Maureen Dowd: Administration failed in Benghazi

[magellan]

3. Disappointed in her

I'm not seeing where she mentions that Ambassador Stevens had declined extra security twice in the months leading up to the attack. His reasons for this may never be clearly known since the CIA were in the mix, but it appears to be true.

There's a suggestion that State didn't want to send more security because it would undermine the appearance of a stable Libya, but I find it very difficult to believe that. Prominent Republicans including McCain pressed the WH to provide arms and support to the Libyan rebels back in March 2011; they couldn't have gotten away with a "told you so" if additional security were needed in Benghazi.