Sunday, September 29, 2013

Rep Frank Wolf at AIM's #Benghazi Conference

Congressman Frank Wolf, who has repre­sented the Northern Virginia suburbs since 1981, has not only become the dean of Vir­ginia’s congressional delegation, but is also the only Republican who currently represents the Washington D.C. area. While his support for global human rights and transportation fund­ing has earned a high degree of constituent loyalty, Congressman Wolf has also been an outspoken proponent of legislation to create a Select Committee to investigate the Benghazi attack, and demand accountability from those responsible for intel­ligence failures. His commitment to pursue this issue inspired him to write Accuracy in Media’s Chairman Don Irvine a personal letter to congratulate him and AIM for establishing the Citizens’ Commission on Benghazi. And another thing, I don’t personally, and this is just me speaking, I don’t think we have the great leaders that we used to have. I think they’re out there, they’re in other places, they’re in villages, but they’re not here in Washington. How we deal with that is another issue.

REPRESENTATIVE FRANK WOLF: Well, thank you Roger, and thank you for having me. And I also want to thank, I see Mr. Woods there, good to see you sir, again. And I want to thank all of you, and I see Chris Farrell out there, the report you just did with Judicial Watch, the Special Ops group, the Attorney General Mukasey group, the letter and some of you have signed it. But much of what is taking place has really come as a result of those of you outside and not because of, quite frankly, let’s taken place here in Congress. And another thing, I don’t personally, and this is just me speaking, I don’t think we have the great leaders that we used to have. I think they’re out there, they’re in other places, they’re in villages, but they’re not here in Washington. How we deal with that is another issue.

I was listening to some of the panelists and as the general said, when you travel around the world, America. Having been elected in 1980, and traveling over the years, to see how America is viewed. I was in Egypt in February. We also went into Lebanon and went down into the Beqaa Valley and met with a number of Syrians who had come out from Damascus to see us. And another thing, I don’t personally, and this is just me speaking, I don’t think we have the great leaders that we used to have. I think they’re out there, they’re in other places, they’re in villages, but they’re not here in Washington. How we deal with that is another issue.

Boy, the credibility of the United States is just, we’re just not there, what we used to. Compared to the 80’s, under the Reagan administration and other times. It is pathetic to feel, to see, to be able to look at it from a period of thirty years. And the general said is true. And another thing, I don’t personally, and this is just me speaking, I don’t think we have the great leaders that we used to have. I think they’re out there, they’re in other places, they’re in villages, but they’re not here in Washington. How we deal with that is another issue.

And another thing, I don’t personally, and this is just me speaking, I don’t think we have the great leaders that we used to have. I think they’re out there, they’re in other places, they’re in villages, but they’re not here in Washington. How we deal with that is another issue.

I have put in a Select Committee, because I think that the Congress needs to find out what went on. I offered the idea in the reorganization meetings in December of last year when our party was gathering and they said, ‘Wait a minute, you’re jumping the gun! We haven’t reached this mass yet, you know, regular order.’ So we offered it but it was split 50-50 and then, sorta, we waited to see.

Regular order has not worked. You cannot find out what went on with regard to just having a different, separate committees, not necessarily even communicating and talking with one another. I get calls almost every day. As many of you know, the Agency’s in my district. We had a call three weeks ago of a person who worked for the Agency who now had retained a lawyer because he would not sign another NDA.

And we reached out to the lawyer at first. They say, ‘Well, yes, that’s true. Can I help?’ I say, ‘No.’ They say, ‘We’re going to work it through the process.’

Forget it. They’re never going to be successful to work this through the process out at the CIA. We get other calls, about this and that, and polygraphing at the CIA; there’s different things. It is so disjointed. And so I believe, the only way and I hope this Commission can be helpful and successful, is to have a Select Committee that will subpoena people. And a subpoena is not necessarily an unfriendly act, it’s a friendly act because if you’re fifty years old, have three kids, two are in college, live in Oakton or live in Bethesda or live in McLean, and you got to come forward, your career is finished.

Just look what has taken place with Ray Hicks. Hicks’ career is pretty much over and finished. So, unless you subpoena them, bring them in.

Now we’ve been in touch with people who were on the ground at that time that I’ve spoken to, who tell us things. We’re also in touch with people who are in touch with others, who were on the ground. And it’s a chaotic mess that we’re fundamentally failing. Why a Select Committee?

Read More