White House calls Libya assault "terrorist attack"

White House press secretary Jay Carney pauses as he speaks during his daily news briefing at the White House Sept. 19, 2012, in Washington. / AP Photo

(CBS News) The White House called last week's deadly assault on a U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, "a terrorist attack" Thursday, but didn't clarify whether the Obama administration thought the attack was planned in advance.

"It is, I think, self-evident that what happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters on Air Force One Thursday. "Our embassy was attacked violently and the result was four deaths of American officials. So, again, that's self evident."

The White House's latest comments on the attack come as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton formed an "accountability review board" to investigate the brutal assault that killed four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens. Clinton named former U.S. Ambassador Thomas Pickering to chair the panel, the Reuters news agency reports.

The new investigation comes amid calls from Capitol Hill for more information on the attack, and complaints that the Obama administration has not been forthright.

Carney didn't clarify whether the Obama administration thought the attack was planned in advance, Reuters reports. A top U.S. counterterrorism official reportedly told lawmakers on Capitol Hill Wednesday that the assault was "opportunistic" but also a "terrorist attack."

Earlier Thursday, CBS News reported that witnesses of the attack said that the alleged anti-American protest that U.S. officials had said morphed into the assault never actually took place, adding to the widening rift between U.S. and Libyan accounts on the attack.

On CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday, Libyan President Mohamed Magariaf said that the execution of the attack showed it was planned far in advance. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice said on the same program that the attack stemmed from "spontaneous protests."

On Wednesday, Matthew Olsen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, told senators that the United States doesn't have specific intelligence that the attack was planned in advance, Reuters reports.

"The best information we have now, the facts that we have now, indicate that this was an opportunistic attack" on the consulate, Olsen said, according to Reuters. "The attack began and evolved and escalated over several hours."

U.S. officials had said since the immediate aftermath of the attack that it originally started as an anti-American protest against an amateurish online video made in the U.S. that insults the Muslim Prophet Muhammad.

"At this point, what I would say is that a number of different elements appear to have been involved in the attack, including individuals connected to militant groups that are prevalent in eastern Libya, particularly in the Benghazi area," Olsen said, according to Reuters. "As well, we are looking at indications that individuals involved in the attack may have had connections to al Qaeda or al Qaeda's affiliates, in particular Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb."

One man the FBI and intelligence agencies are looking at as a possible suspect in the assault is a former prisoner at the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, CBS News senior correspondent John Miller reports.

(Watch at left)

Sufyan bin Qumu was released from Guantanamo in 2007 to the Libyan regime headed by Muammar Qaddafi. Qaddafi jailed him, but he was then set free on a promise to renounce violence. When the Arab Spring uprising began in Libya, Qumu became part of the rebel movement which eventually toppled Qaddafi.

"He's a great suspect on paper," Miller said. "There is some intel about him but it's way too early to verify these reports we've seen that he is the prime suspect or the prime mover. Way too early."

CBS News correspondent Margaret Brennan reports FBI investigators in Libya haven't yet gone to the destroyed consulate, and Miller cautions it's still too soon to make any firm determinations about the attack.

"Whether it was pre-planned or not is tough because in this environment, in Libya," says Miller. "In a normal place when people show up with weapons and cars and an effective assault, you say that requires pre-operational planning. Libya's a place that went through 13 months of this. There's all kinds of weapons and militias with cars and weapons, so it's the one kind of place this could happen spontaneously."

[NinthSt78]

I think the intelligence people are right. Hopefully, the situation can be contained and prevented from escalating into another costly war.

[theZengerite]

Will SOS Clinton's accountability review board bring out the facts in this slaughter & torture of our defenseless Americans in Liya? Will SOS Clinton's accountability review board give Americans the horrendous details of the 8 hour "escort to the hospital" (as POTUS said in his initial, cold, and emotionless response to this terrorist attack?
Will SOS Clinton's accountability review board determine that America's response should have involved cruise missiles instead of apologies? How many cruise missiles did we employ to "liberate" Libya, anyway? There is no reason that one or two couldn't have been targeted on the Al Qaeda headquarters in Libya.
This campaign of apologies by POTUS & Co.is only seen as appeasement by these radicals, and the weakness that it broadcasts only energizes them.

