White House addressing Benghazi lessons

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WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- President Obama's chief of staff Sunday defended the White House's management of the September terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya.

Denis McDonough said the actions of the president and his team were upheld by the Accountability Review Board, set up by the State Department in the aftermath of the Benghazi raid, which cost the lives for four Americans.

"They said that ... the Washington-based effort was a good effort that (we) did everything it possibly could have," McDonough said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

The actions of Obama and his top aides have been the topic of debate and demands from Republicans in Congress who have portrayed the president of being unfocused and failing to take adequate steps to provide security for the Benghazi diplomats.

McDonough said the current priority for the administration was addressing any shortcomings. "He's demanded of us, his team, be that at State Department, be that at the White House or at the Pentagon or the intelligence community, to make sure this never happens again," he said. "He won't put up with it."