September 12, 2012 TRANSCRIPT: AMBASSADOR NICHOLAS BURNS DISCUSSES THE RECENT EVENT IN LIBYA AND THE RESPONSE FROM PRESIDENT OBAMA, SECY. OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON AND MITT ROMNEY ON "ANDREA MITCHELL REPORTS"
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NEW YORK--September 12, 2012—Ambassador Nicholas Burns appeared on "Andrea Mitchell Reports" to discuss recent reaction and response to yesterday's attack in Libya. Amb. Burns provided reaction to the response from President Obama, Secy. of State Hillary Clinton and presidential candidate, Mitt Romney.

CLIP: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/49006027#49006027

[TRANSCRIPT - If used, please credit MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports"]

ANDREA: NICK BURNS HERE IN WASHINGTON, THERE IS A VERY BIG POLITICAL CONTROVERSY OVER MITT ROMNEY’S CRITICISM. HE ISSUED A STATEMENT AROUND 1000 LAST NIGHT, AND A WRITTEN STATEMENT AND THEN TODAY, WENT ON TELEVISION BEFORE PRESIDENT OBAMA DID, AROUND 1015 THIS MORNING, REACTING TO A STATEMENT THAT WAS ISSUED BY THE CAIRO EMBASSY. THE CAIRO EMBASSY STATEMENT CAME OUT AT 1217 LOCAL TIME YESTERDAY. IT WAS BY THE STATEMENT OF THE EMBASSY, A PREEMPTIVE STATEMENT, BE THEY HOPED, TO AVOID PROTESTS THAT THEY ANTICIPATED BECAUSE OF THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO THAT WAS PROMULGATED WITH ANTIMUSLIM INFORMATION IN IT. THE STATEMENT BY THE U.S. EMBASSY IN CAIRO THAT WAS SO ROUNDLY CRITICIZED AND WAS DISGRACEFUL ACCORDING TO MITT ROMNEY, WAS AN APOLOGY ACCORDING TO MITT ROMNEY AND PUT AT THE FEET OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES BY MITT ROMNEY SAYS IN PART THAT THE EMBASSY IN CAIRO CONDEMNS THE CONTINUING EFFORTS BY MISGUIDED INDIVIDUALS TO HURT THE RELIGIOUS FEELINGS OF MUSLIMS AS WE KEN DUMB EFFORTS TO OFFEND BELIEVERS OF ALL RELIGIONS. TODAY THE ANNIVERSARY OF SEPTEMBER 11^th AMERICANS ARE HONORING OUR PATRIOTS THOSE THAT SERVE OUR NATION IS THE FITTING DEMOCRACY. RESPECT IS A CORNERSTONE OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY AND REJECT THE ACTIONS BY THOSE WHO ABUSE THE UNIVERSAL RIGHT OF FREE SPEECH TO HURT THE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF OTHERS. THIS WAS RELEASED BY THE EMBASSY IN CAIRO APPARENTLY WITHOUT WASHINGTON’S APPROVAL SIX HOURS BEFORE THE PROTESTS. NOT AS AN APOLOGY FOR THE PROTESTS OR EXPLANATION OR RESPONSE. YOU’VE BEEN IN EMBASSIES AROUND THE WORLD, TOP LEVELS OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT IN WASHINGTON, FIRST OF ALL, DO THE PRESS OFFICERS AT EMBASSIES HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO RELEASE A STATEMENT LIKE THAT IF INTELLIGENCE AND OTHER INFORMATION INDICATES THAT THEY MAY BE EXPERIENCING PROTESTS?

AMB. BURNS: WELL, THEY CERTAINLY DO. WE HAVE ONE OF THE MOST EXPERIENCED AND OUTSTANDING DIPLOMATS IN CAIRO AS OUR AMBASSADOR ANN PATERSON. ITS HER RESPONSIBILITY AND THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OUR EMBASSY, TO MAKE THE STATEMENTS THEY HAVE TO MAKE AND IN THIS CASE, TO PROTECT AND DEFEND OUR EMBASSY AND THE PEOPLE IN IT.

