Analysis

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Libya looking like Yemen all over again

By: The Washington Post

Posted: 10/15/2012 11:44 AM | Comments: 0

Libyans walk on the grounds of the gutted U.S. consulate in Benghazi, after an attack that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens on Sept. 12. (AP Photo/Ibrahim Alaguri)

The investigation of the terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, is beginning to look disturbingly familiar. After President Barack Obama promised "justice" for the killing of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, FBI agents were dispatched to the country. But it was three weeks before they made their first visit to the site — which had been left unsecured. Libyan authorities have arrested several people, but it is not clear whether they had any role in the assault. Meanwhile, Libyan officials appear to be resisting direct U.S. involvement in the investigation.

It’s hard not to see parallels with the diplomatic and judicial mess that followed al-Qaida’s bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen in October 2000. An FBI team sent to that country was mostly stymied and spent much of its time feuding with the U.S. Embassy. The Yemeni government allowed a couple of the organizers of the attack to slip out of the country. Others were arrested and tried but then were released, or escaped.

In the end, two of the Cole suspects reportedly ended their lives as suicide bombers in Iraq. At least three have been killed by CIA drone strikes in Yemen, including two this year. Two were arrested outside Yemen and now are in the Guantanamo prison — including Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri, whose military commission trial has yet to get underway. One, Jamal al Badawi, is at large. None has been tried in a U.S. civilian criminal court.

This grim history has lessons for the Libya case, in which the administration already is being faulted for slowness in recognizing the role played by a group linked to al-Qaida. As in Yemen, a weak Libyan government lacks the resources or the authority to corral Islamist militia leaders who may have been involved, much less stage a fair trial. But drone strikes should be a last resort. They could destabilize Libya’s halting attempts to set up a democratic political system and reverse the relatively high esteem for the United States among Libyans, who are grateful for American help in deposing dictator Moammar Gadhafi. If the Libyan government agreed to such action — as Yemeni authorities have — that would lower but not eliminate the political cost.

That leaves trials in U.S. courts as the best option — provided the perpetrators of the attack can be identified, apprehended and extradited. Though there is no extradition treaty between the United States and Libya, Libyan leaders could find it easier to hand over suspects than to attempt their own trials. The Obama administration, which came to office promising to close Guantanamo, would no doubt prefer that any prosecutions be handled by U.S. federal courts. But the administration should not shrink from transporting suspects to Guantanamo for detention and trial under the regime approved by Congress last year. Justice administered by that system would be far preferable to that delivered by a drone.

Factual inaccuracy? Something missing? Help improve our journalism.

Know about news? Share your story suggestions, photos and video.

Spelling error? Punctuation problem? Send us an email if you’ve found a typo.

More Analysis

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.