It is led by Abdel Hakim Belhaj, once head of the now defunct Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, widely regarded as being close to al-Qaeda.

ECONOMIST: Libya��s election

But at Wednesday's hearing, Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-South Carolina, quoted what he said was an internal e-mail dated the day after the attack in which Assistant Secretary of State Beth Jones told the Libyan ambassador that Islamic group Ansar al-Sharia was responsible for the attack.

CNN: Obama has explaining to do on Benghazi

Abdurahman Alamoudi, who provided seed money for activist Grover Norquist to start a pressure group called the Islamic Institute, allegedly was recruited by Libyan intelligence as part of a plot to assassinate the crown prince of Saudi Arabia.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Libyan agent who funded Norquist group pleads guilty