ANDREA: NOW ANN PATERSON WAS ON HOME LEAVE, WE DISCOVERED. SHE IF SHES ON HOME LEAVE, PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CONFIRED.

AMB. BURNS: IF SHE WAS ON HOME LEAVE SHE WOULDNT HAVE BEEN THE PERSON AUTHORIZING THAT. THE LARGER POINT IS THIS IS A TRAGIC DAY FOR OUR COUNTRY AND FOR OUR FOREIGN SERVICE. FOUR OUTSTANDING AMERICANS HAVE BEEN KILLED. AND I WAS FRANKLY VERY DISAPPOINTED AND DISMAYED TO SEE GOVERNOR ROMNEY INJECT POLITICS INTO THIS VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION, WHERE OUR EMBASSIES ARE UNDER ATTACK, WHERE THERE’S BEEN A BIG MISUNDERSTANDING IN THE MIDDLE EAST APPARENTLY, ABOUT AN AMERICAN FILM, WHERE WERE TRYING TO PRESERVE THE LIVES OF OUR DIPLOMATS, THIS IS NO TIME FOR POLITICS. I WATCHED SECRETARY CLINTON’S STATEMENT THIS MORNING AND I READ PRESIDENT OBAMA’S STATEMENT AND IVE LOOKED AT THE STATEMENT THAT YOU’VE JUST REFERRED TO ISSUED 24 HOURS AGO, BY OUR EMBASSY IN CAIRO, IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM IS THE U.S. GOVERNMENT OR OBAMA ADMINISTRATION APOLOGIZING FOR TERRORISTS OR SYMPATHIZING WITH THEM. WHAT I HEARD FROM THE PRESIDENT AND SECRETARY CLINTON WAS A VERY DEFINITE REJECTION OF TERRORISM AND, OF COURSE, OUR GOVERNMENTS GOING TO CALL ON THE EGYPTIAN AND LIBYAN GOVERNMENTS TO APPREHEND THESE PEOPLE AND TO PUT THEM ON TRIAL. SO I JUST THINK THAT GOVERNOR ROMNEY HAS IN A VERY UNWISE WAY, INJECTED HIMSELF INTO A SITUATION WHERE HE CLEARLY DOESNT HAVE ALL THE FACTS.

ANDREA: AMBASSADOR BURNS, WHERE DO WE FIRST MEET WHAT WAS THE FIRST WHITE HOUSE YOU WORKED IN?

AMB. BURNS: I WORKED FOR BOTH REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRATIONS.

ANDREA: I THINK I MET YOU IN THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION.

AMB. BURNS: GEORGE H.W. BUSH.

ANDREA: GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH, WHEN I FIRST MET YOU YOU WERE A RUSSIAN EXPERT.

AMB. BURNS: YES.

ANDREA: WORKING WITH CONDOLEEZZA RICE AND BRENT SCOWCROFT.

AMB. BURNS: YES.

ANDREA: HARDLY AN OBAMA PARTISAN. I DONT KNOW WHOM YOU’VE ENDORSED WE HAVENT TALKED ABOUT THAT, WE USUALLY TALK ABOUT FOREIGN POLICY. I DONT KNOW IF YOUVE ENDORSED ANYONE IN THIS CAMPAIGN.

AMB. BURNS: ANDREA, I WAS A FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER MYSELF FOR NEARLY 27 YEARS, I SERVED BOTH REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRATIONS. AND I THINK ITS REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE NOT PLAY POLITICS WITH THIS. WE HAVE AMERICAN LIVES AT STAKE OVERSEAS. OUR EMBASSIES THEYRE OUTPOSTS ON THE FRONT LINES AND DANGEROUS PLACES. WE RELY ON THE SECURITY PROVIDED BY HOST GOVERNMENTS AND OUR OWN SECURITY. THIS IS A TIME ACTUALLY TO SUPPORT OUR GOVERNMENT AND NOT TO CAST ALLEGATIONS THAT ARE FRANKLY UNSUBSTANTIATED. I SEE THIS ADMINISTRATION AS BEING VERY TOUGH MINDED ABOUT TERRORISM IN THE LAST 24 HOURS AND RESPONDING TO THESE EVENTS.

