WASHINGTON—U.S. intelligence officials are investigating indications that al Qaeda's North African affiliate is connected with militants involved in the attack on a U.S. consulate in Libya, the top U.S. counterterrorism official said, providing the first public acknowledgment of the extremist movement's possible involvement in the deadly assault. 
 
 The Sept. 11 attack in Benghazi, Libya, came as protests erupted there and in Egypt, before spreading throughout the Middle East and to Europe and Southeast Asia after word circulated... 

 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani demonstrators beat an effigy of Florida pastor Terry Jones during a protest against an anti-Islam film in Lahore on Monday, September 24. More than 50 people have died around the world in violence linked to protests against the low-budget movie, which mocks Islam and the Prophet Mohammed, since the first demonstrations erupted on September 11. See more of CNN's best photography Hide Caption 1 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Philippine Muslims gather coins they collected from the provinces to be used to pay for filing a petition before the Philippine Supreme Court in Manila on Monday asking for local authorities to ban the controversial "Innocence of Muslims" film from being posted on the Internet. Hundreds of Muslim protesters in the Philippines called for a ban on the film before the U.S. Embassy. Hide Caption 2 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A woman speaks on a megaphone prior to filing a petiion before the Philippine Supreme Court in Manila on Monday. Hide Caption 3 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – On Monday Pakistani Muslim demonstrators shout anti-US slogans during a protest in Quetta. Hide Caption 4 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Sri Lankan Muslims shout slogans against U.S President Barack Obama at a protest in Colombo on Monday. Hide Caption 5 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Muslim students protest in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Monday. Hide Caption 6 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Muslim protesters pray in Omonia Square in central Athens, Greece, during a demonstration on Sunday. Clashes broke out as Muslims staged a demonstration in the square, to be followed by a march to the U.S. Embassy, in protest of the film. Hide Caption 7 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Protesters smashed the windows of a store during a demonstration in central Athens. Hide Caption 8 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Riot police clash with demonstrators in Athens, Greece, on Sunday, September 23. Hide Caption 9 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A Muslim protester throws a shoe at police during a rally in central Athens on Sunday. Hide Caption 10 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Riot police try to disperse Muslim protesters in Athens on Sunday. Hide Caption 11 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A Kashmiri Muslim student participates in a protest march organized by a Muslim school on Saturday, September 22, against an independently produced anti-Islam film that has ignited anger in the Muslim world. Hide Caption 12 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A family in Kashmir watches as students protest on Saturday. Hide Caption 13 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A worker inspects his damaged shop following violent protests in Peshawar, Pakistan, on Saturday. Hide Caption 14 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani Muslim demonstrators clash with police Friday during a protest near the U.S. consulate in Islamabad. Hide Caption 15 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani Muslim demonstrators topple a freight container that was placed by police to block a street during a protest on Friday. Hide Caption 16 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A demonstrator kicks a tear gas shell in Karachi, Pakistan, on Friday. Hide Caption 17 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani policemen help an injured comrade Friday in Karachi. Hide Caption 18 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Protesters gather to demonstrate against a French magazine that published nude cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed outside the French Embassy in London on Friday. Hide Caption 19 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani police detain a demonstrator in Lahore on Friday during a protest against the film "Innocence of Muslims." Hide Caption 20 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A Pakistani demonstrator throws a tear gas shell toward riot police during a protest against an anti-Islam film in Islamabad on Friday, September 21. Angry demonstrators set fire to two movie theaters in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar as many braced for intensified protests Friday, officials said. Hide Caption 21 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Malaysian Muslim demonstrators march toward the U.S. Embassy after a Friday mass prayer in Kuala Lumpur. Hide Caption 22 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Protesters take part in a march in Benghazi, Libya, on Friday. The march was in support of democracy and against the Islamist militias that Washington blames for an attack on the U.S. consulate last week that killed four Americans including the ambassador. Hide Caption 23 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A Pakistani police officer fires an automatic weapon toward demonstrators during a protest Friday in Islamabad. Hide Caption 24 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani riot police chase demonstrators Friday in Islamabad. Hide Caption 25 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A Kashmiri activist shouts anti-U.S. slogans during a protest Friday in Srinagar, India. Hide Caption 26 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani protesters walk near a burning police bunker as demonstrators attempt