Benghazi attackers linked to al-Qaeda, U.S. commander says

The head of the U.S. military's Africa Command says some of those who attacked the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya were linked to al-Qaeda's North Africa arm.

Gen. Carter Ham told reporters in Paris on Wednesday, "clearly some of these individuals have some linkages" to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM.

However, he said the attack was not necessarily "an AQIM-planned or organized or led activity."

U.S. Ambassador in Libya Chris Stevens and three others were killed inthe Sept. 11 attackin Benghazi. Investigations are under way into what happened.

Ham also discussed African and international efforts toward a possible military intervention in northern Mali, which is controlled by AQIM and other extremists.