Free Republic

When U.S. commandos grabbed a former al Qaeda operative in Tripoli this month, American forces were just hours away from potentially launching a more dangerous covert raid to capture a militia figure facing charges in the deadly Benghazi terror attack, U.S. officials tell CNN. U.S. special operations forces were ready, if ordered, to enter Benghazi and capture Ahmed Abu Khattalah, a leading figure in the Ansar Al-Sharia militia. But the mission never materialized.

Federal prosecutors have filed the first charges in the Benghazi terror attack against Ahmed Khattalah, the leader of a Libyan militia believed to be responsible for the Sept. 11, 2012, consulate attack that killed four Americans. The charges are under seal, CNN first reported.

The leader of the Libyan extremist group believed to be behind the deadly assault last month on a U.S. diplomatic complex in Benghazi has yet to be arrested, after being spotted at the scene during the attack, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. Two high-ranking Libyan security officials said Ansar al-Shariah founder Ahmed Abu Khattalah remains at large; he is reported to espouse an ideology similar to that of al-Qaeda's terrorist network. The Sept. 11 attack left four Americans dead, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya. The U.S. government is weighing options for retaliating against the attackers. However, one...