Benghazi mastermind captured by US forces

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**streamdragon**

AP Source

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Libyan militant suspected in the deadly attack on Americans in Benghazi has been captured and is in American custody, the Pentagon said Tuesday, marking the first time the U.S. has apprehended one of the alleged perpetrators.

Officials said Ahmed Abu Khattala, a senior leader of the Benghazi branch of the terror group Ansar al-Sharia in Libya, will be tried in U.S. court. He is currently being held in an undisclosed location.

Last year, the U.S. filed charges against Khattala and a number of others in a sealed complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Washington. However, until now, no one had been arrested in the September 2012 attack in which a group of militants set fire to the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, killing Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

The Obama administration has come under intense criticism from Republicans for being unable to apprehend those responsible for the attack.

His capture was first reported by The Washington Post.

And here

We

Go!

**curran12**

Bunkers to the left, popcorn to the right, please clean up after yourselves.

**WarOne**

"Oh hey fellow Libyan militants, lets go attack the American embassy for fun!"

20 Guantanamo Years Later....

"Oh hey, fellow Guantanamo Bay inmates, does anyone have any more lubricant?"

.....

"My cooking class just ran out and I cannot make my famous freedom fries for my fellow students without it."

**d-usa**

President Obama wrote:gak, this Iraq thing is really causing me a lot of grief. The news are always talking about it and FoxNews still won't shut up about our POW trade. I need to get them off my back. Hey, what's the other thing FoxNews is always bitching about?

"Benghazi sir?"

Yeah, that one. Go ahead and arrest one of those guys. That should give me some breathing room. Plus it will throw Hillary a bone for her run at the White House.

"Excellent sir, we'll get right on that"

**Frazzled**

Good deal!

**Jihadin**

streamdragon wrote:
AP Source

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Libyan militant suspected in the deadly attack on Americans in Benghazi has been captured and is in American custody, the Pentagon said Tuesday, marking the first time the U.S. has apprehended one of the alleged perpetrators.

Officials said Ahmed Abu Khattala, a senior leader of the Benghazi branch of the terror group Ansar al-Sharia in Libya, will be tried in U.S. court. He is currently being held in an undisclosed location.

Last year, the U.S. filed charges against Khattala and a number of others in a sealed complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Washington. However, until now, no one had been arrested in the September 2012 attack in which a group of militants set fire to the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, killing Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

The Obama administration has come under intense criticism from Republicans for being unable to apprehend those responsible for the attack.

His capture was first reported by The Washington Post.

In case some were excited

A Libyan militant suspected in the deadly attack on Americans in Benghazi

Does Khattala have the same rights as an American facing our Judicial System?

Ahmed Abu Khattala, a senior leader of the Benghazi branch of the terror group Ansar al-Sharia in Libya, will be tried in U.S. court.

If found not innocent do we let him go or make him a guest of GITMO. Which might be in the process of closing down

**reds8n**

d-usa wrote:
President Obama wrote:gak, this Iraq thing is really causing me a lot of grief. The news are always talking about it and FoxNews still won't shut up about our POW trade. I need to get them off my back. Hey, what's the other thing FoxNews is always bitching about?

"Benghazi sir?"

Yeah, that one. Go ahead and arrest one of those guys. That should give me some breathing room. Plus it will throw Hillary a bone for her run at the White House.

"Excellent sir, we'll get right on that"

http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/06/17/3449917/fox-news-suggests-obama-captured-benghazi-suspect-to-boost-hillarys-presidential-prospects/

**Jihadin**

US Courts finds Khattara was not involve I would quite literally laugh my ass off

Some odd reason my laptop i not liking that link Red

The sentiment — that Obama timed Khattala’s capture for political benefit — was quickly echoed by other conservatives. Rory Cooper, an aide to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, tweeted, “While it’s great to see they caught the Benghazi suspect, it’s important to remember, he wasn’t really hiding.”

The United States filed the first criminal charges in the Benghazi attack in August of 2013. Khatalla is linked to the Islamist group Ansar al-Shariah, one of the militias that has served as the de facto military within many parts of the country since the overthrow of Libyan dictator Moamar Ghadaffi. He had previously told reporters that he had nothing to do with the attack, despite witnesses placing him at the scene during the night of the assault.

but he hasn't been hiding as stated

Rory Cooper, an aide to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, tweeted, “While it’s great to see they caught the Benghazi suspect, it’s important to remember, he wasn’t really hiding.”

So from August 2013 till now

The United States has been attempting to convince the Libyan government for months now to move on the suspects, but has been unable to due to the political chaos that has gripped the country. “The Libyan government has to wrestle with this idea: ‘What would that mean to us if we apprehended some of these people, if we tried them, if we handed them over?’ ” Gen. Carter F. Ham, a former head of U.S. Africa Command, told a conference last year. “It’s a very, very complex issue.”

We get him (Fox News source)

President Obama signed off on the mission on Friday night, Fox News is told. Khattala was captured south of Benghazi by U.S. special operators and is on his way to the U.S. aboard a Navy ship.

**d-usa**

reds8n wrote:
d-usa wrote:
President Obama wrote:gak, this Iraq thing is really causing me a lot of grief. The news are always talking about it and FoxNews still won't shut up about our POW trade. I need to get them off my back. Hey, what's the other thing FoxNews is always bitching about?

"Benghazi sir?"

Yeah, that one. Go ahead and arrest one of those guys. That should give me some breathing room. Plus it will throw Hillary a bone for her run at the White House.

"Excellent sir, we'll get right on that"

http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/06/17/3449917/fox-news-suggests-obama-captured-benghazi-suspect-to-boost-hillarys-presidential-prospects/

And to think that Dakka broke the story first!

**DarkTraveler777**

Jihadin wrote:
US Courts finds Khattara was not involve I would quite literally laugh my ass off

If that happens please film it and put it on Youtube. I'd like to see an ass falling off someone.

**Frazzled**

The Dakka news team, second to none!

**whembly**

d-usa wrote:
President Obama wrote:gak, this Iraq thing is really causing me a lot of grief. The news are always talking about it and FoxNews still won't shut up about our POW trade. I need to get them off my back. Hey, what's the other thing FoxNews is always bitching about?

"Benghazi sir?"

Yeah, that one. Go ahead and arrest one of those guys. That should give me some breathing room. Plus it will throw Hillary a bone for her run at the White House.

"Excellent sir, we'll get right on that"

Doesn't excuse the administration's handling of this...

But, still... at least someone will be held to account.

**Gentleman_Jellyfish**

DarkTraveler777 wrote:
Jihadin wrote:
US Courts finds Khattara was not involve I would quite literally laugh my ass off

If that happens please film it and put it on Youtube. I'd like to see an ass falling off someone.

Sorry, that war has been lost

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literally

1
: in a literal sense or manner : actually <took the remark literally> <was literally insane>
2
: in effect : virtually <will literally turn the world upside down to combat cruelty or injustice — Norman Cousins>

**Easy E**

Frazzled wrote:
The Dakka news team, second to none!

This guy would like a word with you....

**DarkTraveler777**

Gentleman_Jellyfish wrote:
DarkTraveler777 wrote:
Jihadin wrote:
US Courts finds Khattara was not involve I would quite literally laugh my ass off

If that happens please film it and put it on Youtube. I'd like to see an ass falling off someone.

Sorry, that war has been lost

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literally

1
: in a literal sense or manner : actually <took the remark literally> <was literally insane>
2
: in effect : virtually <will literally turn the world upside down to combat cruelty or injustice — Norman Cousins>

Bullgak. Merriam-webster are hacks!

**Frazzled**

Easy E wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
The Dakka news team, second to none!

This guy would like a word with you....

Thats just Manchu at his day job.

**Jihadin**

Lets see if I can fire this up

With Khattala expected to face prosecution in a U.S. court, the administration already is being pressed to hold off on reading him his Miranda rights until he is interrogated.

"I am pleased that Khattala is finally in U.S. custody, and I am grateful for the military, intelligence, and law enforcement professionals who helped capture him," Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., said in a statement, adding: "Rather than rushing to read him his Miranda rights and telling him he has the right to remain silent, I hope the administration will focus on collecting the intelligence necessary to prevent future attacks and to find other terrorists responsible for the Benghazi attacks."

U.S. officials, without saying whether the suspect has been read his Miranda rights, said he has undergone an "intelligence interrogation."

Khattala faces three counts in the federal complaint against him, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

They are: killing a person in the course of an attack on a federal facility; providing or attempting to provide support to terrorists resulting in death; and using or carrying a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.

Attorney General Eric Holder said the Justice Department retains the option of adding additional charges.

"Our nation's memory is long and our reach is far," Holder said in a statement, adding: "Even as we begin the process of putting Khatallah on trial and seeking his conviction before a jury, our investigation will remain ongoing as we work to identify and arrest any co-conspirators."

Khattala, until this past weekend, had loomed as an almost taunting presence. A month after the attack, he admitted to Fox News that he was at the scene of the attack, though claimed he did not plan it. At the time, he claimed he was just directing traffic and looking after fellow militia members guarding the complex.

He offered no remorse, though, for the killing of four Americans. At the time, he said he had not yet been contacted by U.S. officials.

So we release five. Captured another one. Wonder if there be another trade in the future.

So everyone is fine with him of the possibility of not being read his Miranda Rights and straight into interrogated

**Gentleman_Jellyfish**

DarkTraveler777 wrote:
Gentleman_Jellyfish wrote:
DarkTraveler777 wrote:
Jihadin wrote:
US Courts finds Khattara was not involve I would quite literally laugh my ass off

If that happens please film it and put it on Youtube. I'd like to see an ass falling off someone.

