Sept. 10, 10:53 p.m. (morning of Sept. 11 in Cairo)
The US Embassy “condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims.”
Larry Schwartz, embassy official,
reacting to anti-Islamic video before demonstration in Cairo
Sept. 11, 3:35 p.m. (9:35 p.m. in Benghazi, Libya)
Attack begins on US Consulate in Benghazi that results in the deaths of four Americans, including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens.
Sept. 11, 10:24 p.m.
“It’s disgraceful that the Obama administration’s first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks.”
Statement from Mitt Romney
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Sept. 12, 10:43 a.m.
“No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for.”
President Obama speaking in the White House Rose Garden
Sept. 12
“Frankly, we are not in a position to speak any further to the perpetrators of this attack. It was clearly a complex attack. We’re going to have to do a full investigation.”
Senior administration official, in press briefing
Sept. 13
“No act of terror will dim the light of the values that we proudly shine on the rest of the world, and no act of violence will shake the resolve of the United States of America.”
Obama at a rally in Las Vegas
Sept. 14
“We have no information to suggest that it was a preplanned attack.”
White House spokesman Jay Carney
Sept. 16
“Our current assessment is that what happened in Benghazi was in fact initially a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired hours before in Cairo, almost a copycat of the demonstrations against our facility in Cairo, which were prompted, of course, by the video.”
US Ambassador to UN Susan Rice
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Sept. 19
“Yes, they were killed in the course of a terrorist attack on our embassy.”
Matthew Olsen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center
Sept. 20
“It is, I think, self-evident that what happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack.”
White House spokesman Jay Carney
“We’re still doing an investigation, and there are going to be different circumstances in different countries. And so I don’t want to speak to something until we have all the information.”
Obama at a Univision town hall
when asked about Al Qaeda involvement
Sept. 25
“We are still doing an investigation. There is no doubt that the kind of weapons that were used, the ongoing assault, that it wasn’t just a mob action.”
Obama on ABC’s “The View”
Sept. 26
“Terrorists are seeking to extend their reach and their networks in multiple directions. And they are working with other violent extremists to undermine the democratic transitions underway in North Africa, as we tragically saw in Benghazi.”
Obama speaking at the United Nations