U.S. Arrests Suspect in 2012 Benghazi Consulate Attack

Reuters

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on U.S. President Donald Trump's budget request for the Department of Justice.

The U.S. has arrested a person suspected of playing a central role in the 2012 attack on its consulate in Benghazi, Libya, Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Friday.

Bondi said Zubayar al-Bakoush has been extradited to the United States and will face murder, arson and terrorism-related charges.

Four U.S. personnel were killed in the 11 September 2012 incident, which was initially believed to be a spontaneous reaction to protests but was later identified as a deliberate attack carried out by extremists, some of whom were linked to al Qaeda-affiliated groups.

Al-Bakoush is the third individual to face criminal charges in connection with the attack. Two others, Ahmed Abu Khatallah and Mustafa al-Imam, are serving lengthy prison sentences, while another suspect, Ali Awni al-Harzi, was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Iraq in 2015.

Bakoush faces an eight-count indictment, including charges of murder, attempted murder, arson and conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, according to Jeanine Pirro, the top U.S. prosecutor in the District of Columbia.

The attack became a symbol of the chaos in Benghazi and across Libya, underscoring the country’s instability and the presence of extremist groups. It also triggered a series of investigations in the United States, during which congressional Republicans clashed with then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ahead of her 2016 presidential campaign as a Democrat.

Source: Reuters



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