Former U.S. ambassadors to discuss Benghazi at SIA

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Since the 2012 terrorist attack on two U.S. government sites in Benghazi, Libya, that resulted in the death of a U.S. ambassador and several other American citizens, the name “Benghazi” has taken on a life of its own in the American lexicon.

But what really happened that day in Benghazi, what does it mean for U.S. foreign diplomats, and what were the results of the subsequent investigations into the attack?

Join Penn State Law and the School of International Affairs on Tuesday, October 25 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in room 112 of the Lewis Katz Building for “Ambassadors on Benghazi: Inside the Aftermath.”

School of International Affairs professors Dennis Jett and Joseph DeThomas—both of whom formerly severed as U.S. diplomats in locations around the world—will discuss the Benghazi attack and the investigations conducted in its aftermath, as well as the role of U.S. ambassadors in potentially dangerous foreign countries.

The discussion will be moderated by Penn State Law professor Samuel C Thompson Jr.

DeThomas—who served as the U.S. ambassador to Estonia in addition to completing tours in Austria, Ethiopia, Germany, Iran, and Mexico over 29 years as a member of the U.S. Foreign Service—will discuss the findings of the State Department’s Accountability Review Board investigation into the Benghazi attacks.

Jett, whose time in the U.S. Foreign Service spanned 28 years and three continents—including stints as the U.S. ambassador to Mozambique and Peru—will next discuss the various congressional committee investigations and reports on the Benghazi attacks. Both former ambassadors will also speak to their time in the foreign service, the role of ambassadors in countries such as Libya, and how the danger of such attacks figure into the lives of foreign service officers.

The event will conclude with an audience Q&A .