US and Libya in disarray as American embassy staff withdraw from Tunisia and Sudan

That view was supported by Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the United
Nations, even though American officials briefed over the weekend that they
had evidence al-Qaeda was in communication on the day of the attack with
Ansar al-Sharia, a local Islamist group. The group has repeatedly denied
taking part.

The Obama administration claims to be working closely with the Libyans. But a
security official in Benghazi, Abdulsalam al-Bargathi, confirmed that the
FBI team dispatched to Benghazi had yet to arrive.

“I have been told to expect a team but it has not arrived yet,” he
said.

Intelligence sources said that giving approval for the team was the
responsibility of the new prime minister, Mustafa Abushagur, who was only
elected last week.

Mr Magarief said in an interview with The Times: “It may be better for
them to stay away for a little while until we do what we have to do
ourselves.”

Mr al-Bargathi is a commander of the combined militia force running security
in Benghazi, and was in charge during the attack on Tuesday night.

A measure of the task facing investigators is his refusal to accept Islamist
militants were responsible for the attack at all, which he said was
triggered by shots being fired at protesters by American guards inside the
compound.

He said that those outside at the time were ordinary protesters who reacted
angrily by going to fetch weapons.

He said he had rung the head of the local branch of Ansar al-Sharia to ask if
his men were there and to call them off, but was assured it was nothing to
do with the group. “I believe him,” he said.

He added: “Maybe this is a conspiracy by the United States. Maybe the
ambassador was sacrificed to give a reason for the Americans to come into
Libya. That is my personal opinion.”

He also denied a statement by the deputy interior minister, Wanis al-Shareef,
that 50 suspects had been arrested, saying only four men were in custody.
They are believed to be two brothers, one aged 16 and a member of Ansar
al-Sharia, the other 26, and two men with criminal records.

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