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Subscribe to RSSAyman Mohyeldin reports from Benghazi, Libya, where officials in the region continue to maintain that last week's deadly attack on the U.S. consulate was a targeted, pre-planned assault, carried out by foreigners. Meanwhile, U.S. officials claim there is no evidence to support this claim.
The U.S. ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, and three other Americans were killed when gunmen attacked the consulate and a "safe house" in Benghazi last Tuesday night.
NBC News’ Ayman Mohyeldin is in Benghazi reporting on the aftermath of the attacks. Who is responsible for the attack, what is fueling the continuing protests over the anti-Islam film making waves across the Middle East and what is the impact on U.S.-Libya relations?
Ayman answered reader questions earlier today. Please click below to replay the informative Q & A chat.
Hezbollah chief makes rare appearance, leads calls for protests over video
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An intelligence source on the ground in Libya said that there was no demonstration outside the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi prior to last week's attack challenging the Obama administration's claims that the assault grew out of a "spontaneous" protest against an anti-Islam film.
"There was no protest and the attacks were not spontaneous," the source said, adding the attack "was planned and had nothing to do with the movie."
The source said the assault came with no warning at about 9:35 p.m. local time, and included fire from more than two locations. The assault included RPG's and mortar fire, the source said, and consisted of two waves.
The Libyan leader told CBS News' "Face the Nation" on Sunday that the government in Tripoli harbors "no doubt" that the Sept. 11 attack that killed U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans was "preplanned, predetermined." That assessment conflicted directly with the preliminary conclusion offered on Sunday by U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, who appeared on all five Sunday morning talk shows.
There, Rice maintained that the Benghazi incident "was a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired in Cairo, as a consequence of the video," and that after the protest outside the U.S. consulate gathered steam, "those with extremist ties joined the fray and came with heavy weapons."
Now, in addition to the Libyan president referring to the notion this attack was spontaneous as preposterous, Libyan security officials say they warned the ambassador of an impending attack scheduled for September 11th, three days before the attack. If Obama would have taken the time to attend the daily security briefings instead of appearing on Letterman and the View, he might have known this.
Remember, this video languished in obscurity for months before the Muslim Brotherhood, Obama’s
allies, purposefully released it to the Muslim masses exactly on September 11th for the express purpose of inflaming them and eliciting the predictable violent reaction.
strange that our media does not report on the fact that 20 embassies were "spontaneously" attacked on the same day
spontaneous reaction- passing gas after consuming a bowl of frijoles..
planned action- taking ak-47's and rpg's to a consulate demonstration..
We need to know the truth. Is the Administration being forthcoming and accurate in its descrption of the events, or is it deflecting the focus in order to protect and not expose perhaps a failing foreign policy?
If your asking the questions then you probably already know the answer - Libyan Leader on Face the Nation said it was planned. Rice says it was spontaneous? Then why did they know where the safe house was? And what Foriegn Policy does Obama have?
small groups my butt everytime i see the news its very large groups. besides that if there are issues why don't they try to solve the problem like all other sane people. we don't go around burning down the embassays here hell we even let the iranian leader come here and spout off at the un and say the things he says.
An intelligence source on the ground in Libya said that there was no demonstration outside the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi prior to last week's attack -- challenging the Obama administration's claims that the assault grew out of a "spontaneous" protest against an anti-Islam film.
The intelligence source said no protests were happening before the attackers struck at about 9:35 p.m. local time last Tuesday. The account backs up claims by a purported Libyan security guard who told McClatchy Newspapers late last week that the area was quiet before the attack.
"There wasn't a single ant outside," the unnamed guard, who was being treated in a hospital, said in the interview.
TheObama administration is lying to us yet again. The mainstream media would be climbing all over a republican president over this. With Obama in office, toe the company line, assume the position with embroidered kneepads.
Pathetic.
Obama has been caught in another outright lie. Even now the Libyan's are disputing Obama's version events. Looks like Susan Rice Jay the Clown Carney and the rest of the leftest in the White House just can't get thier sorry straight.
How much longer people are we going to put up with a press that continues to protect this lousy excuse for a president, MSNBC isnt even reporting the truth.
