Paul Ryan attacked Joe Biden early in Thursday night's vice presidential debate for the Obama administration having initially blamed a deadly attack on a United States consolate in Benghazi, Libya on a YouTube video.
"They sent the [United Nations] ambassador out to say that this was because of a protest and a YouTube video," said Ryan. "It took the president two weeks to admit that this was a terrorist attack. He went to the UN and in a speech to the UN he said six times that this was because of a YouTube video. If we're hit by terrorists we're going to call it for what it is: a terrorist attack."
Biden, put on the defensive, claimed the White House's initial reports regarding the attack in Benghazi were based on knowledge shared by the "intelligence community," and that information later changed.
"That's exactly what we were told by the intelligence community," said Biden when asked about the White House's first statements and its later changes to the official story of what happened in Benghazi. "The intelligence community as they learned more facets about exactly what happened they changed their assessment. And by the way, at the time we were told exactly what the community told us that they knew, that was the assessment. As the intelligence community changed their view, we made it clear they changed their view."
The attack in Benghazi came on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and took the life of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.
It was initially blamed by the Obama administration and some media reports on sudden, violent protests sparked by a YouTube video critical of Islam and the Prophet Mohammad. The White House later said the attackers were organized, but were using a protest of the film as cover for their assault.
Later reporting said that the attack was premeditated, organized and not likely connected to the YouTube video -- details some State Department officials have recently confirmed to reporters and during a Congressional hearing about the attack.
The YouTube video did cause less violent but massive protests in Egypt and in other countries with a large Muslim population.
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