to reach the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad on Thursday, September 20. Hide Caption 27 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A Pakistani protester throws a tear gas shell back toward police on Thursday. Hide Caption 28 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani demonstrators carry an injured person on Thursday. Hide Caption 29 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani riot policemen hold back lawyers shouting anti-U.S. slogans as they attempt to reach the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad on Wednesday, September 19. More than 30 people have been killed around the world during more than a week of attacks and violent protests linked to a controversial film seen as insulting to the Prophet Mohammed. Hide Caption 30 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A Pakistani lawyer wraps a U.S. flag onto his shoe in Islamabad on Wednesday. Hide Caption 31 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Police try to stop Pakistani lawyers crawling under a barrier as they try to reach the U.S. Embassy in the diplomatic enclave during a protest against an anti-Islam movie in Islamabad on Wednesday. Hide Caption 32 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani Muslims shout anti-U.S. slogans during a protest against an anti-Islam movie in Karachi on Wednesday. The Pakistan government has declared Friday a national holiday in honor of the Prophet Mohammed and called for peaceful protests against the film. Hide Caption 33 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani police stand guard on a blocked street in front of the U.S. Consulate during a protest in Lahore on Wednesday. Hide Caption 34 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani activists of the hard line Sunni party Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) offer prayers near the U.S. Consulate on Wednesday in Lahore. Hide Caption 35 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Lebanese army soldiers secure the area around the French ambassador's residence in Beirut on Wednesday. France has ordered special security measures around its embassies and schools because of fears of a hostile reaction to a magazine's publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, the foreign ministry said. Hide Caption 36 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Supporters of Hezbollah hold a picture depicting Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and chant the slogan "God is Great" during a mass rally in Tyre, Lebanon, on Wednesday. Thousands of Lebanon's Hezbollah followers protested against the United States and France for a film and cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammed. Hide Caption 37 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Members of Justice and Prosperous Party attend a protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Wednesday. Hide Caption 38 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – An Indian Muslim student hits a burning effigy of U.S. President Barack Obama during a protest in Kolkata on Wednesday. Hide Caption 39 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Masked Palestinians are seen during clashes with Israeli security forces in Shuafat refugee camp, Jerusalem, on Tuesday, September 18. Hide Caption 40 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Indian Muslims burn an American flag with a picture of U.S. President Barack Obama as they protest against a U.S.-made anti-Islam film on Tuesday, September 18, near the U.S. Consulate in Chennai. About 5,000 people have gathered in front of the building. Google India has already blocked access to the film, which the government has condemned as "offensive." Hide Caption 41 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani Sunni Muslims march during a protest against the anti-Islam movie in Peshawar on Tuesday. Police used tear gas to disperse a crowd of more than 2,000 protesters trying to reach the U.S. Consulate in northwest Pakistan. Hide Caption 42 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Palestinian protesters throw stones at Israeli security forces during clashes that erupted after a demonstration against an amateur anti-Islam film in Shuafat refugee camp, Jerusalem, on Tuesday. Hundreds of Palestinians protesting against the movie clashed with Israeli border police in East Jerusalem, hurling stones and firebombs at a checkpoint, the military and reporters said. Hide Caption 43 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Israeli border policemen fire tear gas toward Palestinian protesters on Tuesday. Hide Caption 44 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Kashmiri Muslim demonstrators shout anti-U.S. and Israeli slogans before a clash with Indian police during a protest and one-day strike called by several religious and political organizations in Srinagar on Tuesday. Hide Caption 45 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Firefighters attempt to extinguish the flames in an Indian police vehicle as protesters clash with police during a protest and in Srinagar, Kashmir, on Tuesday. Hide Caption 46 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A Kashmiri Muslim boy jumps over a burning tire set up as a roadblock during Tuesday's demonstration Srinagar. Hide Caption 47 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Kashmiri Muslims throw stones at Indian police during a protest on Tuesday in Srinagar. Hide Caption 48 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Muslim women shout Islamic slogans in Srinagar on Tuesday. Hide Caption 49 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Thai Muslims shout slogans during a protest in Bangkok, Thailand, on Tuesday. Hide Caption 50 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Supporters of Lebanon's Hezbollah group march during a rally in southern Beirut to denounce the film mocking Islam on Monday, September 17. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, who made a rare public appearance at the rally, has called for a week of protests across the country over the film, describing it as the "worst attack ever on Islam." Hide Caption 51 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Sunni Muslims burn a U.S. flag during a protest in Lahore, Pakistan, on Monday. Protests entered their second week, with demonstrators taking to the streets in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Indonesia and Lebanon. Hide Caption 52 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani Shiite Muslims shout anti-American slogans Monday in Lahore. Hide Caption 53 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Afghan riot police are reflected through a window during an anti-U.S. protest Monday in Kabul, Afghanistan. Protesters attacked police along a road leading to the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. Hide Caption 54 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Afghan police leave Jalalabad Road following an anti-U.S. protest Monday in Kabul. Hide Caption 55 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Barricades of tires burn Monday in Kabul. Hide Caption 56 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Indonesian anti-riot police arrest a protester Monday outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta. Monday's demonstrations come nearly a week after protests erupted in Egypt and Libya, spreading to more than 20 nations. Hide Caption 57 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – An Indonesian protester runs through smoke Monday outside the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta. Hide Caption 58 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani lawyers shout anti-American slogans as they march Monday in Lahore. Hide Caption 59 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani activists shout slogans in Islamabad on Sunday, September 16. Hide Caption 60 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani protestors hold banners and shout anti-U.S. slogans in Karachi on Sunday. Hide Caption 61 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani paramilitary soldiers stand near a burning police van during an anti-U.S. protest organized by Pakistani Shiite Muslims in Karachi on Sunday. Hide Caption 62 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Supporters of Pakistan's outlawed Islamic hard-line group Jamaat ud Dawa shout anti-U.S. slogans during a rally against an anti-Islam movie in Lahore, Pakistan, on Sunday. Hide Caption 63 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A protester climbs on a gate of the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, on Sunday. Hide Caption 64 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani protesters march toward the U.S. Consulate in Karachi on Sunday. Hide Caption 65 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Protesters attack a police van outside the U.S. Consulate in Karachi on Sunday. Hide Caption 66 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani police fire tear gas shells toward the protesters in Karachi on Sunday. Hide Caption 67 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – An Afghan youth shouts slogans during an anti-U.S. protest in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday. Hide Caption 68 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, head of Pakistan's outlawed Islamic hard-line group Jamaat ud Dawa, addresses supporters in Lahore on Sunday. Hide Caption 69 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A protester hits a policeman with a pole in Sydney's central business district on Saturday, September 15. Anger over an anti-Islam video, "The Innocence of Muslims," spread to Australia on Saturday, and protesters took to the streets of the country's capital. Hide Caption 70 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A man assists a young protester after capsicum spray was used by police near the U.S. Consulate General in central Sydney on Saturday. Hide Caption 71 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide – A policeman, injured by protesters, is assisted by colleagues in central Sydney on Saturday. Hide Caption 72 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide – A Tunisian firefighter works inside a destroyed school building in the grounds of the American school in Tunis, Tunisia, on Saturday. Four people were killed and almost 50 injured in an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Tunis the day before by protesters angry over an anti-Islam film, the health ministry said. Hide Caption 73 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide – A burned bus sits in the grounds of the American school in Tunis on Saturday. Hide Caption 74 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide – A woman collects books from a classroom in the American school in Tunis on Saturday. Hide Caption 75 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide – Muslim protesters holding shoes and brooms shout anti-U.S. slogans on Saturday during a protest against the film they consider blasphemous to Islam near the U.S. Consulate-General in Chennai, India. Hide Caption 76 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide – Supporters of Islamic political party Jamaat-e-Islami shout slogans during a protest on Saturday in Khyber Agency, Pakistan. The Pakistani parliament passed a resolution on Thursday condemning "The Innocence of Muslims" and urged the U.S. to take appropriate action. Hide Caption 77 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide – Supporters of Islamic political party Jamaat-e-Islami shout slogans during a protest in Khyber Agency on Saturday. Hide Caption 78 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide – Pakistani Muslims burn a U.S. flag during a protest rally in Islamabad on Saturday. The Pakistani Taliban on Saturday issued a call to young Muslims worldwide and within the country to rise up against an anti-Islam movie. Hide Caption 79 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide – Mourners shout slogans during the funeral of a protester who was killed two days ago during clashes with security forces at