Libya

The U.S. Africa Command, designed to strengthen defense relationships in Africa, is still trying to define its mission. African states have been wary, while the State Department and aid groups also express concerns. But growing conflicts in the region may soon put AFRICOM to the test.

The partisan feuding in Washington has eased over the deadly attack in Benghazi, Libya. But as the secretary of state testifies, Libya and other countries in the region remain unsettled.

Tunisian authorities have released a man who has been suspected of being involved in the attack that left the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans dead. The man's lawyer says there's no evidence to connect his client to the attack. He was recently questioned by the FBI.

The secretary of state has been recuperating from a stomach virus and a concussion she suffered when she fainted and fell. Congressional committees have been waiting for her to come testify about the attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya.

State Department officials, testifying before Congress, acknowledge that security was inadequate in Benghazi before the deadly attacks in Libya. Sen. John Kerry, who was chairman of the Senate hearing, says the diplomatic corps needs more resources.

The report on the Sept. 11 attack says that security was inadequate and depended heavily on local Libyan militias. It also criticized the State Department for ignoring requests for security upgrades.

The U.N. ambassador, who withdrew herself from consideration to be the next secretary of state, gives her side of the story in today's Washington Post.

She has been the target of sharp criticism from many Republicans because of what they have charged were misleading statements she made in the days after the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya.

"Officials from a cross-section of agencies" tell The Wall Street Journal that references to al-Qaida were removed to protect sources. Those sources say the White House did not drive that decision. The wording, used by U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, has come under criticism.

For many Americans, New Hampshire freshman Sen. Kelly Ayotte is a brand-new face. But she campaigned this year with presidential candidate Mitt Romney and was mentioned as a possible running mate. Now, she has joined veteran Republican senators in raising questions about U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice.