From day one, the Obama administration was aware that the September 11 assault on the US consulate in Benghazi was a pre-planned terrorist attack, despite offering up conflicting explanations in the weeks since.

Unnamed officials confirm to Fox News that the White House knew that al-Qaeda-linked terrorists were behind the murder of four Americans in Libya, but only today did US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta publicly acknowledge the truth.

Secretary Panetta now admits that the Pentagon knew within hours of the assault on America’s Benghazi consulate that left Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others dead that it was an act of terrorism.

The Obama administration has altered their explanation repeatedly in the weeks since Mr. Stevens and three others were killed on September 11, 2012 while on assignment in Libya. On Thursday, the Defense Department confirmed the attack as having been hatched by terrorists, despite earlier statements made by the White House that suggested an anti-American film produced in the US had triggered a spontaneous assault.

“The reason I think it pretty clearly was a terrorist attack is because a group of terrorists obviously conducted that attack on the consulate and against our individuals,” Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Thursday alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey. “What terrorists were involved I think still remains to be determined by the investigation. But it clearly was a group of terrorists who conducted that attack against that facility.”

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton suggested earlier in the week that the attack in Benghazi may have been hatched by an al-Qaeda affiliate, yet another drastic change of heart from an Obama appointee this week.

In New York City on Wednesday, Secretary Clinton told attendees at a special United Nations meeting that the September 11 assault first thought by the White House to be a spontaneous response to an Anti-Islam film made in America could have been orchestrated by extremists in North Africa, specifically those subscribed to an off-shoot of al-Qaeda.

“For some time, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and other groups have launched attacks and kidnappings from northern Mali into neighboring countries,” Clinton told the crowd this week. “Now, with a larger safe haven and increased freedom to maneuver, terrorists are seeking to extend their reach and their networks in multiple directions. And they are working with other violent extremists to undermine the democratic transitions underway in North Africa, as we tragically saw in Benghazi.”

Secretary Clinton’s address was delivered at a United Nations meeting on instability in the Sahel, the region of Africa that includes Mali and, apparently, terrorist operatives conducting assaults on Americans for al-Qaeda.

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Iran might have enough enriched uranium to build nuclear weapon by next summer, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared at the UN General Assembly. He urged the gathering to draw a “red line” for the Iranian nuclear program.

It is getting “late, very late” to stop the Islamic Republic from having the capability to develop an atomic bomb, Netanyahu stressed to the assembly in New York.

“Iran is 70 per cent of the way there, and are well into the second stage. By next summer, at current enrichment rates, they will have finished the medium enrichment and move on to the final stage. From there it is only a few more weeks before they have enriched enough for a bomb,” he said.

Pointedly nodding at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s reports, the Israeli PM said the only way to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear arsenal is to forbid it from amassing highly enriched uranium. A country like Iran needs thousands of centrifuges to produce the substance, and such facilities cannot be hidden, Netanyahu said.

While talking, Netanyahu took out a basic diagram depicting a bomb split into three sections, with markings indicating 70 per cent and 90 per cent progress.

Then the PM took out a marker and drew his own red line on the chart highlighting the point of no return – the completion of the second stage and 90 percent enrichment.

“I believe that faced with a clear red line, Iran will back down – and it will give more time for sanctions and diplomacy,” he concluded, adding that Israel is already in talks with the US on how to chart a path to preventing the Persian country from acquiring nuclear weapons.

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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s eighth address to the UN General Assembly was defined mostly by its absences: The Syrian conflict and an infamous anti-Muslim film weren’t mentioned, and the US delegation wasn’t present in the chamber.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for world leaders to serve their people, not rule over them during his speech before the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.

In a surprise turn, Ahmadinejad’s speech took on an almost poetic bent evoking “the spring of humanity and the greenery of all ages.”

During his address, the word “peace” was used 12 times, “justice” 15 and “love” 13.

Peace and love were not the only items on the agenda, as Ahmadinejad enumerated a litany of injustices that had occurred throughout history despite the striving of “righteous people and justice seekers.” 

Several barbs were specifically directed towards the West.

Ahmadinejad decried the “current abysmal situation of the world,” saying it resulted from“the self-proclaimed centers of power who have entrusted themselves to the Devil.”

