Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said he knew Benghazi was a "terrorist attack" from the beginning, despite the Obama administration touting the incident was a "spontaneous demonstration."
Panetta made the comments on MSNBC on Tuesday during an interview with Andrea Mitchell.
"I didn't have any specific information, but the fact was--when you bring grenade launchers to a demonstration, there's something else going on," Panetta said. "And I just, from the very beginning, sensed that this was an attack. This was a terrorist attack on our compound."
In the secretary’s new book, Worthy Fights, he outlines his criticism of President Obama and the administration for its inaction, especially in regard to pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq and other foreign policy issues.
Panetta, who served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency under Obama before becoming secretary of defense, was particularly critical of the administration’s coverup about the Benghazi attacks.
During the interview Panetta said Obama lacked the passion required of a leader.
Panetta’s new book hit shelves Tuesday.