Sorry, that war has been lost

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literally

1
: in a literal sense or manner : actually <took the remark literally> <was literally insane>
2
: in effect : virtually <will literally turn the world upside down to combat cruelty or injustice — Norman Cousins>

Bullgak. Merriam-webster are hacks!

It's sad that a word now has to mean it's exact opposite meaning because people couldn't use it right.

**AlmightyWalrus**

Gentleman_Jellyfish wrote:
DarkTraveler777 wrote:
Gentleman_Jellyfish wrote:
DarkTraveler777 wrote:
Jihadin wrote:
US Courts finds Khattara was not involve I would quite literally laugh my ass off

If that happens please film it and put it on Youtube. I'd like to see an ass falling off someone.

Sorry, that war has been lost

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literally

1
: in a literal sense or manner : actually <took the remark literally> <was literally insane>
2
: in effect : virtually <will literally turn the world upside down to combat cruelty or injustice — Norman Cousins>

Bullgak. Merriam-webster are hacks!

It's sad that a word now has to mean it's literal opposite meaning because people couldn't use it right.

Fixed that for you.

**Gentleman_Jellyfish**

AlmightyWalrus wrote:

Spoiler:

Gentleman_Jellyfish wrote:
DarkTraveler777 wrote:
Gentleman_Jellyfish wrote:
DarkTraveler777 wrote:
Jihadin wrote:
US Courts finds Khattara was not involve I would quite literally laugh my ass off

If that happens please film it and put it on Youtube. I'd like to see an ass falling off someone.

Sorry, that war has been lost

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literally

1
: in a literal sense or manner : actually <took the remark literally> <was literally insane>
2
: in effect : virtually <will literally turn the world upside down to combat cruelty or injustice — Norman Cousins>

Bullgak. Merriam-webster are hacks!

It's sad that a word now has to mean it's literal opposite meaning because people couldn't use it right.

Fixed that for you.

http://www.nooooooooooooooo.com/

**Ouze**

reds8n wrote:
http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/06/17/3449917/fox-news-suggests-obama-captured-benghazi-suspect-to-boost-hillarys-presidential-prospects/

This is equal parts pathetic and predictable.

**WarOne**

Ouze wrote:
reds8n wrote:
http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/06/17/3449917/fox-news-suggests-obama-captured-benghazi-suspect-to-boost-hillarys-presidential-prospects/

This is equal parts pathetic and predictable.

Well will have to circle back to this and blame the victim at some point, because it will be his fault Hilary gets elected president.

**whembly**

WarOne wrote:
Ouze wrote:
reds8n wrote:
http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/06/17/3449917/fox-news-suggests-obama-captured-benghazi-suspect-to-boost-hillarys-presidential-prospects/

This is equal parts pathetic and predictable.

Well will have to circle back to this and blame the victim at some point, because it will be his fault Hilary gets elected president.

Nah... the Clintons are Teflon™.

I'm saying it right now... if she runs, she'll win.

**Ouze**

whembly wrote:
I'm saying it right now... if she runs, she'll win.

While I agree that the race is hers to lose, I have definitely seen bigger upsets previously. I mean, was Barack Obama even a serious contender in 2006? Serious question, I don't remember.

**whembly**

Ouze wrote:
whembly wrote:
I'm saying it right now... if she runs, she'll win.

While I agree that the race is hers to lose, I have definitely seen bigger upsets previously. I mean, was Barack Obama even a serious contender in 2006? Serious question, I don't remember.

Yeah... he was a serious contender. He rocked the world with that DNC speech.

**Jihadin**

I actually do not think Hillary will run in 2016.
There's to much baggage for her to actually deal with Obama Administration. One cannot keep blaming Bush Jr eight years after. She would have to undo a lot of policies created under Obama admin to even get a handle on the situation.

Though a thread of 2016 Presidential issues would be interesting to see started with issues/crisis within the US and outside the US.

**Ouze**

I think it's likely she will run, because I think she can win if she does, and going down in history as the first woman president has got to be a strong motivator.

She has baggage, yes, but it's not how bad the candidate is, it's how bad they are in relation to the rest of the field. I do not see a serious challenger yet, but 2 years is a long time.

**xraytango**

It strikes me as odd that A) Khattala was not hiding out, and B) Denies ordering the attack.

Terrorists M.O. Is to take credit for, well, terror, and it strikes me as odd that someone from a culture that values self-promotion and personal glory wouldn't take as much credit as he could if he were responsible.

OTOH, he could be shrewd enough to know that he had better make a good show of innocents in order to keep working in the shadows.

Interestingly the government of Libya was informed of the action to capture Khattala. I doubt that it was at any appreciable time before operators went in.

<Diplomat looks at watch, checks cel phone sees a green text and casually mentions to his Libyan counterpart over some tea that "oh by the way, we're sending a team in to get Khattala">

**Tibbsy**

The signal has been deployed...

**whembly**

You rang?