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At issue are Rice's statements in a series of television interviews five days after the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. Republicans insist that she should have labeled the incident an act of terrorism rather than cite a protest over an anti-Muslim video that had roiled cities in the Middle East. Rice said at the time she was providing the "best information and the best assessment we have today." "In fact this was not a preplanned, premeditated attack. That what happened initially was that it was a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired in Cairo as a consequence of the video," she said. "People gathered outside the embassy, and then it grew very violent. Those with extremist ties joined the fray and came with heavy weapons, which unfortunately are quite common in post-revolutionary Libya, and that then spun out of control." CIA acting director Mike Morell has told congressional committees this week that Rice was relying on an initial intelligence assessment that eventually proved incorrect. Former CIA Director David Petraeus told congressional committees Friday that Rice's comments "reflected the best intelligence at the time that could be released publicly," according to Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., a lawmaker who attended the session. The female House members argued that Rice would have no motivation to mislead the American people. The Democratic women also contrasted McCain and Graham's criticism with their defense of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who had warned of weapons of mass destruction in pressing for war in Iraq that killed more than 4,400 Americans. No weapons of mass destruction were found. "It's interesting to me that we're not discussing another Rice who went before all of the Sunday talk shows some years ago," said Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill. The Democratic women demanded that McCain and Graham retract their criticism. "It is a shame that anytime something goes wrong, they pick on women and minorities," Fudge said. Said Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C.: "We will not allow a brilliant public servant's record to be mugged to cut off her consideration to be secretary of state."
[Associated
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