Another Benghazi Hearing -- the Secret Kind, Though

The House Intelligence Committee held its eighth hearing on the Benghazi attacks — behind closed doors, naturally.

Deputy Director of the FBI Sean Joyce, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Matt Olsen, and other senior intelligence officials testified today on the status of the investigation to find and bring to justice those responsible for the attacks that killed four American citizens last September, according to the committee.

“The fact that nine months after the horrific attacks on the U.S. facilities in Benghazi, there has still been no one brought to justice is frustrating and disheartening. The world is watching and terrorists are emboldened by our inability to bring those responsible to justice,” Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) said.

“We must push forward even more aggressively to hold those responsible accountable and bring them to justice swiftly.”

Rogers made no reference to CIA Deputy Director Mike Morell, though. House Homeland Security Chairman Mike McCaul (R-Texas) mused in May, after the White House release of more than 100 Benghazi talking points emails, that Morell would be meeting with Rogers’ committee.

Morell’s resignation was announced this week and he leaves the agency Aug. 9.

FBI Director Robert Mueller, testifying in an oversight hearing before the House Judiciary Committee yesterday, was asked about the progress of the investigation by Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.).

“Is there a reason for — and can you explain to us — and this is a little longer than your usual answer, I’m sure — how it could be that we’ve got videos of them, we’ve got knowledge of who many of these people are — in some cases by name — and yet we haven’t found one of them in Libya or some other country? Isn’t that unusual to have such a cold record as far as we know today?” Issa asked.

“Yes, it is unusual to have such a cold record. As I articulated before, this is a unique situation. We’ve had embassy attacks before. We’ve had our colleagues in law enforcement and the government helping us,” Mueller responded. “There is no government to help us in Libya. We don’t have colleagues we can go to. And so, it is unique.”

“Nonetheless, we have video. We have something there that — to work with. And I can tell you that we have been working with it, and that quite obviously, individuals who may have participated, against whom we may have evidence, whether it be video or otherwise, we are pursuing,” the director added.