And the teflon President just skates along, making appearances in Vegas and Letterman while the press debate how to shift the focus to Romney's remarks and half the country blindly follows.
All hail Obama!
Only if we allow it. Time to shave a few milimeters of teflon off his worthless a ss.
Notice how MSNBC has not put this story under thier political section. You ought to be ashamed of yourself liberals.
We cannot let this Administration and their Lapdog media try to bury this possible crime. We need to continue to press for the truth as the events and accounts are not adding up. This is a cover up that could deeply affect our freedom of speech. Most of us know to turn the other cheek when malicious statements are made (in this case a poorly made YouTube video) and will be repelled or supported on it's own.
Ayman, you deflected the question regarding Ambassador Stevens being dragged through the streets: there are countless videos and pictures posted around the Internet showing just that. You seem to want us to think that he was rushed to the hospital immediately: the fact is, his body went missing for hours You may be trying to defuse the situation, but misleading people under the guise of reporting damages your credibility.
Obama wrong again, can he get anything right?
What is unbelievably amazing is that with all the death going on and murders in Libya, the army there caught 50 people already that attacked the embassy... that has to be a Guinness World Record for sleuthing...
Should put these guys on the Jack the Ripper case - it would probably take them 45 minutes to resolve that cold case...
Are you kidding me... I don't believe that for one second...
They are just trying to suck up to the US for more financial support, like Pakistan and Afghanistan has...
President Stinky (BO) has much reason to lie.
Libyan President is basically saying that the Obama admin is wrong and that this was a planed terrorist attack.
There were warnings and Obama Admin did nothing, SHAME ON YOU OBAMA
Stay tuned for the drone strike that obama will order just before the election.
Exactly, he'll either have drones or the destroyers off the coast send a tomahawk or two to blow up some tent or camel in the desert and claim he killed the person responsible.
Anyone who knows history knows we have only one other time in history had an American Ambassador killed while serving.
And that was under the Carter administration.
Why not just have Fisty, or Bev or California Tom report?I'm sure they will just follow the talking points as instructed by NBC. Heck my dead cat Kasey could report what I expect to come from any NBC reporter. Slanted, biased reporting... funny, reading First Read on occassion I'm reminded why I won't vote for the Democratic party again even though I'm an indepent. Its like listening to a bunch of 5 years old comment.
the next time i hear someone say islam is a religion of peace. i'm going to vomit.
It's pretty obvious what President Obama's North Africa and Middle East policy is -- freedom and democracy. Ruthless brutal dictators have been replaced by democratically elected leaders.
American's should be proud of what has transpired during this period in history dubbed "Arab Spring".
NEWS FLASH -- Freedom is NOT free. Protests will occur and some will turn violent. Some protests will prove to be smokescreens for armed assaults. I'm surprised that anyone is shocked by this. And I am surprised that the State Department Security Task Force did not prepare for this in of all places, unstable Libya.
Just to clarify, the unit within the State Department responsible for protecting our diplomats is called the State Department Diplomatic Security Service.
Absolutely. Freedom is not free and sometimes the defence of freedom (and democracy) requires undemocratic means if 'freedom' is to continue
Of course, there is also the chance that some cultures cannot handle a Jeffersonian style democracy where freedom of speech, freedom of religion et al are important cornerstones. And it seems to me that Arab cultures who seem bent on either being ruled under an iron fist by either their religion or a dictator, are cultures that will never be able to support true freedom.
The truth will come out in the form of a drone strike report where many bad guys bit the dust.
NBC you are an embarrasment. You are willing to sacrifice your profession so that you can prop up this worthless president.
It seems reasonable to assume that this "protest" was pre-planned by al-Qaeda supporters. Perhaps not all the protestors were part of the plan, but anyone who brought RPGs or any other type of weapon obviously had premeditated plans to use them. I also find it too much of a coincidence that this happened on 9-11. In addition, I find it mighty interesting that the premeditated planning was against an ambassador who had good relations with the non-terrorist Libyans. Seems that he was scaring al-Qaeda and the only way they could see disrupting Ambassador Stevens' was to kill him. Well, I say to al-Qaeda "There are more of us out here who are proponents of freedom. So, run scared al-Qaeda. We're right behind you!"