOOK AT.
00:03:19	I DID NOT GET ALL OF THEM LISTED.
00:03:22	STABILITY OF THE GOVERNMENT, THREATS, AND FACILITY CONCERNS.
00:03:26	IN THOSE THREE, THERE WAS NOTHING IN LIBYA THAT WOULD SAY, THEY SHOULD NOT GET WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR.
00:03:35	IT IS A TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT.
00:03:38	THREATS AGAINST US, WE HAD 230.
00:03:43	FACILITY CONCERNS, YOU HAVE ADMITTED THAT THE FACILITY WAS NOT UP TO COACH.
00:03:48	IT SEEMS TO ME THAT -- UP TO CODE.
00:03:52	WHAT WOULD IT HAVE TO UPOK TO GIVE THE GUYS ON THE GROUND, TO GET THE ADDITIONAL SECURITY PERSONNEL?
00:04:05	232?
00:04:09	250? A GOVERNMENT THAT HAD BEEN IN POWER EIGHT MONTHS, NOT FIVE MONTHS?
00:04:17	TO DO WHAT THE PROFESSIONALS IN THE FIELD OF FELT WHAT NEEDED TO BE DONE?
00:04:24	WE WILL START WITH YOU, AMBASSADOR.
00:04:29	>> WE DO ASSESSMENTS EVERY DAY OF SECURITY AROUND THE WORLD.
00:04:32	WE'VE LOOKED AT EVERY LOCATION.
00:04:35	THERE WERE 2304 INCIDENTS.
00:04:46	ONLY 20% OR IN BENGHAZI.
00:04:48	THE REST OF THEM WERE IN TRIPOLI OR ELSEWHERE.
00:04:50	THERE HAD NOT BEEN A SINGLE INCIDENT IN BENGHAZI.
00:04:54	THERE WAS NOT EVER US SINGLE INCIDENT IN BENGHAZI OF THE LETHALITY OR THE NATURE OF THE ARMED ATTACK, WHICH IS ALMOST UNPRECEDENTED.
00:05:07	THEREFORE, WE WERE VERY CAREFUL, WE CANNOT AND THE RISK TO OUR PEOPLE OVERSEAS.
00:05:15	THE STATE DEPARTMENT MUST GO INTO HARM'S WAY.
00:05:21	WE ATTEMPT TO MITIGATE THAT LEVEL OF THREAT.
00:05:24	IF WE CANNOT MAKE A LEVEL OF THREATS, AND WE WILL WITHDRAW OUR PEOPLE.
00:05:30	>> THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR -- OUR EMBASSY WAS BOMBED TWICE.
00:05:40	WHAT DOES IT TAKE?
00:05:46	THESE ARE THE PROFESSIONALS IN THE FIELD WHO SAY, WE NEED MORE SECURITY PERSONNEL IN LIBYA.
00:05:54	THIS IS FOR LIBYA.
00:05:56	THE WHOLE COUNTRY.
00:05:57	YOU GUYS SAY NO.
00:05:58	YOU ALLUDE TO IN YOUR TESTIMONY THIS PROCESS OF CONSIDERED JUDGMENTS OF CAN IT -- OF PROFESSIONALS IN WASHINGTON.
00:06:08	I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THOSE CONSIDERED JUDGMENTS -- WHAT DOES IT TAKE?
00:06:20	>> IT IS WHAT I SAID, MR.
00:06:22	JORDAN.
00:06:24	THERE WAS NOT ANY ACTIONABLE INTELLIGENCE.
00:06:31	>> ARE THESE GUYS PROFESSIONALS?
00:06:35	THESE GUYS SAID THEY NEEDED MORE HELP.
00:06:39	>> IF I COULD FINISH MY STATEMENT, SIR.
00:06:41	>> THERE WAS NO ACTIONABLE INTELLIGENCE AVAILABLE THAT INDICATED THERE WAS A PLAN OR ANY INDICATION OF A MASSIVE ATTACK OF THE NATURE AND LETHALITY.
00:07:03	THERE WAS A SINGLE ROCKET PROPELLED GRENADE FIRED AT THE RED CROSS.
00:07:07	THERE WAS AN ATTACK ON THE BRITISH COMPOUND.
00:07:09	WE ANALYZED THOSE THINGS.
00:07:12	THE FRENCH AND ITALIANS AND THE UNITED NATIONS LIFTED THAT SAME THREATS -- >> MR.
00:07:21	NORDSTROM, DO YOU THINK THERE WERE EVER GOING TO GIVE YOU WHAT YOU WANTED?
00:07:24	WHAT WOULD WARRANT THEM SAYING, THESE GUYS KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT?
00:07:30	>> THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT QUESTION.