the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa, Yemen, on Saturday . According to media reports, at least four people were killed when hundreds of Yemeni protesters stormed the embassy on Wednesday. Hide Caption 80 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide – Smoke billows from the burning German Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, as a policeman stands next to a man preparing to extinguish the fire caused by protesters the anti-Islam film. Around 5,000 protesters in the Sudanese capital stormed the embassies of Britain and Germany, which were torched and badly damaged. Hide Caption 81 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide – A Sudanese protester, right, takes off his clothes to show policemen that he is unarmed during a protest in Khartoum on Friday. Two protesters were killed as security forces used tear gas against thousands of demonstrators trying to approach the U.S. mission after storming the British and German embassies. Hide Caption 82 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Muslims hold demonstrations worldwide – A Jordanian protester holds an Islamic book near the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan, on Friday. Hundreds of members of Jordanian Salafi Movement gathered after Friday noon prayers in protest of a controversial anti-Islam film. Hide Caption 83 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Police stand guard near protesters near the U.S. Consulate General in Sydney on Saturday, September 15. Hide Caption 84 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Protesters clash with police on a street in Sydney's central business district on Saturday. Hide Caption 85 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Indian policemen walk past smashed windows of the U.S. Consulate building, caused by a mob of demonstrators protesting against an anti-Islam film, in Chennai, India, on Friday, September 14. Hide Caption 86 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Tunisian protesters try to storm the U.S. Embassy in Tunis on Friday. Hide Caption 87 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – A Tunisian protester holds an Al-Qaeda affiliated flag amid the smoke coming from the tear gas fired by riot police outside the U.S. Embassy in Tunis on Friday. Hide Caption 88 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Yemeni riot policemen stand guard at a crossroad leading to the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa on Friday. Hide Caption 89 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Yemeni protesters burn a U.S. flag on a street leading to the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa on Friday, September 14. Hide Caption 90 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Yemeni protesters shout during a demonstration near the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa on Friday. Hide Caption 91 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Yemeni protesters run for cover from tear gas fired by riot police in Sanaa on Friday. Hide Caption 92 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Jordanian protesters burn a U.S. flag near the U.S. Embassy in Amman on Friday. Hide Caption 93 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Jordanian protesters shout in Amman on Friday. Hide Caption 94 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Israeli police officers stand behind their shields during clashes with stone-throwing Palestinian protesters in a demonstration against an anti-Islam film in front of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem's Old City on Friday. Hide Caption 95 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Israeli police arrest a Palestinian protester on Friday. Hide Caption 96 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Boys inspect fast food chains Hardee's and KFC after they were torched during a protest in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Friday. Hide Caption 97 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Bangladeshi Muslims attempt to break a police barricade during a protest in Dhaka on Friday. Hide Caption 98 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Supporters of Jamat ud Dawa shout during a protest against an anti-Islam video in Peshawar, Pakistan, on Friday. Hide Caption 99 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – A Muslim protester defaces a mural on a wall of the U.S. Consulate in the southern Indian city of Chennai on Friday. Hide Caption 100 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Muslim protesters burn a U.S. flag outside the U.S. Consulate in the southern Indian city of Chennai on Friday. Hide Caption 101 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Muslim protesters shout outside the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Friday. Hide Caption 102 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Pakistani soldiers hold back protesters attempting to reach the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad on Friday. Hide Caption 103 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – An Egyptian protester throws a tear gas canister toward riot police during clashes near the U.S. Embassy in Cairo on Friday. Hide Caption 104 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – A Sudanese demonstrator burns a German flag after torching the German Embassy in Khartoum on Friday. Hide Caption 105 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Protesters throw stones toward riot police during clashes along a road leading to the U.S. Embassy near Tahrir Square in Cairo on Friday, September 14. Hide Caption 106 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – A riot police officer shouts a warning during clashes in Cairo on Friday. Hide Caption 107 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Protesters chant during a march to the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa, Yemen, on Thursday, September 13. One protester was killed in clashes when Yemeni security forces dispersed hundreds of demonstrators who gathered around