Did Reuters File Misleading Benghazi Report?

NEW YORK – In the immediate aftermath of the jihadist attack against the U.S. mission in Benghazi, did Reuters file a false or misleading report quoting a purported protester by his first name who described a supposedly popular demonstration against an anti-Muhammad film outside the U.S. building?

According to new, vivid accounts provided by the State Department and intelligence officials, no such popular demonstration took place. Instead, video footage from Benghazi reportedly shows an organized group of armed men attacking the compound, the officials said.

The new account directly contradicts multiple statements by President Obama and White House officials who had claimed there was a civilian protest before the attacks and that the demonstration was an expression of anger over a YouTube video that mocked Muhammad.

The new account also conflicts with a Reuters report from Sept. 13 – two days after the attack – describing a supposedly popular protest outside the U.S. mission and even claiming to quote a protester.

Reads the report: “Accounts from Libyan and U.S. officials, and from locals who watched what began as a protest on Tuesday against a crudely made American film that insults the Prophet Mohammad spiral into violence and a military-style assault on U.S. troops, point to a series of unfortunate choices amid the confusion and fear.”

Read More at Klein Online . By Aaron Klein.