00:07:33	I HAD THAT CONVERSATION WHEN I CAME BACK ON LEAVE FOR TRAINING IN FEBRUARY.
00:07:39	I WAS TOLD BY THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR THAT THERE HAD ONLY BEEN ONE INCIDENT INVOLVING AN AMERICAN WHERE HE WAS STRUCK BY CELEBRATORY FIRE.
00:07:55	THE TAKE AWAY FROM THAT, FOR ME AND MY STAFF, IT WAS ABUNDANTLY CLEAR, WE WOULD NOT GOING TO GET RESOURCES UNTIL THE AFTERMATH OF AN INCIDENT.
00:08:07	THE QUESTION THAT WE WOULD ASK, AGAIN, HOW OFTEN DOES THE EYES HAVE TO GET IT BEFORE SOMEONE FALLS THROUGH?
00:08:16	-- THIN DOES THE ICE HAVE TO GET IT BEFORE SOMEONE FALLS THROUGH?
00:08:23	>> NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL STRUCK BY A BULLET, BUT WE ALSO HAD INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS WHO HAD A SHOOTING INCIDENT BEFORE RETURNING TO OUR DUTIES.
00:08:41	IT WAS AN ATTEMPTED CARJACKING AND THERE WERE SHOTS FIRED GOING BOTH WAYS.
00:08:50	>> LIEUTENANT-COLONEL WERE YOU PULLING YOUR HAIR OUT?
00:08:52	WERE YOU JUST FLABBERGASTED?
00:08:55	WHAT CAN WE DO?
00:08:56	WHAT CAN WE SAY?
00:08:59	WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO?
00:09:04	IT WAS THAT YOUR SENSE AN ATTITUDE WHEN YOU GOT THE ANSWERS FROM WASHINGTON?
00:09:21	>> HE CONTACTED ME WHEN I ASKED FOR 12 AGENTS.
00:09:25	HIS RESPONSE TO THAT WAS, YOU ARE ASKING FOR THE SUN, MOON, STARS.
00:09:30	MY RESPONSE TO HIM, AT THE KNOW WHAT MAKES THIS THE MOST FRUSTRATING?
00:09:35	NOT THE HARDSHIPS, NOT THE GUN FIRE, IT IS DEALING AND FIGHTING AGAINST THE PEOPLE, PROGRAMS AND PERSONNEL WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SUPPORTING ME.
00:09:47	FOR ME, THE TALIBAN IS ON THE INSIDE OF THE BUILDING.
00:09:51	>> I WANT TO THANK OUR WITNESSES.
00:09:56	>> I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR WITNESSES.
00:09:59	IN THE CASE OF LT.
00:10:01	COLONEL WOOD AND MR.
00:10:05	NORDSTROM, IS THIS THE RESULT PROCEED OR ACTUAL OF YOUR TESTIMONY HERE TODAY, YOU ARE APPROACHED OR ANYTHING HAPPENS IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIVES WITH THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT THAT YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT, PLEASE COME TO THIS COMMITTEE.

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To view the entire hearing: 4 hours, 10 minutes

  

Ms. Charlene R. Lamb (testimony)

Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Programs, Bureau of Diplomatic Security

U.S. Department of State

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Mr. Eric Nordstrom (testimony)

Regional Security Officer

U.S. Department of State

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Lt. Col. Andrew Wood (testimony)

Utah National Guard

U.S. Army

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Ambassador Patrick Kennedy (testimony)

Under Secretary for Management

U.S. Department of State

Committee On Oversight And Government Reform

RELATED LINKS: Here’s a Recap of the House Investigation into the Benghazi Consulate Attack