He further lambasted the“arms race” and “nuclear intimidation” being perpetuated by“hegemonic powers,” as well as “the continued threat by uncivilized Zionists to resort to military action.”

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David Mamet is a brilliant and fearless playwright.  He’s also a playwright who never met or wrote a four-letter word that he didn’t like.  He has always been a playwright of, and for, the people and one who loves to zero in on subjects and situations that less daring and less confident playwrights feel no obligation to tackle.  I’m surprised, however, to learn that a Mamet play has never been performed at The La Jolla Playhouse, one of this country’s premiere Regional Theatres – until now.

Thankfully, Artistic Director Christopher Ashley has remedied that past oversight by directing a wonderfully scathing and corrosive examination and profile of the “American salesman” with his production of “Glengarry Glen Ross” that just opened at the Sheila and Hughes Potiker theatre.

The story and the action take place in a Chicago real estate office in 1983, where a group of salesmen are pitted against one another for more sales in the pursuit of their piece of the American dream. It’s a cold, hard, reality choice to face every day when they come to work.  It’s a case of perform and excel or you’re out on the street at the end of the day. Unfortunately, for them, rules governing the dream are rigged in favor of their managers.  “Glengarry Glen Ross” is a 90-minute gem of a play about power and who’s on top.  It’s also well known for its excessive profanity, but it is also one of America’s great character plays.

Ashley has assembled a wonderfully talented and gifted cast of diverse looking actors, who fit their back-stories to a T.  It’s fascinating to watch this ensemble group of performers who thoroughly understand the playwright’s dramatic intentions and dialogue, which has been referred to over the years as “Mametspeak”.  Translation: it’s vulgar at times (loaded with f-bombs), but always honest, and it’s usually delivered at warp speed.

Peter Maloney playing Shelly “The Machine” Levene, is the epitome of a Mamet loser.  Once the top dog in the office, now he’s the older, pushed-aside-by-management, also-ran who’s hanging on just to survive.  Maloney’s performance is full of sympathy, desperation, and adrenaline – a potent winning combination for an actor.  Manu Narayan as Richard Roma, explodes onto the stage bristling with confidence and satisfaction at his recent    $90,000 “score” and sale.  However, once his solid sale evaporates, thanks to the inexperience of young and duplicitous office manager and chief torturer of Shelly, John Williamson (JohnnyWu), Roma’s anger and condemnation reach titanic proportions.  One does not want to be on the receiving end of Roma’s withering tirade about incompetence.  It’s an electrifying performance.

James Sutorius portrays disgruntled salesman/instigator/office provocateur Dave Moss, whose suggestion that perhaps, somebody ought to break into the office, steal the best sales leads, then either sell or keep them, and make it look like a burglary which would help everyone – but he keeps suggesting to George Aaronow, (Ray Anthony Thomas), that George has to be the one to do it.  Every business or office in the world has a Dave Moss working somewhere in it.  James Lingk (Jeff Marlow), Roma’s $90K score has a bad case of buyer’s remorse and comes into the office looking for Roma to get his money back.  Fat chance.  We feel for Lingk’s predicament, but the old adage that a fool and his money are soon parted is the inevitable result of what happens when a con man meets a potential customer with little or no sales resistance.  Matt MacNelly, as Baylen, the police detective sent to investigate the burglary rounds out the cast.

Director Ashley’s selection of “Glengarry Glen Ross” as the first Mamet play to be produced at the Playhouse is a solid and relevant one. It’s a revealing and resonating look backward to the 1980’s and the country’s financial woes during that time.  As the saying goes…what goes around, comes around. It’s now 2012 and since 2008 we’ve been struggling once more with the country’s economy.  Instead of real estate leads we’re now dealing with derivatives, hedge funds, and underwater mortgages.

The creative team led by Ashley’s personal vision features a clever and functional set design by Todd Rosenthal that includes a restaurant and a real estate office setting.  Lighting by designer David Lander, with costumes by Toni Leslie James, and sound design by David Corsello lend solid technical support to this excellent production.

“Glengarry Glen Ross” runs at the Sheila and Hughes Potiker theatre through October 21^st.  Tickets may be obtained by calling 858-550-1010 or go online at www.lajollaplayhouse.org .