Politics | Benghazi US: Libya Assault Was Clearly a 'Terrorist Attack' Spokesman says it's 'self-evident' that deadly siege was planned By John Johnson Posted Sep 20, 2012 6:02 PM CDT Copied A Libyan girl places flowers at the gate of the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, Monday. (AP photo/Mohammad Hannon) The White House had previously suggested as much, but today it made clear that it considers the assault on the US consulate in Benghazi a planned terror attack and not a spontaneous response to the anti-Islam movie then making the rounds, reports USA Today. The quote from spokesman Jay Carney: “It is self-evident that what happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack. Our (consulate) was attacked violently and the result was four deaths of American officials.” The statement comes a day after national terror official Matthew Olsen described the assault as a terror attack while testifying before Congress, notes the New York Times. Neither he nor Carney offered any further evidence, though CNN reported earlier that slain Ambassador Chris Stevens thought he was on an al-Qaeda hit list. Hillary Clinton today set up a panel to investigate the attack. Read These Next JD Vance in hot water over birthday boating trip. Two state troopers were shot in Pennsylvania "Rock's forgotten genius" said no to Led Zeppelin. Kelly Clarkson's ex died a day after she disclosed he was ill. Report an error