USS New York, Carrying a Benghazi Suspect, Has Gone Dark

Washington Post ^ | June 25 | THOMAS GIBBONS-NEFF

[nickcarraway]

Where is the USS New York?

At 684 feet long and displacing over 24,900 tons, the Mayport, Fla.-based San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock is no smart car of the seas. Yet the vessel has gone “dark” for more than a week now.

The low profile might have something to do with the fact that the New York is currently home to the recently captured Ahmed Abu Khattala, one of the accused ringleaders of the Sept. 11-12, 2012, Benghazi terrorist attacks that left four Americans dead.

While any ship’s location is supposed to be a well-guarded secret when deployed, the New York is in a unique position, because instead of threading its way through the Suez Canal or dodging a Chinese destroyer, it’s believed to be steaming toward the East Coast: Abu Khattala is expected to be arraigned soon in Washington.

The ship’s crew has been noticeably absent from social media, most likely due to the fact that the entire ship’s outbound communications have been blacked out, or as the military calls it: “River City.” River City is usually implemented when a soldier is wounded or killed during combat operations. It allows for the Defense Department to notify family members before word gets out through unofficial means such as social media.

Officials have said Abu Khattala must be flown directly from the ship into the District for legal reasons.

[Fresh Wind]

supermax, not superman.

[RandallFlagg]

Superman works, too.
I hear he likes to snap people’s necks.

;-)

[Truth29]

"My admittedly paranoid take on this is that the administration is in cahoots with this guy. He's being prepped to blame the video and tell a fake "insider's" story of Benghazi that is favorable to the Administration in exchange for dough and a promise of a modest sentence."

All too believable. You can count on Obama to do what is most damaging to the US.

[GOPJ]

A team of Iranian operatives under the control of Qassem Suleymani, the head of Iran’s secretive Quds Force, arrived a few days before September 11, 2012 in order to put the plan into operation.

There was only one hitch: the NSA, which had a top secret listening station at the CIA annex in Benghazi, picked up on local jihadist chatter, revealing the plan. But Suleymani had a CIA source that told him of the NSA’s discovery. A backup plan was then quickly put into motion that sounds like something out of a spy novel.

What if the Administration was working with the Iranians... and the NSA are the good guys?

[danamco]

He needs to sing about what Admiral Lyons is saying!!!

[EDINVA]

So WaPo publishes this “secret” information, jeopardizing every single person onboard? Thanks, WaPo. I really didn’t need to know. And why a ship? Odd, at best.

[Lower Deck]

slow boat to china, why the hell would they bring him back via ship and not on a plane.

It would have meant landing him first in somewhere like Spain or Italy so they could pick up a transatlantic aircraft. Why involve them?

[Broker]

Few except us give a damn about treason and corruption in government. What reporters?

[deks]

Did anybody hear about this. . .

Benghazi killings suspect that was aboard Mayport's USS New York is now in the U.S.

[deks]

Abu Khattalah was flown by military helicopter from the ship to a National Park Service landing pad in the city's Anacostia neighborhood, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss the transfer publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.