US News

Benghazi Hill grill

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will finally testify about the Benghazi security fiasco next month.

Clinton, laid low by a concussion, canceled an appearance yesterday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where her top aides admitted to massive mistakes before the Sept. 11 terror attack in Libya, which killed four Americans, including the US ambassador.

“All of you who know Hillary would know she would rather be here today,” Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair John Kerry told colleagues. “I assure you, it is not her choice. She is looking forward to appearing before the committee in January.”

Republicans have suggested Clinton’s illness — coming before the release of a report scathingly critical of the State Department — was too convenient.

“I’m not a doctor, but it seems as though the secretary of state has come down with a case of Benghazi flu,” said Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.).

At the hearing, Kerry, who is expected to replace Clinton next year, criticized the State Department for ignoring “clear warning signs” that led to the deadly attack.Deputy Secretary of State William Burns admitted to the committee that that “serious, systematic” failures of the department led to the deaths.” Four State Department officials stepped down Wednesday as a result of the report’s findings.