[Jonathan-Collins]

Can ObamaNation sink any lower? You would have thought the killing of Border Partol agent Terry would have been enough. Now you're left wondering what is worse, the inefficiency of the administration to even consider providing security overseas on 9-11, even though they had prior warning three days before, or the fact that we have seen numerous attempts by the White Hpouse to cover up the facts. And how does Obama handle the situation? Plenty of sleep so he can be in Las Vegas for a fundraiser that next evening. Face it America, the person in the White House wants to be a cdelebrity, he doesn't give a damn about the actual presidency. Security briefings? For what purpose? If you can't see that America needs a change, ask yourself why us Canadians have seen your currency devalue over 30% since Obama took office.

[IPonUall2]

What are you doing even mentioning the Border Agents' name for your political trashing to begin with, don't you even get the news? Eric Holder was exonerated, he was only becoming aware of the bush era sting when everyone else did....read up on it.

As for Libya, whatever warning they may had is only based on the truth of who knew what and when did he know it...in other words, there wasn't a warning of any imminent threat, only a general statement that security is not up to the task of bringing industry because they don't have the manpower to patrol the streets.
Really stop smoking that stuff...

The President would thank you for wishing him well...He's grown grey already...what a tough job...and at this heavy economic times...after Bush gave away the store as endgame on America from that thing his grandfather started in 1933 with his buddies against the President called the White House Coup. I found lots of info on YouTube..but feel free to search anywhere.

Bankers have control of our currency and economy with the "Federal Reserve", the fact they are favoring Canada is because Canada didn't have a recession...most Americans are unaware.

[askagain]

IPonUall2 - It is hard to believe that people would take your comments seriously. All you do is apogize for Obama's incompetentcy.

[jschm2681]

really bright staff in the WH. He comes around 9 days after the attack that it was terrorism. Of course the press would press him because it might reflect poorly on the chosens foreign policy.

[No-soup-for-you]

by 7luckysevens September 20, 2012 8:25 PM EDT
No-soup-for-you,
slownewsday/Repubs_R-Fiscal_Libs

-------------

Good lord - you didn't know that?

Actually, I mentioned I was changing sometime around noon. The room was full when I did it. Thought you were there, but apparently you weren't. Zann, Ranger, Mort, etc were there - can't remember who else.

I still have my other name, if you really prefer facing the truth about yourself. This name is just more fun, imo.

[No-soup-for-you]

LOL!!! Yet another reason I'm convinced you're a Democratic operative trying to make the Republicans look as stupid as possible. Ask for a raise - you're doing an excellent job!

[CTsherman1955]

so obama and his thug administration really "shot first and aimed later" in insisting this horrible killing of 4 americans was due to some flimsy movie. and his accomplices in the lap dog media (you remind me of the tass news agency and pravada from the old soviet union)

[tsigili]

After being exposed in their lie.

[washmohickory]

Bush must be running for president. All the libs are here just keep talking about him.

[No-soup-for-you]

I'm libertarian. I blame the people in both parties for where we are.

It's been an awful 12 years for the nation.

[washmohickory]

Don't seem to be able to stay on current topic. Must be a closet lib.

[washmohickory]

CBSNews won't tell the truth about this and won't cover Obama's statement about not knowing 'precisely' what the debt is on the Letterman interview - something that the Sec of State said was a 'Real' security threat when it was 14 trillion. CBS is doing all it can to re-elect it's president.

http://www.inquisitr.com/337614/obama-to-letterman-i-dont-remember-how-much-the-national-debt-is-video/

http://crfb.org/blogs/hillary-clinton-says-national-debt-real-national-security-threat

[No-soup-for-you]

It would have been nice had the liberal TARP not passed, Medicare Part D, the 2008 GM bailout, the 2012 GM bailout, the two wars on funds borrowed from foreign sources for the first time in US history, and the tax cut for the first time in history during a time of war.

Maybe. Just a little. <cough>

[washmohickory]

CBS - where is this story? Since CBS won't cover this and so the president cab get informed since he doesn't seem to know - the debt is now over 16 trillion (here is a website he can look at occasionally so he can keep track of how fast he is spending money he is stealing from our children and grandchildren) - http://balanceourbudget.com/) and projected to increase over 1 trillion a year over the next four years if he is reelected.

http://www.usgovernmentdebt.us/spending_chart_2007_2017USb_XXs1li111mcn_H0f

[IAMCS]

Uhhhh...NO JOKE! What else would you friggin' call it? Sheesh!

[No-soup-for-you]

My thought exactly!