For all the talk about Paul Manafort's indictiment, one can't help but feel that there is a distinct undercurrent amid today's newsflow focusing on Hillary Clinton: from the resignation of one of the most powerful Democrats, Tony Podesta, who earlier today parted ways with the lobbying firm he founded after it became ensnared in the Mueller probe (and who is also brother of Clinton campaign chair John Podesta) to the sudden reemergence of the Benghazi attack narrative, one wonders if Trump is not preparing to launch a broadside attack on his former presidential challenger.
Lost in the general newsflow, on Monday the AP reported that US special ops forces captured a militant Sunday who was the US says was instrumental in the 2012 attack on the US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. The September 2012 assault killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans, and led to allegations that then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton failed to provide an adequate response to the attack, and subsequently blamed the attack on a Youtube video clip.
US officials say the mission was approved by President Donald Trump and done in coordination with Libya's internationally recognized government. US official have since identified the suspect as Mustafa al-Imam, and added that American special ops forces captured al-Imam in Misrata, on the north coast of Libya. The official says al-Imam was then taken to a U.S. Navy ship at the Misrata port for transport. He is being taken now to the United States.
The White House is expected to release more details shortly.
As Fox News adds, earlier this month, the trial of Ahmed Abu Khattala began, the alleged mastermind of the 2012 attacks. It’s not clear if the suspect detailed by US special operations forces is one of Khattala’s lieutenants. Khatallah had been awaiting trail since 2014, when US Army commandos and FBI agents captured him in Benghazi and put him on a Navy ship for detention in an American prison inside the United States.
Late on Monday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the U.S. will "spare no effort to ensure that justice is served" to the militants who committed the 2012 attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya.
Tillerson thanked military, law enforcement and intelligence officials for the capture of a man they're describing as a key suspect in the deadly assault on the U.S. outpost. Chris Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, and three other Americans were killed. Tillerson also said he spoke with some family members of the four fallen Americans to "underscore the U.S. government's unwavering support."
His full statement below:
And now that the Benghazi narrative is back in the news, how long before Trump decides to casually tweet about it, while casually invoking Hillary's name in the process?