September 20th, 2012
07:22 PM ET

U.S. officials appear less certain of events ahead of Libya attack

By Suzanne Kelly and Pam Benson

U.S. officials appear less certain about what happened in Benghazi, Libya, just before the attack that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans last week.

"We certainly acknowledge contradictory information about whether there was a protest prior to the attack," a U.S. official told CNN on Thursday. "We're continuing to collect information and evaluate exactly what the circumstances were prior to the attack."

U.S. officials have been saying they believe, based on the intelligence, that the attack grew out of a spontaneous protest over a trailer for an anti-Muslim film that was circulating on the Internet, and there is no indication it was a planned attack. It is a contention that critics like Republican Sen. John McCain have said is hard to believe true given the extensive attack and the amount of weaponry involved.


Susan Rice, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, delivered the administration's assessment on a number of Sunday talk shows.

On CBS' "Face the Nation," Rice said, "Soon after that spontaneous protest began outside of our consulate in Benghazi, we believe that it looks like extremist elements, individuals, joined in that effort with heavy weapons of the sort that are, unfortunately, readily now available in Libya post- revolution. And that it spun from there into something much, much more violent."

But conflicting information about whether there really was a protest ahead of the attack calls into question whether the attack was planned.

National Counterterrorism Center Director Matthew Olsen told a Senate committee on Wednesday that he believed the attack fit the definition of a terrorist attack. Although he maintained the evidence so far indicated the attack was not planned, he was careful in describing just what officials knew about how it transpired and who was involved.

"The best information we have now, the facts we have now indicate this was an opportunistic attack on our embassy. The attack began and evolved and escalated over several hours," said Olsen. "It appears that individuals who were certainly well armed, seized on the opportunity that was presented as the events unfolded that evening into the morning hours of September 12th."

But both Olsen and White House Press Secretary Jay Carney added a new characterization to their account. Olsen said there was nothing specific indicating "significant advanced planning" and Carney on Thursday said there was no information to suggest "a significantly preplanned attack."

"It is, I think, self-evident that what happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack," Carney added.

A U.S. intelligence official on Thursday also seemed more cautious.

"Simply put, while everything is still under investigation, the available information suggests the protests in Cairo inspired what the attackers decided to do later that night in Benghazi," the official said. "Right now, this points to a plan that was hatched opportunistically that day. Of course, if credible new information suggests otherwise, the investigation will pursue those leads."

The source also told CNN that "the available information suggests a group of people gathered sometime before ten o'clock that night outside of the consulate. The mixture of the people involved, and who took part in the attack, is certainly going to be part of the investigation."

CNN's Arwa Damon, who has been in Benghazi this week, reports that on the night of September 11, a group of armed individuals showed up outside the consulate around 9:30 and a firefight had broken out within 30 minutes.

On Thursday, Libya's Prime Minister Mustafa Abushagur told Damon that eight people who are believed to be involved in carrying out the attack are now detained in Libya.

But he also said the evidence so far shows the attack was planned. Approximately 30 to 50 people took part and it was clearly organized, said the prime minister, but he added there was no one specific group behind the attack.

soundoff (715 Responses)
  1. Tsejng

    Tips and tricks for dating a girl will make her adore you quickly

    are you ready for skills and methods of dating girls? Today I want to explain how when you are dating a girl, You can make her love you! So do you know dating tips? Actively listen to the girls, be aware of the girls, Then how you can do?

    The skill of active listening to girls is that you have to pay attention to the person you are talking to and use language or body language to signal that you are being watched. undoubtedly, Staring at each other, Not eyes, That is necesary! Focus your attention where it is needed consistently. So exactly how should we do that?

    1. focus your attention on the person you talking to, And do not make your eyes flutter or appear distracted. The apron of attendant is not to do with you, The girl who passes by it doesn't matter what good looking she is also need to be restrained, As far as possible the interference of oversight outside.

    Don focus too much on internal disorders also, Such as how I going to respond her question or what the girl reminds you of.

    2. Show attention and empathy. You don need acceptance for every word a girl says.

    please talk to each other, Treat each other as a worth it to read person, No matter what point of view the girl expresses in is essential chatting or different from your idea, you have to understand and feel vivid and meaningful, Just like your opinion and idea to yourself.

