ADVERTISEMENT

Senators Concerned About U.S. Diplomatic Posts Ahead of Study Release

U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya / AP

A group of senators on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence signed on to a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday voicing their concerns over the release of a redacted version of a Senate study that will be made public in early August.

The senators ask for the administration to detail the steps they are taking to secure diplomatic posts overseas ahead of the study’s release.

"Several news outlets reported that a redacted version of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Rendition, Detention, and Interrogation Study will be made public in ‘very early August,’" the letter says.

The senators are concerned about the safety and security of U.S. overseas facilities, especially diplomatic posts.

The senators ask for the administration to detail the steps they are taking to secure diplomatic posts overseas ahead of the study’s release.

On several occasions, the White House and State Department have told the committee, both verbally and in writing, that a series of security steps will be needed to safeguard the lives of U.S. personnel overseas and the facilities in which they work. We would like to know the specific steps that the administration is taking in advance of the public release of the RDI study to ensure the safety of these Americans and prevent another Benghazi like event. Further, we would like to know what guidance, if any, has been issued to diplomatic posts in advance of the impending release of the RDI study, and if you anticipate the need to suspend operations or close a diplomatic post.

Published under: John Kerry