TheBlaze's Becket Adams contributed to this report
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Secretary of State John Kerry has informed Congress he "will not honor the request to make Benghazi survivors available for questioning," CBS News reporter Sharyl Attkisson reports.
Republicans in the House Oversight Committee reportedly plan to issue subpoenas if Kerry does not reverse his decision and provide congressional investigators access to Benghazi survivors.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 10: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry prepares to testify before the House Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill September 10, 2013 in Washington, DC. Congress may have avoided a difficult vote this week after Kerry suggested that the United States would possibly halt plans for a military strike against Syria if that country turned over its chemical weapons to the international community. Credit: Getty Images
House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) on Monday sent Kerry a formal letter demanding access to the survivors of the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
“I must receive confirmation that the [State] Department will makes these witnesses available to Committee investigators by September 24, 2013,” the letter reads.
“Otherwise, I will have no alternative but to consider the use of compulsory process,” the letter adds.
The congressman points out that this is not the first time that the Committee has demanded access to the Benghazi survivors. In fact, he notes, the State Department has dutifully ignored or denied earlier requests for access.
The State Department told the Committee on Aug. 23, 2013, that it was not “prepared to support the [Committee’s] request for transcribed interviews.”
This would appear odd, the letter notes, considering certain Benghazi survivors have been available for various media appearances.
A recent “Vanity Fair” article, for instance, described the night of the attack and included details that only “persons who survived the attack could possibly know.”
Additionally, Rep. Issa explains, Fox News reported in July that it had made contact with David Ubben, one of the survivors
You can read the full letter here:
Four Americans -- U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods -- were killed in an attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on last year's 9/11 anniversary.
CNN recently reported, citing anonymous sources, that the CIA is polygraphing its operatives on a regular basis in an “unprecedented” effort to prevent Benghazi secrets from leaking out.
CNN also revealed that as many 35 Americans were in Benghazi on the night of the deadly terror attack, according to inside sources. As many as seven were wounded and 21 Americans were reportedly working in the building known as the CIA annex.
Featured image via AP
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