Libya Demands Return of Benghazi Suspect Seized in US Raid

US Launched Operation Without Prior Notification

Libyan cabinet members have condemned the weekend US raid against the city of Benghazi, and the capture of Ahmed Abu Khatallah, saying it was a violation of Libyan sovereignty and demanding his return.

The US has offered few details on their capture of Khatallah, basing their case on him on secret evidence, and saying only that the US troops involved in the weekend raid all “safely departed.”

US officials claim Khatallah was involved in the 2012 Benghazi consulate attack, which killed the US Ambassador to Libya. Libya’s Justice Ministry argues such an extradition should’ve happened through traditional channels, and that the US neither told Libya of its suspicions nor of its plan to attack.

There was fighting throughout the weekend in Benghazi, as troops loyal to coup General Khalifa Hifter, a long-time US ally, pressed their offensive. It is unclear if the US operation ran alongside one of the Hifter raids widely reported in the media, or if it was done separately.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.