WASHINGTON, Oct 13 (AFP) – Mitt Romney has accused Vice President Joe Biden of “doubling down on denial” as the White House struggled to combat a growing storm over the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi. The latest exchanges battered an administration repeatedly thrown onto the defensive by the political reverberations of the attack [...]

Feeds Editorials Times Online

Sunday Times 2

White House struggles to contain new Libya storm

View(s):

WASHINGTON, Oct 13 (AFP) – Mitt Romney has accused Vice President Joe Biden of “doubling down on denial” as the White House struggled to combat a growing storm over the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi.

US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney (L) speaks to supporters at a rally (AFP)

The latest exchanges battered an administration repeatedly thrown onto the defensive by the political reverberations of the attack on September 11 which killed US ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three other Americans.
White House spokesman Jay Carney was forced Friday to clarify remarks by Biden which appeared to contradict evidence that US officials refused extra security for US posts in Libya prior to the Benghazi assault.

“The vice president was speaking about himself and the president and the White House. Obviously he wasn’t talking (about) the administration writ large,” Carney said.

Biden said in his campaign debate on Thursday with Romney’s running mate Paul Ryan that “we weren’t told they wanted more security.”

Republican nominee Romney pounced on those remarks as he sought to splinter Obama’s reputation as a strong commander-in-chief, 25 days from election day. “He’s doubling down on denial,” Romney said in Virginia.

“When the Vice President of the United States directly contradicts the testimony — sworn testimony — of State Department officials, American citizens have a right to know just what’s going on.”

Carney said the vice president was aware of the testimony by US security officials at a congressional hearing on Wednesday that extra protection for the posts had been requested and then denied.

The latest developments would be a headache at any time for the White House, but are especially nettlesome given Obama’s looming date with voters on November 6.

The Obama campaign hit back, again accusing Romney of politicizing a national security crisis, with spokeswoman Lis Smith saying “the American people deserve more from someone who wants to be Commander-in-Chief.”

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also rode into the fray Friday amid Republican claims the administration was too slow to brand the attack as terrorism and has frequently changed its story on what happened.




Share This Post

DeliciousDiggGoogleStumbleuponRedditTechnoratiYahooBloggerMyspace
comments powered by Disqus

Advertising Rates

Please contact the advertising office on 011 - 2479521 for the advertising rates.