Sec. 1251. Report, determination, and strategy regarding the terrorists responsible for the attack against United States personnel in Benghazi, Libya, and other regional threats
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Congress finds the following: On September 11, 2012, United States facilities in Benghazi, Libya were attacked by an organized group of armed terrorists, killing United States Ambassador Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty, and Tyrone Woods. On September 14, 2012, President Obama stated that: We will bring to justice those who took them from us * * * making it clear that justice will come to those who harm Americans. . On May 1, 2014, White House spokesman Jay Carney stated that:
I can assure you that the President’s direction is that those who killed four Americans will be pursued by the United States until they are brought to justice. And if anyone doubts that, they should ask * * * friends and family members of Osama bin Laden. . In testimony before Congress in October 2013, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, asserted that the President lacks the authority to use military force to find and kill the Benghazi attackers.
Since the Benghazi attacks, the President has not requested authority from Congress to use military force against the Benghazi attackers. No terrorist responsible for the Benghazi attacks has been brought to justice. It is the sense of the Congress that— the persons and organizations who carried out the attacks on United States personnel in Benghazi, Libya on September 11 and 12, 2012, pose a continuing threat to the national security of the United States; the failure to hold any individual responsible for these terrorist attacks is a travesty of justice, and undermines the national security of the United States; and the uncertainty surrounding the authority of the President to use force against the terrorists responsible for the attack against United States personnel in Benghazi, Libya, undermines the President as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States.
Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to Congress— a report that contains— the identity and location of those persons and organizations that planned, authorized, or committed the attacks against the United States facilities in Benghazi, Libya that occurred on September 11 and 12, 2012; and a detailed and specific description of all actions that have been taken to kill or capture any of the persons described in clause (i); and a determination regarding whether the President currently possesses the authority to use the Armed Forces of the United States against all persons and organizations described in subparagraph (A)(i).
The report and determination described in this subsection shall be submitted in unclassified form to the maximum extent possible, and may contain a classified annex. Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a comprehensive strategy to counter the growing threat posed by radical Islamist terrorist groups in North Africa, West Africa, and the Sahel, which shall include, among other things— a strategy to bring to justice those persons who planned, authorized, or committed the terrorist attacks against the United States facilities in Benghazi, Libya that occurred on September 11 and 12, 2012; a description of the radical Islamist terrorist groups active in North Africa, West Africa, and the Sahel, including an assessment of their origins, strategic aims, tactical methods, funding sources, leadership, and relationships with other terrorist groups or state actors; a description of the key military, diplomatic, intelligence, and public diplomacy resources available to address these growing regional terrorist threats; and a strategy to maximize the coordination between, and the effectiveness of, United States military, diplomatic, intelligence, and public diplomacy resources to counter these growing regional terrorist threats.
The strategy described in this subsection shall be submitted in unclassified form to the maximum extent possible, and may contain a classified annex. In this subsection, the term appropriate congressional committees means— the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Foreign Relations, and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; and the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives.