Saturday, January 11, 2014

State Department names groups behind Benghazi strike

State Department names groups behind Benghazi strike

FoxNews.com

The State Department on Friday for the first time blamed specific groups and militants for the 2012 Benghazi attack, designating them as terrorists -- a move that further undermines initial claims the attack was spontaneous. 
The department announced that it was labeling Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi and Ansar al-Sharia in Darnah as terror organizations, in part over their role in the Benghazi attack. It applied the same label to Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia, over a separate attack on Americans in Tunis.
The State Department also labeled as terrorists Sufian bin Qumu, head of the Darnah branch and a former Guantanamo Bay detainee, and Ahmed Abu Khattalah, head of the Benghazi branch. 
Fox News previously reported that the two were suspected of playing a role in the attack. And despite State Department claims that Al Qaeda leadership was not involved and a recent news report echoing that assessment, Fox News has learned that bin Qumu has Al Qaeda ties. 
According to his Guantanamo file, he has historic ties to the Al Qaeda network, including training at one point at "Usama bin Laden's Torkham camp." 
The State Department, in its announcement Friday, specifically discussed allegations against the Ansar al-Sharia branches. 
"Ansar al-Shari'a in Benghazi and Ansar al-Shari'a in Darnah have been involved in terrorist attacks against civilian targets, frequent assassinations, and attempted assassinations of security officials and political actors in eastern Libya, and the September 11, 2012 attacks against the U.S. Special Mission and Annex in Benghazi, Libya," the department said. "Members of both organizations continue to pose a threat to U.S. interests in Libya." 
Shortly after the attack, administration officials indicated it was related to protests over an anti-Islam film that were raging elsewhere in Africa and the Middle East, describing it as spontaneous. They have since backed off that explanation, though have not ruled out the film as having played some role. Many lawmakers, though, have claimed the film was not a factor and the attack was planned by terrorists. 
The department on Friday cited Khattalah and bin Qumu over their leadership roles in the al-Sharia organizations. Khattalah, though, told Fox News in October 2012 that while he was at the U.S. consulate that night, he was not responsible for the attack. He claimed he was helping Libyan security workers defending the compound. 
The new terror designation bars anyone from providing or trying to provide "material support or resources" to those organizations and individuals, and freezes any assets they have in the U.S. The State Department announced that it has also updated its Rewards for Justice website to include a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of anyone involved in the Benghazi attack. 
The department had faced criticism for not including that reward on the website, though officials claimed reward offers had nevertheless been made. 
Four Americans died in the 2012 attack, and so far nobody has been brought to justice in connection with the killings. 
"The U.S. government is committed to taking all appropriate actions against the organizations and individuals responsible for the attacks against the U.S. diplomatic facilities in Libya and Tunisia," the State Department said, also referring to a 2012 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Tunis. 
Fox News' Catherine Herridge and Greg Palkot contributed to this report. 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/01/10/state-department-names-groups-behind-benghazi-strike/?intcmp=latestnews

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Let's get real here. There would have BEEN no Benghazi without Hillary and Obama SHIPPING guns to the CIA & Mossad to OVERTHROW legitimate middle-eastern countries like Libya, Syria, & Egypt who had decided NOT to use dollars any longer for their oil purchases. It had absolutely NOTHING to do with revolution by the people of these countries. The so-called "rebels" were CIA, MOSSAD, SAS, and anybody they could pay $100 a day to stir up trouble.

The CIA & NSA should be ABOLISHED, along with MOST of the Federal Govt, which uses our taxes for murder, gun-running, drug running, drone hits even in the U.S., and assassinations of whistleblowers.

Anonymous said...

I WAS GOING TO ADD THE EXACT SAME REPLY....BUT....... YOU ANON.....HIT THE BULLS EYE. .....WE THE PEOPLE NEED TO GET OUR PITCH FORKS AND PULL AN ICELAND ON THESE MURDERING THIEVES......LETS TRY OUT THE HEAD CHOPPERS THEY BOUGHT WITH OUR TAX DOLLARS ON THEM........IMAGINE........ALL 30,000 GUILLITINES LIND UP WITH ALL THE BAD GUYS UNDER ONE.......THE COUNT DOWN BEGINS AND 30,000 HEADS FALL OFF AT ONCE!!!.......THAT DAY WOULD BE A VINDACATION DAY FOR ALL OF HUMANITY.