Ambassador Nicholas Burns, former Undersecretary of State, defended U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice on Tuesday after Senators McCain, Graham and Ayotte told reporters that a meeting with her left them with more questions than answers about statements she made after the Benghazi attacks.
“It’s a shame,” Burns told Andrea Mitchell, “You’re relying on a collective judgment made at the State Department, the White House, the CIA and other places, and she was merely the person representing the position that day. I don’t think it’s fair to hold her responsible.”
Burns called for letting official commissions determine the details surrounding the September 11 Benghazi embassy attack, which Rice called the result of a spontaneous demonstration when she appeared on the Sunday news shows days later. Intelligence has shown the attacks to be the pre-planned work of terrorists.
Rice is considered Obama’s top choice to replace Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. “The president has a right to nominate the person he thinks is best,” Burns said on Andrea Mitchell Reports. “I would just hope that all members of Congress would give any nominee due consideration.”
Erin Delmore