Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker on Friday accused Vice President Joe Biden
of using Thursday night's vice presidential candidate debate to mislead
the nation about the recent slaying of American diplomatic personnel in
Libya.
"The vice president's comments last night about the
situation in Benghazi, which claimed the lives of four Americans,
absolutely do not square with facts on ground in Libya," said Corker,
who is in line to become either chairman or ranking Republican on the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee if, as expected, he wins re-election
on Nov. 6.
Corker just returned from a weeklong trip to Libya, Jordan and the Syrian border.
"Within
24 hours of the incident, the administration knew that this was an
orchestrated terrorist attack, and they clearly were aware of the
specific details, including requests for additional security, that have
finally been made public this week. With the vice president continuing
this ruse with his comments last night, all Americans should ask what
the administration is trying to hide."
Biden, in a nationally
televised debate with GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan, defended
the Obama administration's initial statements about the Sept. 11 attack
on the American consulate in Benghazi, which described the killings as
the result of Arab protests fueled by a YouTube video ridiculing the
Muslim faith.
"Because that was exactly what we were told by the
intelligence community," Biden said. "The intelligence community told us
that. As they learned more facts about exactly what happened, they
changed their assessment."
Corker said Biden's debate comments
also misled by saying the administration received no requests for
beefed-up security at the consulate before the attack.
Biden, when asked by debate moderator Martha Raddatz of ABC News about the security issue, said:
"Well,
we weren't told they wanted more security there. We did not know they
wanted more security again. And by the way, at the time we were told
exactly - we said exactly what the intelligence community told us that
they knew. That was the assessment.
"And as the intelligence community changed their view, we made it clear they changed their view."