Some leaked emails illuminate that the White House knew an Islamic militant group claimed responsibility for the assault just two hours after the attack in Benghazi. The assailment that killed four Americans, including a U.S. ambassador, has been a sore spot for the administration—particularly the president, whose reelection is less than two weeks away.

The emails, obtained by Reuters from government sources not connected with U.S. spy agencies or the State Department and who requested anonymity, specifically mention that the Libyan group called Ansar al-Sharia had asserted responsibility for the attacks.

 

While Preisdent Obama won the war of words with Romney over this attack on a technicality in the second presidential debate, the outbreak was labeled a reaction to an inflamatory anti-Islamic video by many people at State in the days following the attack. This new information raises legitmate questions about why the administration was not more forthcoming when it had valuable information about the nature of this strike.