CIA found militant links a day after Libya attack

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Associated Press

Story Created: Fri Oct 19, 2012 5:30 AM

Story Updated: Fri Oct 19, 2012 5:32 AM

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. officials tell The Associated Press that the CIA station chief in Libya reported to Washington within 24 hours of last month's deadly attack on the U.S. Consulate that there was evidence it was carried out by militants, not a mob upset about an American-made, anti-Muslim movie.
   
It is unclear whether anyone outside the CIA saw the cable at that point or how high up in the CIA the information went.
   
The Obama administration maintained publicly for a week that the attack on the diplomatic mission in Benghazi that killed four Americans was a result of the mobs that staged less-deadly protests across the Muslim world around the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the U.S.
   
Those administration statements have become highly charged political fodder during the presidential campaign.

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