Americans need the whole truth

The security failure in Benghazi was apparently due to a serious lapse in communication and an underestimation by the Obama administration of the terrorist threat in Libya [“Why did Benghazi security fall short?” News, Oct. 30]. With recentviolence in Benghazi and some on the consulate, steps should have been taken to protect our personnel and the president should have been briefed.

The ambassador expressed his security concerns to the State Department several times but little was done. After the attack, there was ample real-time information to conclude it was likely a terrorist attack yet the president referred to the anti-Muslim video for two weeks.

If in fact he told us on Sept.12 that the attack was an “act of terror,” why did he continue to refer to the video? Shouldn't he have convened a joint meeting in the situation room and monitored the aftermath of the attack like he did with Hurricane Sandy to get all of the facts straight?

We do know now that al-Qaida is not “on the run” but the American people want the whole truth. All we're getting is “after the election.”

— Craig Chilton, Bonney Lake