In what many are calling a "smoking gun" today, e-mails leaked by an anonymous source indicate that the White House knew that the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi was terrorist related just two hours after the assault began, contradicting claims by the Obama Administration that the incident was the result of an anti-Muslim film.

Reuters is reporting that they obtained three e-mails from government sources who are not connected with U.S. intelligence agencies or the State Department, which specifically mention that the Libyan group called Ansar al-Sharia, which has links to Al Qaeda, claimed responsibility for the attack that left Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others dead. The e-mails were sent to White House and State Department officials during the actual attack, thus undermining the Administration's weeks-long claim that a film prompted a spontaneous mob that got out of control.

The e-mails were sent on the afternoon of September 11 from the State Department's Operations Center to several government offices, including addresses at the White House such as the White House Situation Room, the president's secure command post, as well as the Pentagon, intelligence community and FBI.

The first email, sent at 4:05 p.m. Washington time (10:05 p.m. Benghazi time), was sent 20-30 minutes after the attack had begun. It carried the subject line "U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi Under Attack" and the notation "SBU", meaning "Sensitive But Unclassified." It reported that Ambassador Stevens and four others were in the compound safe haven and were being protected by a group called the 17th of February militia.

The second e-mail, sent less than an hour later informed officials that "the firing at the U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Benghazi had stopped and the compound had been cleared."

The third e-mail, which contains the "smoking gun", was sent at 6:07 p.m. Washington time under the subject line: "Update 2: Ansar al-Sharia Claims Responsibility for Benghazi Attack."

It read, "Embassy Tripoli reports the group claimed responsibility on Facebook and Twitter and has called for an attack on Embassy Tripoli."

The e-mails provide some of the most detailed information yet about what White House officials knew both during and after the embassy attack and raise serious questions as to why Administration officials, including the president and U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice, continued to claim that it was due to protests over a film.

Spokesmen for the White and State Department had no immediate response to requests for comments on the e-mails.

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