Special forces capture major suspect in 2012 Benghazi attack

Well this is good news for a change:

WSJ – U.S. Special Operations Forces have captured a Libyan man believed to be part of the Sept. 11, 2012 attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, U.S. defense officials said Monday.

Mustafa al Imam was among the armed men who stormed the U.S. compound and set multiple buildings ablaze, a U.S. defense official said. There is no evidence he was connected to the terror group suspected behind the attack, Ansar al Sharia, the U.S. defense official said.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Justice Department led the investigation, and U.S. forces in Libya executed the capture on Sunday, defense officials said. The U.S. military wouldn’t say how many troops were involved or where the capture happened. They said no shots were fired or equipment lost during the capture mission, which happened just before midnight Sunday local time.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson approved the mission, the Pentagon said, and sought authority from President Donald Trump, which they received.

Mr. Trump in a statement praised those involved in the operation to capture Mr. Imam, and assured relatives of the slain Americans that they would not be forgotten. He also appealed to Libya to push forward on international plans to form a single, unified government.

“Libya’s long-term stability and security are linked to its ability to form a unified government and military, and we encourage all Libyans to support the ongoing reconciliation process facilitated by the United Nations and to work together to build a peaceful and stable country,” he said in a statement.

The U.S. military currently is transporting Mr. Imam back to the U.S. where the Justice Department will prosecute him in federal court in Washington, D.C., the defense official said. The suspected militant is expected to arrive within days.

U.S. officials wouldn’t say what role they believe he had in the attack, during which scores of armed men stormed the compound and razed several buildings, including one housing Mr. Stevens and Steven Smith, an information management officer.

It’s nice to see at least some justice being handed out for this attack that led to the deaths of Tyrone Woods, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty, and Ambassador Christopher Stevens. I’m glad the Trump administration is getting this guy and I hope we don’t stop until they are all in custody.

As CNN pointed out in their article, this arrest comes as Ahmed Abu Khatallah, the believed mastermind of the attack, is currently on trial in DC.

Here’s Trump’s full statement: