Lawmakers Still Want Petraeus to Testify on Benghazi

Despite his resignation last week as CIA Director, Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.), Senate Select Committee on Intelligence chair, said she’d still like to see David Petraeus appear before Congress to discuss the events in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11 that led to the deaths of four Americans, including US Ambassador Chris Stevens. “I have no doubt now that we will need to talk with David Petraeus and we will likely do that in closed session. But it will be done one way or another,” Feinstein told NBC News on Nov. 12 (see NBC News release). Petraeus was scheduled to testify on Nov. 15 before the committee, along with other senior intelligence officials. However, he abruptly stepped down as CIA director on Nov. 9 after admitting to an extramarital affair. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told CBS News’ Face the Nation on Nov. 11 that it is still “essential” that Petraeus come before Congress (see CBS News release). “I don’t see how in the world you can find out what happened in Benghazi before, during, and after the attack if General Petraeus doesn’t testify,” said Graham. CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell is now serving as acting director. The Detroit News reported that Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence chairman and a former FBI official, has surfaced as a potential successor to Petraeus. (See also Petraeus statement, Obama statement, and Morell statement.)