The U.S. has captured the key suspect who led an attack on its consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi… that killed four Americans, two years ago.
For more on that story and, we turn to Paul Yi at the News Center.
Paul, the Pentagon says this was a major operation… carried out by U.S. special forces and the FBI inside Libya.
That’s right. Ahmed Abu Khattala was taken into custody in a secret military raid on Sunday and is now being held on a U.S. warship.
He’s being called the suspected “ring leader” to that deadly strike in 2012… and U.S. President Barack Obama warns he will face “the full weight” of American justice in the courts.
Here’s Kim Hyun-bin with the story. The United States announced on Tuesday that it has captured the suspected ringleader of the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in the Libyan city of Benghazi.
The attack killed four Americans, including the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens.
U.S. President Barack Obama authorized the operation on Sunday that captured Ahmed Abu Khatallah inside of Libya.
Khatallah will now be transported back to the U.S.
Obama stressed that terrorists that harm Americans will be brought to justice.
“We continue to think about and pray for the families of those who were killed during that terrible attack. But more importantly it’s important for us to send a message to the world that when Americans are attacked, no matter how long it takes, we will find those responsible and we will bring them to justice.”
A U.S. official said Khatallah is currently being held on a U.S. military ship in an undisclosed location.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey says special operations forces and the FBI successfully carried out a dangerous and complex capture mission resulting in no casualties.
Khatallah is expected to be charged and prosecuted through the U.S. court system and will not be sent to the infamous Guantanamo Bay facility.
The decision follows past practice and is in line with Obama’s policy of prosecuting suspected militants caught abroad through the U.S. justice system.
Kim Hyun-bin, Arirang News.
