Politics & Government
Congressman Frank Wolf Links Syria to Benghazi Attack
Congressman says CIA, State Department may have been stockpiling weapons at U.S. consulate.
Northern Virginia Congressman Frank Wolf (R-10th) claims there is a link between violence in Syria and Benghazi, where a U.S. ambassador and three others were killed last year.
Wolf has been pushing for months to get a special committee appointed to look into what happened when four Americans were killed Sept. 11, 2012 at the American consulate in Libya.
If diplomatic talks currently underway fail, Congress could take up a vote next week on whether to take military action against Syria, in response to reports the government there had gassed its own people with chemical weapons.
"... it is increasingly apparent that U.S. actions in Benghazi since 2011 have a strong connection with U.S. policy toward assisting the Syrian rebels," Wolf said Monday in a panel discussion atJudicial Watch, a conservative think tank.
"Many of these rebels are now believed to be al Qaeda connected affiliates, including those that may have participated in the attack on the consulate and CIA annex in Benghazi," Wolf said.
Wolf has brought up the CIA connection in the past.
"In light of the evidence that has emerged following the attacks, I firmly believe that whatever the State Department and CIA were doing in Benghazi had a direct connection to U.S. policy in Syria—a policy that to date has not been fully revealed to the American people or Congress," Wolf said.
"While troubling in isolation it is all the more so in light of the president’s request to Congress this week to authorize military intervention Syria. How can this conversation advance in a responsible manner without clarity about what transpired that night in Benghazi?"
The Northern Virginia congressional delegation, minus Wolf, has signaled they would vote for military action against Syria. Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-10th) has co-sponsored legislation that would put a narrow definition on the American response. The congressman has received some criticism for his stance on taking military action.
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Others representing Northern Virginia, including Congressman Jim Moran (D-8th) and Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, all Democrats, are reportedly on board with military action.
Congress could take up a vote next week if diplomacy fails; Secretary of State John Kerry is in talks with Russian officials in Geneva.
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