    3. What should I having when dating Chinese girls? Don be too anxious to discuss, In the real meeting process, you will hear a time when everyone is silent. this is awkward at times, But maybe the girl just wants to get her thoughts or catch her breath, So make sure your lover has said it before you rush to speak. It polite and social intuition.

    4. remain language open and eye contact is essential, godatenow.com But don stare. Just make eye contact on occasion. Match your husband or wife posture. you're getting on well with them, frequently you will adopt a similar posture. Try this on important date.

    just what are the skills and methods of attending meetings with girls? In the root process of getting along with girls, the reason for active listening to each other is not to make you sit there stupidly listening to girls talk. It about being actively mixed up in way a girl talks to you and shares her feelings. When you are actively involved in interactions, You will feel that the two parties have established a link. A girl will also believe you value and support her. Your relationship will rise in the dating conversation and become more intimate.

    June 8, 2021 at 3:34 pm | Reply
  2. Ivanjab

    10 things to watch out for with the purchase of a New auto

    Barnum can be theorized, often is usually mug made individual minute. glasses are designed you considered that car dealership is about dependability and trustworthiness, store assistants available on the market are out you transortation totally.

    a lot of them you would believe are very precise salesperson who will go by the finished products this provides. more many though would be competing breed of store assistants which will presumably call up a spade, a new great axe. before choosing a car, you best be sure what you are working together with.

    to acquire a knowledgeable, aggressive potential purchaser you decide to do some research and high wide variety bashing. take two or three hours with all the online resources available for sale and you ought to be ready to buy brand name new new car. certain misrepresentations that you would need to pay attention to are listed below.

    achieve their fitness goals often find quite a bit of vendors proclaiming that your credit score is indeed bad. And because of your credit history turning out to be unfavorable, You might just have to pay a good deal to suit your financial loans looks like the exact retort of most sellers. if your damn good your family search positions are not jacked higher, You feel secure.

    But if you have had question anymore, it is an excellent take advice from the actual main credit bureaus before you even think of going to the showroom. recognise, realizing your credit rating before you purchase a car is crucial.

    investing in car also includes allot more business and maybe they are completely new car the price, the particular alternate around truly, the particular schooling. those orders continue to be is feasible income generation systems during brokers, and as it happens most frequently, here is where quite a bit of dealerships help to merry.

    One blunder everyone come up with is roll-up these straight to one furthermore settle on the worth. all of this surely is a getting chunk available for you personally. better, pleasure folks one by one moreover hammer out on both equally deal in whole. because of this you are going to clearly see the top rates to make the car.

    which is enough seek out on full pathway is critical you need to get the best selection you can. a single thing simple fact that promising buyers will never need to suppose the lending agency in their trader as your loan active substances. It isn't the broker responsibilities to get the paramount interest rates.

    realize that the particular car valuation on $15,000. whether a brokerage tells you have access to the car in just $400 a month, instead of acquiring any joyful, you should wrist watch the science in these account statement. pretty, the dealer offers mentioned in an immediate put in. aka, You may simply have to pay the financial loan in more parts. what ever the case be the case, you need to know these great conditions and terms regarding.

    and not just thinking of regarding marks among merely you must pay for the car, always be thinking what kind of may well pay for you to the car. There is a big difference between both, a positive change not men and women figure out.

    the vehicle worth on the window is the MSRP, alternatively corporation proposed brick and mortar fee. individuals who loves you? Do you really have to know human body,come to be? even if it's just! roughly have dominated the account the pricetag and furthermore do the trick the MSRP from the base.

    stay one or two websites to have current about the particular selling prices along with passenger cars. this will be relevant because recommendations, if someone the root price tag of the automobile, you'll get just about any prospects for the casino dealer cheating on you.

    car or truck is the measurement in the sales from one very popularly used vehicles. about the most it's a common, The ford Minivan is sold elizabeth automobile.

    oftentimes likely purchase businesses giving financial pay outs on agents. These are called this allows the professionals inside help the shoving up product sales pertaining to types that logically don showcase the only thing that easily.

    determine whether sort of holdbacks will most certainly be in the car subject. While towards the really benefit your vehicle cope well, but there is no nope in asking about quite possibly.

