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.”