Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jay Carney en route Miami, FL, 9/20/2012
Q Jay, a couple things on Libya, a follow. FOX has some intelligence sources saying that al Qaeda was involved in this attack and possibly a former Guantanamo detainee. So I’m wondering if you have a reaction, comment on that. And then second, there was a counterterrorism official on the Hill yesterday calling it a terrorist attack. Any further administration clarification on what you’re classifying the attack?
MR. CARNEY: Well, let me -- hold on one second, let me find this here. I think the sources that you cite I think include the open hearing with the NCTC Director, Mr. Olsen, in which he discussed indications of possible involvement of elements of extremist groups, including possible participation by elements of al Qaeda and particularly al Qaeda in the Maghreb, an al Qaeda affiliate.
It is, I think, self-evident that what happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack. Our embassy was attacked violently, and the result was four deaths of American officials. So, again, that’s self-evident. I would point you to a couple of things that Mr. Olsen said, which is that at this point it appears that a number of different elements were involved in the attack, including individuals connected to militant groups that are prevalent in Eastern Libya.
He also made clear that at this point, based on the information he has -- and he is briefing the Hill on the most up-to-date intelligence -- we have no information at this point that suggests that this was a significantly preplanned attack, but this was the result of opportunism, taking advantage of and exploiting what was happening as a result of reaction to the video that was found to be offensive.
Q So just to clarify, does the President see that it was an attack on 9/11, a terrorist attack on 9/11? Is that the administration or the President's view?
MR. CARNEY: The attack occurred on September 11, 2012. So we use the same calendar at the White House that you do, and, yes, he sees it. I will simply point you to the testimony of Mr. Olsen, in which he said, based on the information that they have now -- and this is an ongoing investigation -- their judgment is that it was an opportunistic attack in which elements including, possibly, elements of al Qaeda in the Maghreb, participated.
Q I want to go back to something you said, the self-evident part of that. Just help me understand that. It was a self-evident terrorist attack because acts of terror were committed? Or it was self-evident because you've -- because it actually happened on 9/11?
MR. CARNEY: No, no, no. I'm sorry. I meant it was self -- that had this happened on any day of the week in any month, this would have been a terrorist attack. This was an assault on our embassy, a violent attack on our -- I mean, rather our diplomatic facility there that resulted in the deaths of four Americans.
Q So it's the definition --
MR. CARNEY: Correct.
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