Is Susan Rice contradicting Libyan officials?

[ProSense]

3. Interesting that you would phrase it that way

Given the Libyan President is making statements that seem more designed as political cover.

The attackers used the protesters outside the consulate as a cover, he says.

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Megarif claims evidence shows that some elements of Ansar al-Sharia, an extremist group in eastern Benghazi, were used as tools by foreign citizens with ties to al-Qaida to attack the consulate and threaten Libya's stability.

Ansar al-Sharia rejects the democratic process in Libya, and does not recognize the new Libyan government. Only God's law rules, it says. Still, U.S. officials have cast doubt on the theory, saying they see no links between the assault and al-Qaida at large. The spokesman for the U.S. president said Friday there was no evidence the attack was preplanned. Ansar al-Sharia has denied any involvement in the attack.

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The toll of this crisis is evident on Megarif's face as we speak. He is in damage-control mode and expresses deep sadness and apologizes to the American people.

http://www.npr.org/2012/09/16/161228170/consulate-attack-preplanned-libya-s-president-says

Libyan President: Attacks Were Planned By Foreigners

Libyan President Mohamed Magariaf said the attacks earlier this week on a U.S. consulate in Benghazi were planned largely by foreigners in Libya in an interview on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday. "It was planned, definitely, it was planned by foreigners, by people who entered the country a few months ago, and they were planning this criminal act since their arrival," Magariaf said.

Magariaf said that a about 50 people, many of them foreigners, have been arrested in connection with the attacks that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice said that there is not yet evidence that the attacks were premeditated in an appearance on "Face the Nation" after Magariaf.

"We do not have information at present that leads us to conclude that this was premeditated or preplanned," Rice said, adding that the best evidence they have is that the protests were "spontaneous."

"It looks like extremists elements joined in that effort with heavy weapons... and it spun from there into something much, much more violent," Rice said.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/libyan-president-attacks-were-planned-by-foreigners

I find it fascinating how many people are trying to spin this into a terrorist attack, which is exactly what the neocons are also trying to do.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021341115#post67
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=1343473