Benghazi emails

The Benghazi emails refer to a series of emails exchanged between high-ranking officials in the Obama administration, including then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, regarding the 2012 Benghazi attack in Libya. The attack, which occurred on September 11, 2012, resulted in the deaths of four Americans, including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens.

The emails were released in 2014 by the State Department in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch. The emails were exchanged between September 11, 2012, and September 14, 2012, and provide insight into the administration's response to the attack.

Some of the key points from the emails include:

1. The initial response to the attack was slow, with the State Department and White House taking several hours to acknowledge the attack and provide assistance to the besieged diplomatic compound.
2. The emails show that the administration was aware of the threat posed by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and other terrorist groups in the region, but did not take adequate measures to protect the diplomatic compound.
3. The emails reveal that the administration was concerned about the political fallout from the attack, with some officials expressing worry about the potential impact on the presidential election.
4. The emails show that the administration was slow to provide accurate information about the attack, with some officials initially claiming that the attack was sparked by a protest over a YouTube video.

The release of the emails sparked a political firestorm, with Republicans accusing the administration of covering up the truth about the attack and Hillary Clinton of being responsible for the deaths of the four Americans. The controversy surrounding the emails was a major issue in the 2016 presidential election, with Donald Trump and other Republicans using the emails to attack Clinton's judgment and trustworthiness.

However, many experts and fact-checkers have disputed the notion that the emails reveal a cover-up or that Hillary Clinton was responsible for the deaths of the four Americans. The State Department's Accountability Review Board (ARB) conducted an investigation into the attack and concluded that the State Department's security measures were inadequate, but that there was no evidence of a deliberate attempt to withhold information or resources from those responding to the attack.

In 2016, the State Department's Inspector General (IG) released a report on the Benghazi attack, which concluded that the State Department's security measures were inadequate and that the department had failed to provide adequate support to the diplomatic compound. The report also criticized the State Department's response to the attack, saying that it was slow and inadequate.

Overall, the Benghazi emails are a complex and controversial issue that has been the subject of intense political debate and scrutiny. While some have used the emails to attack Hillary Clinton and the Obama administration, many experts and fact-checkers have concluded that the emails do not reveal a cover-up or that Hillary Clinton was responsible for the deaths of the four Americans.