ANDREA: IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU THINK THE ADMINISTRATION SHOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY?

AMB. BURNS: IM NOT GOING TO SECOND GUESS THE ADMINISTRATION. I WASNT AT THOSE IN BENGHAZI OR CAIRO YESTERDAY AND I HAVE GREAT SYMPATHY FOR THE AMERICAN DIPLOMATS WHO WERE THERE THAT HAD TO FACE THESE TERRIBLE ATTACKS ON THEM, VIOLENT ATTACKS, WITH RPGs AND MORTARS AND GRENADES. I THINK WE OUGHT TO GIVE OUR SUPPORT TO THOSE PEOPLE. BUT I DO THINK WEVE GOT TO RECOGNIZE AND I THINK SECRETARY CLINTON PUT IT WELL THIS MORNING, SHE UNEQUIVOCALLY SAID THAT THERE IS NEVER A JUSTIFICATION FOR VIOLENCE IN TERRORISM, NO EXPLANATION FOR IT AND WE HAVE TO OPPOSE IT. BUT SHE ALSO SAID WEVE ALSO GOT TO DEPLORE THE INTENTIONAL EFFORTS OF THOSE WHO WOULD DENIGRATE THE RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF OTHERS. AND WE RESPECT THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH, OF A PERSON MAKING A FILM, WE DONT HAVE TO AGREE WITH THAT PERSON. AND SO TOLERANCE FOR RELIGION THAT IS ONESEVENTH OF HUMAN KIND, 1 BILLION MUSLIMS IN THE WORLD, IS ALSO AN IMPORTANT AMERICAN PRINCIPLE. IT WAS BALANCED, WISE AND SAID WHAT AN AMERICAN OFFICIAL STATEMENT SHOULD SAY.

ANDREA: I DONT THINK YOU HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH THE AMBASSADOR WHO WAS KILLED, BUT JUST AS A RETIRED AMBASSADOR AND LONGTIME FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER, WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON THE CORE, THE DIPLOMATIC CORE OF THIS LOSS WE HAVENT SUFFERED THIS KIND OF A LOSS, EVERY LOSS IS HORRIBLE AND TRAGIC ON A PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LEVEL, BUT WE HAVE NOT LOST A U.S. AMBASSADOR WHO WAS A SYMBOL OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT SINCE 1979 IN AFGHANISTAN?

AMB BURNS: ITS SINCE WE LOST AMBASSADOR ADOLPH DUBS IN 1979. WEVE HAD BLACK DAYS IN THE PAST. I REMEMBER THE BEIRUT BOMBINGS IN 1983. YOU DO TOO. WE LOST FOUR GREAT INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE SERVING THEIR COUNTRY AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES ITS DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT DIPLOMATS DO,BUT WHAT THEY DO IS THEY GO TO THE MOST DIFFICULT PLACES, THEYRE UNARMED, OF COURSE THEY HAVE SECURITY, BUT THEYRE NOT CARRYING ARMS, THEYRE DOING THE WORK OF OUR COUNTRY, AND THEY DESERVE OUR RESPECT AND THANKS TODAY. I THINK THATS WHERE WE SHOULD BE PLACING THIS DEBATE. THE DEBATE I SEE OVER THE LAST HOUR, WHICH IS POLITICS AND THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, IS SO DISAPPOINTING, BUT I CAN TELL YOU ONE THING, THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE FOREIGN SERVICE WILL RALLY AROUND EACH OTHER, AND THEYLL CONTINUE TO SERVE THIS COUNTRY WITH GREAT DISTINCTION.

ANDREA: THANK YOU SO MUCH, AMBASSADOR BURNS.