US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice conceded that an early account she gave about the attack on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya, was partly inaccurate, but her admission failed to win over Republican senators who accused her of misleading the public. Rice met for about an hour behind closed doors at the US Capitol with Republican Senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Kelly Ayotte, who have threatened to block her nomination if President Barack Obama chooses her for secretary of state or another top post in his second-term  Cabinet.

They have criticised her for comments after the September 11 attack in Benghazi that suggested it was a spontaneous event arising from protests over an anti-Islam film rather than a premeditated attack.

“We are significantly troubled by many of the answers that we got, and some that we didn’t get, concerning evidence that was overwhelming leading up to the attack on our consulate,” McCain told reporters after the meeting.

Graham said he would move to block the nomination of “anybody” who was linked to the Benghazi events.