Hillary Clinton Chokes Up During Benghazi Hearing, 'It's Personal'
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton choked up on Wednesday when she talked about the deadly attack in Benghazi, Libya that took place Sept. 11, 2012.
Clinton faced fierce criticism from Republicans during the hearing in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
"For me, this is not just a matter of policy-it's personal," she said during the congressional testimony, according to Reuters.
Clinton's voice broke as she recalled welcoming home the "flag-draped caskets" of U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three other Americans killed in the terrorist strike at the compound.
She put her arms around bereaved family members and hit the witness table with her fist several times during a contentious exchange with Republican Senator Ron Johnson. Johnson initially accused President Barack Obama's administration of misleading Americans by saying the attack grew out of a protest against an Internet video mocking Islam. There was no such demonstration, as officials later acknowledged, with Johnson saying that they were misled.
Clinton scolded Johnson: "With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest? Or was it because of guys out for a walk one night who decided they'd go kill some Americans? What difference, at this point, does it make? It is our job to figure out what happened and do everything we can to prevent it from ever happening again, Senator."
Clinton also appeared to confirm that those behind the attacks have not yet been captured.
"We continue to hunt the terrorists responsible for the attacks in Benghazi and are determined to bring them to justice," she said.
Addressing the issue is one of her last acts as America's top diplomat. Sen. John Kerry is in the running to replace Clinton and his confirmation hearing to become the next secretary of state will take place on Thursday.
