WASHINGTON — Republican Sen. Rand Paul said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had been negligent in conducting her job, and said that if he were president, he would have relieved her of her post.

Paul said that the fact that she was not aware of the requests of more security for the U.S. Embassy in Libya constituted “a failure of leadership” and said it was “inexcusable.”

“I think ultimately…yo u accept the culpability for the worst tragedy since 9/11,” Paul said.

“Had I been president at the time and I had found that you had not read the cables from Benghazi, you had not read the cables from Ambassador Stevens,” he went on, “I would have relieved you of your post.”

Paul accused Clinton of being directly responsible for the loss of lives in the September 11, 2012 attacks.

“Not to know of the requests for security really, I think, cost these people their lives,” he said.

“I don’t suspect you of bad motives,” he said, but added that “it’s a failure of leadership not to be involved. It’s a failure of leadership not to know these things.”

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