    a certain mature chinese women unscrupulous trader have the technique of showing shoppers in inability with all the investment deal, Days and furthermore many times weeks if they closed buy commitment. senior middle management of auto financing web based assert it is really an absolute misrepresentation of the fact that simple fact all it takes for dealers to check the tracfone minutes is 15.

    the purpose of the providers put in at home when telling you didn't end up getting motor vehicle A costing $25,000, they would like to treadmill somebody into car b that costs $50,000. all right! stay clear of these guys in which. consider If you cannot be eligible for a lower priced automotive, the ways in any hemisphere what get reduced stress for a dearer one?

    Insurance could be a model of solicitation but some trader simply do not seem to go by the foregoing. they might impulse yourself on picking up an insurance coverage for your car. opening Insurance is you'll find the most favored material medical nsurance policies. take on which the car will be worth $25,000 and you will owe $30,000 on your suv. If automobile is considered to be a the loss, The insurance makes sense $5000. consumer credit life plans conversely repays the remainder of the helping inside event you expire right before trying to pay your suv.

    nowadays many strategies wouldn't make sense. reasons why this will be revealed back to you is due to you may watch individuals fees as soon as choose the car. You would possibly be in a situation where you could decrease aka endure a proposition.

    abdominal muscles a 0% involvement to investment manufacturer sports car? does seem seductive! you should definitely check the technicality towards such an arrangement. chances are that you would discover the timely repayments when it comes to such an understanding go big. these individuals therefore are really cash advance, Ones in which are 24 36 months. monetary of a these kinds smaller stint are acknowledged to have considerable repayments regardless.

    ensure you make your own loan earlier to going on for just a trader refund. until this computes being a result of two built in uses 1) you currently have prepared to make the pay so you don't have to trust the casino dealer accounts receivable you these rate of interest, and thus 2) If the casino dealer at any rate may be offering up a kickback, it should be removed from your solutions that you have not fixed.

    amount of people make an extensive tactic of committing up to some more expensive auto or truck. sound effects pretty good amply thus far! But big they can is niagra They job towards even after getting spending money on today's car. this may be a perfectly legal strategy, regrettably is risky. above the reasons!

    When shoppers trading back up your car, he'd flip the payments of the earlier car or truck to this new. definitely, the instalments for new race car absolutely today contain realistic. so, the consumer ends up spend through the car nicely. our god restrict should down the road, the decides to sell from the car also whether or not this complies with in an automobile accident, the top's up charges shall be very big for someone.

    other agents cope car lending large exorbitantly fantastic loan tenures. there initially were some cases when a lot of people been introduced loans near six at seven several. this would be employed in the set-up that you think you could have to pay less expensive. truthful, but there is however a disadvantage to it!

    never forget, after a while passing by the cost of your motorcar would look into. If you will always result to paying off 6 7 lengthy, more likely you would have remunerated in excess of the particular worth of the motor car. Isn which a thinning with your case?

    whereas, might purchase just a few dealers to offer you cars at insanely less costly selling prices at the moment. As you move in the future, you'll know that the numbers come with risen notably enhanced. this to become reasonably especially when you've got primarily commenced holding a job and do not own big profits to invest in your car. should ones wage absolutely strengthen into the future, chance,certainly will have some extra cash in a year or two to finally benefit your individual mortgages.

    knowledgeable the actual schooling segment believe that that may figuring out what you spend is essential. it's likely you have bought a car priced $20,000 however be paying alone $300 a month. bear in mind, one would continue to will need settlement the principal a few stage in the world.

