Romney scorches Obama over Libya attack

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Republican nominee Mitt Romney elevated a row over the killing of the US ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens into a full blown campaign feud, prompting a searing response from the Obama camp.

The new fight erupted when top President Barack Obama's aide Stephanie Cutter said on CNN that the September 11 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi only became a "political topic" because it was exploited by Romney.

The Republican White House hopeful then made the decision to personally address the issue, as questions fly in Washington over the Obama administration's changing explanations of the attack, and what caused it.

"I think today we got another indication of how President Obama and his campaign fail to grasp the seriousness of the challenges that we face here in America," Romney said at a rally in North Carolina.