- Washington Free Beacon - https://freebeacon.com -

New Report Condemns Obama, State Dept.

Government watchdog Judicial Watch released a report Tuesday criticizing the State Department’s and President Barack Obama’s actions both before and after the Sept. 11, 2012, attack in which United States Amb. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed.

"The September 11, 2012, attack in Benghazi resulted from a wide range of strategic and tactical failures by State Department officials," according to the report. "Chief among them was the fateful decision to circumvent established security regulations by designating the diplomatic post in Benghazi a ‘Special Mission Compound,’ ignoring repeated requests for additional security resources by Diplomatic Security personnel on the ground."

The report also criticized the State Department for being "well aware of the escalating violence in Benghazi and the political threat it posed to the U.S mission there."

The report criticized the president and administration officials for continued insistence that the attack was triggered by "an obscure Internet video."

"Our concern is that security has taken a back seat to politics at the State Department," stated Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton in a press release. "The willingness of the State Department and the White House to lie about the Benghazi attack does not inspire confidence that the Benghazi security failures will be seriously addressed. In the meantime, our diplomatic personnel may remain at risk as politicians and bureaucrats avoid accountability."

The press release also notes "Judicial Watch has more than 10 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests pending with various executive departments and agencies seeking records relating to the Benghazi attack."