英语文摘:Benghazi attack at U.S. consulate preventable: Senate report

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- The attack at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi could have been prevented, according to a report released by the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday.

The report says there was a "significant strategic warning" about the possibility of an attack in the months leading up to it, which killed four Americans including U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens on Sept. 11, 2012.

"Despite the clearly deteriorating security situation in Benghazi and requests for additional security resources, few significant improvements were made by the State Department to the security posture of the Temporary Mission Facility," notes the report.

There were no military assets positioned in a place where they could have saved the Americans killed in the attack, the report finds, adding that the military attempted to move some assets, but only an unmanned drone was able to make it in time.

The Senate Intelligence Committee worked on a bipartisan basis to investigate the various allegations that have come out since the attack and to get to the truth about the attack, Senator Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the committee, said in a statement.

"I hope this report will put to rest many of the conspiracy theories and political accusations about what happened in Benghazi, " she added.

Feinstein told reporters Wednesday that the report proves that the State Department needs to do a better job in assessing risks.

A number of the recommendations in the report are consistent with the work the State Department has taken to improve diplomatic security, White House spokesman Jay Carney said at a regular press briefing Wednesday.

The Obama administration is also focused on bringing to justice those responsible for the deaths of four Americans, Carney said.

U.S. agencies should more closely monitor the social media streams of extremist groups, suggests the report.

It also recommends that no facility in a dangerous area should be allowed to operate unless full security measures have been taken.