Benghazi, Syria dominate "Face the Nation"
CBS News--The Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Libya during the Sept. 11, 2012 attacks on the Consulate in Benghazi told investigators in an interview that he thought the attack was a terrorist strike from the "get go." This statement was included in a series of excerpts from that interview which "Face the Nation" obtained early and exclusively and presented to viewers alongside an interview with House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa. The Washington Post picks up on why that tidbit could be explosive, as does Fox News.
Salon explains why this news and the Committee's upcoming hearing with Gregory Hicks and two other witnesses could become (again) a "big headache" for the President and his administration. http://www.salon.com/2013/05/06/benghazi_is_about_to_become_a_real_scandal/
Read more on Issa's appearance and the Benghazi news from the Daily Caller and New York Post.
Jumping across the Red Sea, just days after reported Israeli airstrikes on Syria, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Mich., said the situation in the Mideast was "deteriorating by the day" because of the crisis in Syria and the movement of fighters and refugees in and out of the country. Rogers appeared alongside Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md., on "Face the Nation." Ruppersberger agreed the situation in Syria is "very serious." Newsmax picked up on Rogers' description of what's happening.
But what should the U.S. do about it? Rogers said the U.S. should be "coach," not "sheriff in Syria." Read The Washington Post for an explanation of that statement.
Rogers also argued there is a lot the administration could do in Syria that doesn't include putting boots on the ground. The New York Times rounds up those options and what other newsmakers discussed across the Sunday show circuit. The Wall Street Journal also looked at alternatives that didn't just stop short of putting boots on the ground, but also didn't arm rebels. Rep. Ruppersberger argued that "there are plenty of weapons in Syria right now on both sides," and effective U.S. involvement could include helping the rebels coordinate and use those weapons effectively. Read more on the administration's options from CNN.
While there are options and both sides seem to agree the U.S. should do something, Ruppersberger was clear that America has "our own issues right now... so when we make the move to get in, we have to do it with a coalition." Read about a possible coalition from The Washington Post.