Gibbs: ‘Nobody wants to get to the bottom’ of Libya attacks more than Obama

By Keith Laing - 10/14/12 10:30 AM ET

Senior Obama campaign advisor Robert Gibbs defended the president from Republican criticisms about his response to the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, saying that Obama was determined to figure out more about what led to the assault.

Republicans have criticized the administration for not immediately identifying the assault, which resulted in the death of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, an attack of terrorism. The GOP has also trained its focus on remarks made by Vice President Biden in his debate with Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) about the administration not being aware of requests for more security at U.S. embassies and consulates.

But during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday morning, Gibbs said “[F]irst and foremost, nobody wants to get to the bottom of exactly what happened more than this president and this administration.

He added that “security requests at our embassies and consulates and our buildings throughout the world obviously go to the State Department. That's -- those are the people that should be making those decisions. That's the place where requests go.”

When he was pressed about Obama’s culpability for the Libyan attacks by host Candy Crowley, Gibbs said the responsibility for the operation of U.S. facilities that are abroad was shared.

“The administration is responsible, countries that provide us consulates and mission are responsible also for keeping those people safe and secure, and an investigation is what the president and the secretary of state have asked for that we can understand directly all the things that happened and take steps to keep anybody who serves our country overseas safe from home,” he said.

Republicans have hammered Obama on the Libyan assault as more details have emerged about the incident that occurred on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Rep. Ryan said in his debate with Biden Thursday that the situation marked the “unraveling” of Obama’s foreign policy and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) compared the administration’s response to Watergate scandal in the 1970s.