Senate Intelligence Committee to hold hearings on Libya attack after election

The Senate Intelligence Committee announced plans Thursday to hold a series of hearings on the attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Libya. But the panel scheduled its first session on the politically charged issue for Nov. 15, a week after the presidential election.

The committee said its inquiry, starting with a session closed to the public, will focus on “the intelligence and security situation surrounding” the Sept. 11 attack in Benghazi that killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans.

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the chairman of the committee, recently said in a television interview that it “was possibly a mistake” for the nation’s spy chief to provide talking points to lawmakers about the nature of the attack before details were clear.

Other inquiries are also underway on Capitol Hill, but only the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has held a public hearing so far.