Benghazi terrorist attack follows Obama on the campaign trail

“But what was the truth?” Mr. Hutchinson asks. “And what proof is there that Obama had conclusive evidence that the attack was the handiwork of a terrorist organization? And if so, just what terrorist organization might that have been? And even if more information about whom and what was behind the attack were known at the time, what motive would Obama have for covering up the information?”

Now, the episode has taken another turn as more information emerges about what actually happened in Benghazi over the seven hours of the attack – and what US military assets might have been available to protect or perhaps rescue the American diplomatic personnel under fire.

On Sunday, the Associated Press carried a long report from Tripoli suggesting that a planned attack likely was only incidentally connected to the crude YouTube video about the Prophet Mohammad that sparked protests across the Middle East and North Africa.

Neighbors of the US consulate in Benghazi “all described the militants setting up checkpoints around the compound at about 8 p.m. The State Department’s timeline says the attack itself began at around 9:40 p.m.,” according to the AP report.

“Khaled al-Haddar, a lawyer who passed by the scene as he headed to his nearby home, said he saw the fighters gathering a few youths from among passers-by and urged them to chant against the film,” the report continues.

"I am certain they had planned to do something like this, I don’t know if it was hours or days, but it was definitely planned," said al-Haddar. "From the way they set up the checkpoints and gathered people, it was very professional."

The guard told the AP he saw no protesters, instead hearing a few shouts of "God is great," then a barrage of automatic weapons fire and rocket-propelled grenades, along with barrages from heavy machine guns mounted on trucks.

Earlier, Fox News reported that security officers working for the CIA in Benghazi heard the attack on the consulate but were twice told to wait before rushing to the compound. Fox also reported that U.S. officials refused when the security team asked for U.S. warplanes to bomb their attackers, which would have meant violating Libyan airspace.

CIA and Pentagon officials strongly deny the allegations.

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