and inside the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa. Hide Caption 108 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – A protester shouts after sustaining injuries in a confrontation with riot police who fired tear gas outside the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa on Thursday. Hide Caption 109 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Protesters carry flags that read "There is no God but Allah, Mohammed is Allah's messenger" and chant during a protest in Tripoli, Lebanon, on Thursday. Hide Caption 110 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Palestinians protest the movie "Innocence of Muslims" in front of the Legislative Council in Gaza City on Thursday. Hide Caption 111 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Iranian demonstrators chant anti-American slogans during a demonstration on Thursday in front of the Swiss Embassy, which serves as the U.S. interests section in Iran, in Tehran. Hide Caption 112 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – An Iranian police officer shows a victory sign during Thursday's demonstration in Tehran. Hide Caption 113 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Supporters of Sunni Muslim Salafist leader Ahmad al-Assir burn Israeli and U.S. flags during a protest in Sidon, Lebanon, on Thursday. Hide Caption 114 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Kuwaiti police stand guard as hundreds of demonstrators protest near the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait City on Thursday. Hide Caption 115 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Arab-Israeli men wave green Islamic flags with the Muslim profession of belief: "There is no God but God and Mohammed is the prophet of God" during a protest in front of the U.S. Embassy on Thursday in Tel Aviv, Israel. Hide Caption 116 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Egyptian protesters throw stones at riot police during clashes near the U.S. Embassy in Cairo on Thursday. Hide Caption 117 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Riot police take cover from stones thrown by protesters on Thursday. Hide Caption 118 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Egyptian protesters help a man who inhaled tear gas during clashes at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo on Thursday. Hide Caption 119 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – A burned-out pickup sits between Egyptian protesters and riot police in Cairo on Thursday. Hide Caption 120 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Egyptian protesters take cover during clashes with riot police on Thursday. Hide Caption 121 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – An Egyptian protester wears a makeshift mask and helmet for protection while fighting riot police on Thursday. Hide Caption 122 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Egyptian protesters run for cover from tear gas fired by riot police during clashes on Thursday. Hide Caption 123 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – An Egyptian riot police officer fires tear gas toward protesters during clashes Thursday with police near the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. Hide Caption 124 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Iraqi protesters burn Israeli and U.S. flags during a protest Thursday. The U.S. ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens, and three others were killed during a protest outside the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on Tuesday. Hide Caption 125 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Egyptian protesters clash with riot police Thursday near the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. Hide Caption 126 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Iranians protest against a film mocking Islam near the Swiss Embassy in Tehran on Thursday. Up to 500 people chanted "Death to America!" and death to the director of the movie, which was made in the United States. The demonstration ended peacefully in two hours. Hide Caption 127 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – An Egyptian protester throws a tear gas canister at riot police Thursday during clashes near the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. Hide Caption 128 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Police use tear gas on crowds protesting Thursday outside the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. Hide Caption 129 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – The U.S. Consulate in Benghazi is seen in flames Tuesday, September 11. Hide Caption 130 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – A vehicle and the surrounding area are engulfed in flames after it was set on fire inside the compound on Tuesday. Hide Caption 131 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – A protester reacts as the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi is seen in flames Tuesday night. Hide Caption 132 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Yemeni protesters gather around a fire Thursday during a demonstration outside the U.S. Embassy in the capital of Sanaa. Yemeni forces fired warning shots to disperse the thousands of protesters approaching the main gate of the mission. Hide Caption 133 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Yemeni protesters try to break the security camera at the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa on Thursday. Hide Caption 134 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Egyptians shout slogans during a protest in front of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. Hide Caption 135 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Egyptian protesters gather in front of the U.S. Embassy the morning after it was vandalized by protesters during a demonstration on Wednesday in Cairo. Hide Caption 136 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – Protesters shout outside the U.S. Embassy in Tunis, Tunisia, on Wednesday, September 12. Hide Caption 137 of 157 
 
