Minnesota Republican Michele Bachmann, a member of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee, termed Friday's closed-door testimony by ousted CIA chief David Petraeus "only an introduction …regarding the attacks that transpired in Benghazi." Bachmann, one of a select few lawmakers with a chance to hear directly from the retired general on September 11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya, said the testimony "further underscores the need for a thorough investigation." Bachmann made no reference to the extra-marital affair that led to the CIA chief's downfall last week. Joining a GOP chorus of critics over the deadly attack in Libya, Bachmann added, "The hearings that we have held to this point have not produced answers to the questions that the victims' families and the American people deserve to have answered." Still left unanswered, according to Bachmann and other Republicans: The lack of security at the Benghazi mission; the Obama administration's response to prior calls for assistance from American personnel in Libya; and the original White House's statements about spontaneous demonstrations linked to an anti-Islamic video. "Ultimately, President Obama is responsible for the actions of his national security team," Bachmann said.
