Two days after the Libya terror attack, representatives of the FBI
and National Counterterrorism Center gave Capitol Hill briefings in
which they said the evidence supported an Al Qaeda or Al
Qaeda-affiliated attack, Fox News has learned.
The description of the attack by those in the Sept. 13 briefings
stands in stark contrast to the now controversial briefing on Capitol
Hill by CIA Director David Petraeus the following day -- and raises even
more questions about why Petraeus described the attack as tied to a
demonstration.
The Sept. 13 assessment was based on intercepts that included
individuals, believed to have participated in the attack, who were
celebratory -- as well as a claim of responsibility.
FBI and NCTC also briefed that there were a series of Al Qaeda
training camps just outside of Benghazi, where the attack occurred and
resulted in the deaths of four Americans. The area was described as a
hotbed for the militant Ansar al-Sharia as well as Al Qaeda in North
Africa.
Fox News is told there was no mention of a demonstration or any
significant emphasis on the anti-Islam video that for days was cited by
administration officials as a motivating factor.
The FBI and NCTC did not immediately respond to a request from Fox News for comment.
Fox News is told that the Petraeus briefing on Sept. 14 conflicted with that of the FBI and NCTC
On Capitol Hill, Petraeus characterized the attack as more consistent
with a flash mob, where the militants showed up spontaneously with
RPG's. Petraeus downplayed to lawmakers the skill needed to fire
mortars, which were also used in the attack and to some were seen as
evidence of significant pre-planning. As Fox News previously reported,
four mortars were fired -- two missed the annex, but the mortar team
re-calibrated and the next two mortars were direct hits.
Fox News is told that Petraeus seemed wedded to the narrative that
the attack was linked to a demonstration and was spontaneous as opposed
to pre-meditated.
Fox News is told that Petraeus was "absolute" in his description with
few, if any, caveats. As lawmakers learned more about the attack,
including through raw intelligence reports, they were "angry,
disappointed and frustrated" that the CIA director had not provided a
more complete picture of the available intelligence.
Intelligence officials have since given a mixed picture of what
happened that day, acknowledging that an investigation is underway. The
office of Director of National Intelligence James Clapper last month
acknowledged the strike was a coordinated terror attack, but officials
have subsequently said the strike could have been opportunistic - taking
their cue from protests over the film in Egypt.
Still, some point to the use of mortars and several other strands of evidence to claim the attack involved some premeditation