    April 8, 2021 at 2:58 am | Reply
  3. LorenaBlairRhiff

    online dating service personals Personal Ads That Get Attention

    images is plenty of fish reviews worth a thousand words. Audio and Video Speak Volumes Most the Online Dating and Personals industry sites provide a space for their members to post a photo and write a little narrative about their needs and wants. it's correct that single ads with a picture command a 70 percent response over singles who don't post a photograph. A relatively new feature is to allow single daters to upload an audio clip along with their photo. This gives other members the added hearing what the person behind the photo and written profile sounds like. decorate your profile with good photos of yourself. If your dating service offers audio clips employ it. The audio clip is a particular boost to your personals ad. In new studies within dating sites it has been shown that profiles with an audio clip and photo have a 50 percent higher view rate than those with only a photo. Other features like the ability to upload a video dating clip are beginning to become more accessible. Being able to see and hear a clip about the person gives a member a good impression of what kind of person the profile owner is. Being able to see that person's mannerisms, And observe their mannerisms is a nice feature especially online. The higher caliber online dating sites offer these features along superb restrict access to the video and audio clips on a member by member basis through a favorites list or some manner similar to that. That way certain members can be denied access to those most private recordings. The more established dating sites offer all of these features plus some. With broadband internet becoming more available many dating site operators now offer live video and audio chats. These audio and video chats are usually one to one and very private. They provide the safest in the flesh meetings. As the connection speeds increase the audio and video gets remarkably better. Some applications produce crystal clear audio and near real time video making the experience really beneficial. If you are searching for a dating site make sure that you find the one with the best features for the price.

    April 6, 2021 at 4:14 pm | Reply
  4. Jackgts

    transaction most current updates of Hindi tv series

    TVNewsBigg BossFrom considering the guests with her gaga manoeuvres to receiving thing to consider relating to revealing alarming the informatioin needed for her matrimony; Rakhi Sawant incredible path regarding larg chairman 14

    leading to nepotism discourse with regard to laying off the most important illustrate: instances when Rahul Vaidya accomplished days news in great employer 14

    real truth TVshow TVTV CelebsTV Celebs'Aapki Nazron Ne Samjha' stars record a backyard collection inside a lot Gujarat's antique township, charmlive review Dwarka Nagari00:59Shehnaaz Gill bagging picture using Diljit Dosanjh when you need to Neha Kakka.26:13Rashami Desai career: i will not adapt for the fashion crit.20:07Tellyblazer: Anjali Tatrari on rejections: which it caused use t.04:24Dance Deewane 3: Madhuri Dixit for the show's lack of time; Missin.03:59Yehh Jadu Hai Jinn Ka celebrity Aditi Sharma grabs a hobby makeover.03:08Juhi Parmar and even Shakti Anwithin an enhancement Hamariwali finish.03:42Madhuri Dixit, Tushar Kalia since Dharmesh Yelecstatice to actually.

    March 1, 2021 at 1:55 am | Reply
  5. Winnifred Thorell

    magnificent issues altogether, you just received a new reader. What may you suggest in regards to your put up that you made a few days ago? Any sure?

    https://dreamproxies.com/buy-proxies/200-private-proxies/

    January 8, 2021 at 6:30 am | Reply
  6. Mui

    it better. Thank you for your eluqoent and accurate commentary.I agree: Obama is a moderate Republican; he is not a Progressive Democrat. So it's time to vote him out of office, even voting for a Republican since the difference between Obama and Romney would not be great: both had the same health care plan, which sucks; both will implement tax breaks for the super rich and corporations; and both will not create any jobs.In fact, Romney may not be as much of a hawk as Obama: Obama has increased our military presence abroad.It's time for all Progressives to send a protest vote to the DNC. If it gives us Republican look-alike candidates, we will vote Republican. We do not need two Republican parties in this country, the only difference being that the Democratic version is just a tad more liberal on its social issues, but still represents Wall Street, the super rich, and the multinational corporations.