 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – A group of protesters attend a demonstration outside the U.S. Embassy in Tunis on Wednesday. Hide Caption 138 of 157 
 
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 Photos: Anti-U.S. demonstrations worldwide Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings – The U.S. Consulate in Benghazi is set on fire during a protest. Armed gunmen attacked the compound on Tuesday evening, clashing with Libyan security forces before the latter withdrew as they came under heavy fire. Hide Caption 147 of 157 
 
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 Intelligence sources tell Fox News they are convinced the deadly attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, was directly tied to Al Qaeda -- with a former Guantanamo detainee involved. 
 
 That revelation comes on the same day a top Obama administration official called last week's deadly assault a "terrorist attack" -- the first time the attack has been described that way by the administration after claims it had been a "spontaneous" act. 
 
 "Yes, they were killed in the course of a terrorist attack on our embassy," Matt Olsen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, said during a Senate hearing Wednesday. 
 
 Olsen echoed administration colleagues in saying U.S. officials have no specific intelligence about "significant advanced planning or coordination" for the attack. 
 
 However, his statement goes beyond White House Press Secretary Jay Carney and Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, saying the Sept. 11 attack on the consulate was spontaneous. He is the first top administration official to call the strike an act of terrorism. 
 
 Sufyan Ben Qumu is thought to have been involved and even may have led the attack, Fox News' intelligence sources said. Qumu, a Libyan, was released from the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in 2007 and transferred into Libyan custody on the condition he be kept in jail. He was released by the Qaddafi regime as part of its reconciliation effort with Islamists in 2008. 
 
 His Guantanamo files also show he has ties to the financiers behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The declassified files also point to ties with the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, a known Al Qaeda affiliate. 
 
 Olsen, repeating Wednesday that the FBI is handling the Benghazi investigation, also acknowledged the attack could lead back to Al Qaeda and its affiliates. 
 
 "We are looking at indications that individuals involved in the attack may have had connections to Al Qaeda or Al Qaeda's affiliates, in particular Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb," he said at the Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing. 
 
 Still, Olsen said "the facts that we have now indicate that this was an opportunistic attack on our embassy, the attack began and evolved and escalated over several hours," Olsen said. 
 
 Carney said hours earlier that there still is "no evidence of a preplanned or pre-meditated attack," which occurred on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. 
 
 "I made that clear last week, Ambassador Rice made that clear Sunday," Carney said at the daily White House press briefing. 
 
 Rice appeared on "Fox News Sunday" and four other morning talk shows to say the attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans was "spontaneous" and sparked by an early protest that day outside the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt, over an anti-Islamic video. 
 
 "It was a reaction to a video that had nothing to do with the United States," Rice told Fox News. "The best information and the best assessment we have today is that this was not a pre-planned, pre-meditated attack. What happened initially was that it was a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired in Cairo." 
 
 However, that account clashed with claims by the Libyan president that the attack was in fact premeditated. Other sources, including an intelligence source in Libya who spoke to Fox News, have echoed those claims. The intelligence source even said that, contrary to the suggestion by the Obama administration, there was no major protest in Benghazi before the deadly attack which killed four Americans. A U.S. official did not dispute the claim. 
 
 In the face of these conflicting accounts, Carney on Tuesday deferred to the ongoing investigation and opened the door to the possibility of other explanations. 
 
 Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, called Wednesday for an independent review of the attack. 
 
 "A State Department Accountability Review Board to look into the Benghazi attack is not sufficient," Collins said. "Given the loss of the lives of four Americans who were serving their country and the serious questions that have been raised about the security at our Consulate in Benghazi, it is imperative that a non-political, no-holds-barred examination be conducted." 
 
 Fox News' Bret Baier contributed to this report.
– As investigators look into the likelihood that al-Qaeda was behind the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi last week, CNN reports that Chris Stevens, the US ambassador killed in the attack, believed he was on an al-Qaeda hit list. A source says Stevens had become increasingly worried about security in Benghazi and al-Qaeda's growing influence in Libya. And intelligence sources tell Fox News investigators do believe al-Qaeda was behind the attack—specifically Sufyan Ben Qumu, a former Guantanamo detainee, who was involved and may even have led the attack. Qumu was returned to his native Libya in 2007 on the condition that he be kept in custody, but was released by the Gadhafi regime the following year. Counterterrorism officials also tell the Wall Street Journal they are probing possible al-Qaeda links to the attack. "We are looking at indications that individuals involved in the attack may have had connections to al-Qaeda or al-Qaeda's affiliates, in particular, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb," the director of the National Counterterrorism Center testified before a Senate committee yesterday, calling the assault "a terrorist attack." He described the attack as an "opportunistic attack" that "evolved and escalated over several hours," but said there is no specific intelligence that there was "significant advanced planning or coordination for this attack." Libya's president says the attack was planned by foreigners who had entered Libya months earlier.