Romney: US response to attacks on diplomatic missions 'disgraceful'

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney criticised the Obama government today in the wake of the attacks on US diplomatic missions in Egypt and Libya.

In a statement Mr Romney said he was outraged by the attacks but called it "disgraceful" that the Obama administration's first reaction was not to condemn but "to sympathise with those who waged the attacks".

Earlier the US embassy in Cairo issued a statement condemning what it called "continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims", an apparent reference to the video that protesters said attacked Islam's prophet Mohammed.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton later condemned the attack in Libya and said such acts were never justified.