Hillary Clinton: Chris Stevens Was Joking About Security in Benghazi

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speculated Wednesday that former Ambassador Chris Stevens must have been joking when he sent a question about security at the Benghazi consulate where he and three others later died.

During afternoon testimony, Rep. Susan Brooks asked Clinton about an email dated Dec. 15, 2011 in which Stevens asked an official about security at the Benghazi compound, and whether the State Department had decided to close it.

Clinton responded: “Well, Congresswoman, one of the great attributes that Chris Stevens had was a really good sense of humor and I just see him smiling as he’s typing this because it’s clearly in response to the e-mail down below talking about picking up a few ‘fire sale items from the Brits.'”

Rep. Brooks pointed out that the “fire sale items” were security barricades that the British were no longer using because the danger of remaining in Benghazi prompted them to leave. “So they’re picking up a fire sale because other consulates are pulling out, other countries are pulling out?”

Clinton’s response: “Well, I thought it showed their entrepreneurial spirit.”

Update: In 2007, Clinton wrote to the Government Accountability Office expressing concern that U.S. soldiers in Iraq were forced to find their own body armor because the body armor they had been issued was inadequate.