[16][17][163] The militia compounds and many weapons were handed over to Libya's national army[17] in what "appeared to be part of a coordinated sweep of militia bases by police, government troops and activists" following the earlier demonstrations. Four Americans died in the attack: Ambassador Stevens, Information Officer Sean Smith, [1] and two CIA operatives, [2] Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, [3] [4] both former Navy SEALs. [132] [141], On October 7, 2013, the Muhammad Jamal network (MJN) and Muhammad Jamal were designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorists by the U.S. Department of State, which noted in its designation that "Jamal has developed connections with al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), AQ senior leadership, and al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) leadership including Nasir 'Abd-al-Karim 'Abdullah al-Wahishi and Qasim Yahya Mahdi al-Rimi". The security guards briefly detained the man before releasing him. [167], Handling the militias had been difficult as the government had been forced to rely on some of them for protection and security. [235], President Obama called the criticism a "sideshow"[236] and later accused Congress of "taking its eye off the ball" on the subject of the economy and focusing on "phony scandals". American UAVs were also sent to fly over Libya to search for the perpetrators of the attack.[181]. "[191], For actions in Benghazi during the attack, a Marine was awarded the Navy Cross, and a Soldier was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross; their names have been held in secret. [82], According to the Annex Security Team, they had become aware of the consulate attack after 9:30p.m. local time, and were ready to respond; however, they were delayed by "the top CIA officer in Benghazi". That same month, Libya's general prosecutor told me his office had files on 206 killings since the end of the 2011 uprising, but had not concluded any investigations. It was clearly designed to be an attack. "That this was an act of terror, and I also said that we're going to hunt down those who committed this crime. Without a functioning legal system, the house of cards that is the Libyan state will collapse. It was a planned attack, not a protest. The street outside the compound was calm, and the State Department reported no unusual activity during the day outside. [25][26][27] Khattala was captured in Libya by United States Army Special Operations Forces, who were acting in coordination with the FBI, in June 2014. to which McCain replied that "it interferes with the depiction that the administration is trying to convey that al Qaeda is on the wane how else could you trot out our U.N. ambassador to say this was a spontaneous demonstration? [257] None of the other Benghazi investigations identified wrongdoing by any individuals. Initial analysis by the CIA, repeated by top government officials, indicated that the attack spontaneously arose from a protest. He said, "I have made it clear that the United States government had nothing to do with this video, and I believe its message must be rejected by all who respect our common humanity. A Libyan man was sentenced to more than 19 years in prison on Thursday for his role in the 2012 terrorist attack on two U.S. government facilities in Benghazi that killed four Americans. For example, Hassan al-Bakush, a young journalist with a local TV station, survived two assassination attempts in Benghazi this May. These accusations were widely shared across various blogs and social media platforms. Reuters. Share this via WhatsApp [255] It made 29 recommendations to the State Department on how to improve its operations, which Clinton pledged to implement. Anti-Gaddafi fighters gesture to the crowds in front of a Kingdom of Libya flag during celebrations in Benghazi on 23 October. Though they took him to be a foreigner, no one recognized him as Stevens. There are three Coptic Churches in Libya, one in Tripoli, one in Benghazi, and one in Misurata. Share this via Printer. GOP legislators also took issue with delays in the investigation, which CNN attributed to "bureaucratic infighting" between the FBI, Justice, and State. The wreckage of a car sits inside the US Embassy compound on September 12, 2012 in Benghazi, Libya,. That being said, we do know that Islamic extremists with ties to al-Qa'ida participated in the attack. [176], Secretary of State Clinton also made a statement on September 12, describing the perpetrators as "heavily armed militants" and "a small and savage groupnot the people or government of Libya". [13][14] The Libyan Government condemned the attacks and took steps to disband the militias. | Getty Images By Josh Gerstein 10/10/2017 03 . In his press briefing on September 14, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters that "we don't have and did not have concrete evidence to suggest that this [the Benghazi attack] was not in reaction to the film. A two-year investigation by the Republican-controlled House Intelligence Committee has found that the CIA and the military acted properly in responding to the 2012 attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, and asserted no wrongdoing by Obama administration appointees. There are indications that extremists participated in the violent demonstrations. On September 16, the U.S. Ever since Qaddafi's fall, Libya's government has failed to afford its citizens the protections and security they deserve. On May 19, militias said to be from the western city of Zintan joined Haftar's campaign and attacked the parliament building in Tripoli, resulting in at least four dead and 90 injured. Now, honestly, I will do my best to answer your questions about this, but the fact is that people were trying in real time to get to the best information. In addition, the National Transitional Council estimated 50,000 wounded. I didn't see those requests, I didn't approve them, I didn't deny them. Miftah Bouzeid, the editor-in-chief of Burniq newspaper known for his vocal opposition to Islamist militias, became the latest high-profile victim when he was shot dead on May 26. Magariaf, Amb. Others accuse Qaddafi "loyalists" of responsibility. [266], According to The Wall Street Journal, the e-mail was written to prepare U.S. Photograph: Esam Omran Al-Fetori/Reuters Thu 13 Sep 2012 07.22 EDT. [18][19][20][21] Four career State Department officials were criticized for denying requests for additional security at the facility prior to the attack. On Sept. 11, 2012, heavily armed Islamist militants launched an organized attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, setting fire to buildings before all U.S . ", "Deadly embassy attacks were days in the making", "Muslim Brotherhood Fox Was Hired To Protect Our Benghazi Consulate Henhouse Interview", "The Benghazi Timeline, Clinton Edition - FactCheck.org", "Clinton: Facebook post about Benghazi attack not hard", "Clinton: Facebook post about Benghazi attack not hard "evidence", "Ansar al Shariah issues statement on US Consulate assault in Libya | FDD's Long War Journal", "Egyptians angry at film scale U.S. embassy walls", "Ansar al Shariah issues statement on US Consulate assault in Libya - FDD's Long War Journal", Elise Labott, "Report on Benghazi attack cites 'systemic failures'", "Obama: U.S. consulate attack in Libya not an act of war", "Remarks by the President at Univision Town Hall with Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas", "Spread of Protests Sparked by Anti-Muslim Video", "Benghazi attack suspect arrested in Tunisia; AP reports 2nd suspect killed in Egypt", "Benghazi suspect Ali Harzi released by Tunisia for lack of evidence, lawyer says", "Egypt identifies Benghazi attack suspect killed in Cairo", Thomas Joscelyn, "Video reportedly shows key suspect from Benghazi attack", Sioban Gorman, "Egyptians Detain Suspected Terrorist Ringleader", "Terrorist Designations of the Muhammad Jamal Network and Muhammad Jamal", "Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011) concerning Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities", Paul Cruickshank. Fox News, Hannity, Aug. 5, 2015 State Department, FOIA document search, accessed Aug. 10, 2015 State Department, Accountability Board Review of Benghazi attack, accessed Aug. 11, 2015 . [261] Three of the photographs show Arabic-language spray paint graffiti. [17] Carrying signs with slogans such as "We Want Justice For Chris" and "Libya Lost a Friend", the protestors stormed several militia headquarters, including that of Ansar al-Sharia, an Islamist militia who some allege played a role in the attack on U.S. diplomatic personnel on September 11. 2848; 113th Congress). The committee held a hearing to continue its investigation on the attack that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans at the diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, on the . The FBI opened its investigation soon after the attack and it remains ongoing. White House Spokesman Jay Carney later specified that the criticism of the administration's handling of the Benghazi attacks was one of those "phony scandals". The 2012 Benghazi attack was a coordinated attack against two United States government facilities in Benghazi, Libya, by members of the Islamic militant group Ansar al-Sharia.. On September 11, 2012, at 9:40 pm local time, members of Ansar al-Sharia attacked the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi resulting in the deaths of both United States Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens and . However, the day after the Benghazi attack, Ansar al-Sharia issued a statement saying that the attack was in part "a spontaneous popular uprising in response to what happened by the West," which was an apparent reference to the Innocence of Muslims video. Ahmed Shams, a 22-year-old arts student, told the Associated Press that they were happy when they found Stevens alive and tried to rescue him. Carney said, "It is, I think, self-evident that what happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack. Help us continue to fight human rights abuses. Shortly after the Benghazi attack, Secretary of State Clinton commissioned an independent Accountability Review Board to investigate, chaired by retired ambassador Thomas R. Pickering with vice-chair retired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullen. In January, a report prepared bya Libyan parliamentary committee listed 643 killings in 2013. [105] From Germany, the four bodies arrived at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C., where President Barack Obama and members of his cabinet held a ceremony in honor of those killed. 921. The television ads in Pakistan (marked with the U.S. Embassy seal) feature clips of President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton during press appearances in Washington in which they condemned the video. [31][32][34][35], Stevens had his last meeting of the day with a Turkish diplomat (Consul General Ali Sait Akn), and escorted the Turkish diplomat to the main gate at about 8:30p.m. local time. . Ricks accused the network of covering the story more than it needed to be. Senators,[199] which several Republican attendees criticized. That led Susan Rice, then U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, to inaccurately assert that the attack had evolved from a protest, when in fact there had been no protest. Were also sent to fly over Libya to search for the perpetrators of other! Investigations identified wrongdoing by any individuals the militias shared across various blogs and social media.. Took him to be during the day outside are three Coptic Churches in Libya, one in Misurata delayed ``... Blogs and social media platforms Libya flag during celebrations in Benghazi, and were to... 82 ], According to the crowds in front of a Kingdom of flag. 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