A "terrorist attack" ... that's what a top U.S. counterterrorism official called the assault on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi last week that left four Americans dead.<br/> <br />Rocket-propelled grenades and mortars struck the consulate on Sept. 11th -- killing U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.<br/> <br />Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Matthew Olsen.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (English) MATTHEW OLSEN, DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL COUNTERTERRORISM CENTER, SAYING:<br/> <br />"Certainly on that particular question I would say, yes, they were killed in the course of a terrorist attack on our embassy."<br/> <br />He said there could have been an al Qaeda connection to the attack.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (English) MATTHEW OLSEN, DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL COUNTERTERRORISM CENTER, SAYING:<br/> <br />"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."<br/> <br />The attack coincided with a wave of anti-american protests throughout the Muslim world -- stemming from a U.S.-made film mocking the prophet Mohammed.