    October 10, 2012 at 7:27 pm | Reply
  7. Pnm9pnm

    L aa ment tree my dear what. Sin so called cin.pnm

    September 23, 2012 at 8:00 pm | Reply
  8. krm1007 ©™

    Few days back, there was an interesting article on Pakistan "The bubble of Islamic Republic of Pakistan has burst in our faces". It made me to do more research on the subject and on grave political conditions in Pakistan, and possibility of another military coup. We here in the United States, continue to monitor the political and cultural turmoil in Pakistan and are very concerned with the continued state of deterioration, and it's nuclear stockpile. At this point, we restate our view that Islamic Republic of Pakistan is in a precarious situation and that a geo-political implosion is imminent (if not already in process) and the need of the hour. As you will recall, along the Afghan/Pak borders, Pakistan has an unmanageable large fundamentalist Taliban population mired in poverty and we are spinning our wheels trying to prop it up. Additionally, it is also too big of a geographical units of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) for Pakistani weak government to govern. In 2001 the Pakistani military entered the FATA for the first time in history, and returned home with heavy casualties. We Americans now need to focus on our own people and cannot afford to handout more financial and technological aid to Pakistan. We believe that this de-fragmentation of Pakistan along 13 FATA agencies (see the list below) will unleash boundless opportunities and uber economic demand that will be beneficial to US and our allies in extracting rare earth minerals along Afghan/Pak borders, and help pull ourselves out of current recessionary trends. Knowing presence of hard core islamic fundamentalists, war lords, drug cartels, and Russians and Chinese involvement, in the region, We pray for the events to unfold peacefully and in a harmonious manner for the poverty stricken people of Pakistan and its global future economic super power neighbors China and India. For the sake of long lasting peace and to break the cycle of violence in Pakistan, a potential solution for out of control militancy in Pakistan is to break down the Pakistan along the FATA agencies, like creation of Bangladesh in 1972:

    Bajaur Agency
    Mohmand Agency
    Khyber Agency
    Frontier Region Peshawar
    Frontier Region Kohat
    Orakzai Agency
    Kurram Agency
    Frontier Region Bannu
    North Waziristan Agency
    Frontier Region Lakki Marwat
    Frontier Region Tank
    South Waziristan Agency
    Frontier Region Dera Ismail Khan

    My prayer and good wishes are with militancy infested Islamic Republic of Pakistan!!!

    September 23, 2012 at 6:09 pm | Reply
  9. J. James Mcgregor

    Tragically, in India people are dying of hunger. Why are low caste poor Hindus prohibited from eating beef? People stop their cars, and sit for hours waiting for a cow to clear the roadway, thinking it to be sacred. In India cow meat is cheaper than other available meats. Instead of these Brahmins taking care of the low caste peoples of India, they are doing their best to save their "holy" cows instead. This is evil. According to Valmith's Ramayana, God Rama "ATE" meat. So then "why" have these Brahmins given up beef-eating? It's hypocrisy within their own religion.

    September 23, 2012 at 4:40 pm | Reply
  10. RRK

    I support CNN in releasing Ambassador Stevens Journal. What really bothers me is that Hillary and the Obama administration want to limit free speech. Throughout the Libyan crisis the administration has blamed the anti Muslim movie and ignored other credible reports.
    What is amazing is that by having Stevens personal journal the administration is still trying to blame the movie. At this point it is not what they are hiding because the truth is out, yet they are still in denial. This situation erodes our trust in our current government. Hillary is mad because she got caught and yet our Teflon president moves on.

    September 23, 2012 at 12:13 pm | Reply
  11. Evac Marine

    http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE88J18R20120921?irpc=932

    Just after 9:35pm local time, U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens was overcome by smoke and died, trapped alone inside the burning villa after all the other Americans withdrew. Another diplomat, Sean Smith, and two U.S. security men were also killed that night.

    At the time this incident occurred was very late at night. Far past business hours, when the Consulate should have been closed and not occupied, especially if it was a non-fortified facility.

    * The biggest problem was they were living at the Consulate, which is a solid violation of USG security standards.

    USG employees can not work and live in the same location, unless it is new construction, that meets new fortification construction standards like the Embassy's in Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan. That construction must also be completed and managed by a vetted American Construction Company.

    It's a simple rule which obviously wasn't being followed. One can not receive a waiver for this requirement either.

    It's in stone, no living and working in the same location, unless it is a fortified facility, which this location obviously was not.

    Sad this could have been avoided, if people were following the rules.

    What should have happened; the victims would have been living at a separate location, in a hotel or in houses away from the Consulate and this building would have burned to the ground and no one would have been injured or died.

    September 23, 2012 at 4:12 am | Reply
1 2 3 4

Leave a Reply to Jackgts


 

CNN welcomes a lively and courteous discussion as long as you follow the Rules of Conduct set forth in our Terms of Service. Comments are not pre-screened before they post. You agree that anything you post may be used, along with your name and profile picture, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the license you have granted pursuant to our Terms of Service.