|
Kerry had been subpoenaed to testify on May 29, but the State
Department said prior commitments would prevent his appearance.
Kerry offered two other dates and the House of Representatives
Oversight Committee accepted his offer to appear on June 12.
In a letter to the committee, the State Department said if Kerry
testifies before the Oversight panel, it should remove any need
for him to appear before a House Select Committee that was
formed recently to look into the Benghazi incident.
Four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens,
were killed in the attack.
House Republicans have launched multiple investigations into the
Obama administration's handling of diplomatic security in the
run-up to the September 11, 2012, attack and the steps it took
in the aftermath.
Republicans have accused the Obama administration of playing
down the role of al Qaeda-linked militants in the assault.
They said admitting the militant group's role would have
undermined the Obama administration's contention ahead of the
November 2012 presidential election that it had the Islamist
group on its heels.
Democrats say Republicans are pursuing the issue for political
purposes, including keeping the spotlight on Hillary Clinton,
Obama's secretary of state at the time of the Benghazi attack.
Clinton, a Democrat, is weighing a 2016 run for president.
Republican House Speaker John Boehner has insisted that the
Select Committee will conduct a "serious, fact-based inquiry."
(Reporting by Mark Hosenball; Writing by Eric Beech; Editing by
Doina Chiacu and Gunna Dickson)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
|
|
Kerry
To Testify In June Before U.S. House Panel On Benghazi
