Benghazi Select Committee Holds First Hearing

Benghazi select committee, headed by S.C. Rep. Trey Gowdy, starts in bipartisan way

By BRADLEY KLAPPER Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - A special House panel on Benghazi made its public debut in a surprisingly subdued and bipartisan atmosphere Wednesday after two years of pitched political battles between Republicans and Democrats over the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on a U.S. diplomatic post in eastern Libya.

Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, the Republican chairman, vowed to pursue the facts wherever they lead him. Opening the panel's first public hearing since its establishment four months ago, he said the U.S. must learn from past violence on U.S. facilities from Beirut to East Africa to Benghazi to prevent repeat attacks.

Gowdy credited a Democrat on the 12-member panel, Rep. Adam Schiff of California, with recommending the subject - embassy security - for the gathering. The committee's top Democrat, Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland, echoed the importance of improving the protection of American facilities and the State Department's diplomatic security chief was the first witness to testify.

Read full article online:https://www.postandcourier.com/article/20140917/PC1603/140919496/1031/benghazi-select-committee-headed-by-sc-rep-trey-gowdy-starts-in-bipartisan-way

In case you missed the hearing, you can watch it online on C-SPAN’s website: