Pentagon: Marine commander will talk to Congress about Benghazi attacks

Col. George Bristol, a Marine commander in North Africa during the deadly Benghazi terror attacks, will now talk to members of Congress, the Pentagon said Monday.

The announcement follows at least two requests by South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham for Bristol’s full account of the September 11, 2012, attacks.

It was not immediately clear if Bristol will talk in public or behind closed doors.

Pentagon spokesman Maj. Rob Firman told Fox News on Monday a Defense Department misunderstanding about when Bristol retired resulted in Graham’s first request being rejected.

The department acknowledged the error, and Graham has since withdrawn a second, written request.

“At the time of the time of the Benghazi attacks, Col. Bristol served as the Joint Special Forces Task Force-Trans Sahara commander,” Graham wrote in the July 18 letter. “Due to his in-depth knowledge of the region, coupled with his close interaction with U.S. Special Operations Forces operating on the African continent, I believe he would be the ideal person to speak with about what happened.”

U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other American officials were killed inside the Special Mission Compound in Benghazi, Libya.

Despite numerous Capitol Hill hearings, briefings and documents reviews, Capitol Hill lawmakers, particularly Republicans, are still trying to learn more about security and intelligence reports before the attacks and what attempts were made to protect or rescue the American diplomats.