Kuster Declines Benghazi Talk at Constituents’ Forum on Middle East (Video)

By Cameron Easley

Posted December 9, 2013 at 7:49pm

Some constituents of House Democrat Ann McLane Kuster expressed frustration during a community meeting last month after she refused to speak about last year’s deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

Video captured from a Nov. 25 meeting with the New Hampshire lawmaker at the Jewish Federation of New Hampshire in Manchester shows a slightly contentious exchange during a question-and-answer session on Middle East relations. When asked to provide her position on H Res 36, a resolution to authorize a select committee to investigate the attack, Kuster said, “I don’t think we have anything about that in the House.” “Yes you do,” the constituent replied, and continued, “Why isn’t Benghazi at the top of your issue?”  Kuster answered, “Well, I’m certainly not here to talk about it.  We’re here to talk about the Middle East.”<script id="5e2bd50d2be64735bd9c6970a280aeab">(new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=9484058d-cb86-4c6b-b476-f5e62bd11798&cid=69ef7590-f88b-4a7b-b1ad-bbee64894f4f'; cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "9484058d-cb86-4c6b-b476-f5e62bd11798" }).render("5e2bd50d2be64735bd9c6970a280aeab"); });</script> Several in attendance reacted by telling Kuster that Benghazi is indeed included in the generally accepted definition of the Middle East, before the event’s moderator stepped in. </body>