Book furnishes Benghazi retort

Hillary Clinton rebukes Republicans who ‘exploit’ deaths

WASHINGTON -- Hillary Rodham Clinton dismisses her critics and defends her handling of the deadly 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, in her new book, offering fellow Democrats a guide for how to talk about the issue through the 2016 presidential race.

The former secretary of state's Hard Choices includes a rebuke to Republicans who have seized upon the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack that killed U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

Republicans have accused President Barack Obama's administration of stonewalling congressional investigators and misleading the public about the nature of the attack in the weeks before the 2012 presidential election.

"Those who exploit this tragedy over and over as a political tool minimize the sacrifice of those who served our country," Clinton writes in a 34-page chapter, obtained by news organization Politico.

Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill said that "until the book is released, there's nothing to say. And once it's released, it will speak for itself." The book comes out June 10.

The former first lady and senator from New York is the leading potential Democratic presidential candidate if she decides to run again, as well as a favorite Republican target.

Clinton writes that she takes responsibility for the deaths but adds that there has been "a regrettable amount of misinformation, speculation and flat-out deceit" by some in politics and the media.

"I will not be a part of a political slugfest on the backs of dead Americans. It's just plain wrong, and it's unworthy of our great country," Clinton writes. "Those who insist on politicizing the tragedy will have to do so without me."

Clinton's book also offers something of a playbook for her supporters to defend her as she weighs a 2016 presidential bid.

On Friday, her top advisers met for an hour with 33 friendly Democratic strategists, allies and foreign-policy academics who work in Washington's think-tank network. Clinton counselor Philippe Reines led the session, and former National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor, who is helping Clinton's team during the book launch, joined the discussion about how to frame Benghazi.

Multiple independent, bipartisan and GOP-led investigations have faulted the State Department for inadequate security in Benghazi, leading to four demotions. No attacker has been arrested.

Obama and Clinton allies have argued that there is no new information after more than a dozen public hearings and the release of 25,000 pages of documents.

"That's what many of us are going to point out, that it's an old issue, it's a red herring," said Matt Bennett, a veteran of Bill Clinton's White House.

Bennett's centrist Third Way think tank hosted Friday's briefing on Clinton's book.

"It dishonors the people who were lost by politicizing it," he said of Benghazi.

On Capitol Hill, House Speaker John Boehner said his fellow Republicans wanted answers, not politics.

"It is clear to me -- and has been clear -- that the American people have not been told the truth about Benghazi and we're committed to getting it," Boehner said.

The House voted earlier this month to establish a select committee to conduct what will be the eighth investigation into the attack, a panel that Democrats reluctantly joined.

On Friday, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee released current Secretary of State John Kerry from his obligation to testify next month about the Benghazi attack, allowing the select committee to move forward in questioning the top diplomat.

Rep. Darrell Issa accused Kerry of trying to use his June 12 appearance before the oversight panel as an excuse to avoid testifying before the select committee.

The State Department had said last week that Kerry would testify before Issa's panel but that the appearance "would remove any need for the secretary to appear before the select committee to answer additional questions."

The California Republican said he had no choice but to reassess.

"It's been disappointing to watch a long-serving former senator, like Secretary Kerry, squirm his way to what I'm doing today -- releasing him from the upcoming hearing commitment he made only after we issued him a subpoena," Issa said in a statement.

Issa had twice subpoenaed Kerry to testify about emails and other documents that the Obama administration has provided Congress about the attack.

State Department spokesman Jen Psaki said Friday that officials were "mystified" by Issa's decision as well as his criticism that Kerry has obstructed the probe. It's "hard to see how that's accurate when we were prepared to appear," Psaki said.

Information for this article was contributed by Donna Cassata and Matthew Lee of The Associated Press.

A Section on 05/31/2014

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