Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky on Friday said former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton had been “bugging” President Obama to intervene in Libya — a development Mr. Paul said has made the region much less stable.

Mr. Paul, a 2016 GOP presidential candidate, questioned the run-up to the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attacks in Benghazi, saying that multiple requests for more security apparently went unheeded. Mrs. Clinton, the 2016 Democratic front-runner, testified before the House Select Committee on Benghazi Thursday.

“But there’s another story here also: Why were we in Libya and was it a good idea?” Mr. Paul said on Fox News’ “Outnumbered” program. “Hillary Clinton was the biggest proponent, bugging President Obama, saying, ‘We need to topple [Moammar] Gadhafi.’ “

“Well if you look at Libya now, it’s a failed state. There is no government,” Mr. Paul said. “A third of those in Libya pledge allegiance to ISIS [Islamic State]. I contend that not only did she not provide adequate security for Benghazi, but that she was a proponent of a war that actually made things less stable and made it worse off and actually made it more likely that we will be attacked from some[one] in Libya.”

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