David Petraeus' resignation from the CIA further complicated the debate over the September attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya.
Petraeus, a key figure in the events, stepped down as director after admitting to an extramarital affair. But members of Congress were so anxious to hear from him that they brought Petraeus back to Capitol Hill Friday to get his version of the Benghazi story.
President Obama's critics say there's lots about Benghazi that reflect poorly on his administration, but this week they focused on comments by United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice on TV talk shows, five days after the attack.
While the closed hearings have answered some questions, the flurry of concerns is far from settled.
What Ambassador Rice Said
In interviews, Rice said the attack began as a "spontaneous" demonstration prompted by anger over an anti-Muslim video and that "extremists" only joined later. Four Americans were killed, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens.
Some Republicans are so outraged by Rice's failure to blame al-Qaida that they said this week they'll block her from becoming secretary of state, if Obama nominates her. That angered the president, who in a news conference Wednesday vigorously defended Rice's TV comments.
"She made an appearance at the request of the White House in which she gave her best understanding of the intelligence that had been provided to her," he said.
So the White House sent Rice out on those Sunday shows, and Rice was given talking points. But the explanation she gave has since changed.
Intelligence officials now say the Benghazi attack was not spontaneous, and they think an al-Qaida offshoot was behind it.
The discrepancy in the accounts raised a number of questions this week: Did Rice, at the behest of the White House, deliberately downplay the Benghazi attack?
Who approved the talking points that guided her comments? If it was Petraeus, was it only because he knew he was under an FBI investigation and was hoping to stay out of trouble with the White House?
Related NPR Stories
The Two-Way
Petraeus Supports White House On Post-Benghazi Accounts, Lawmakers Say