Last updated on June 26th, 2014 at 12:09 am
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After months of careful, quiet behind the scenes planning, U.S. intelligence agencies and the military have successfully apprehended one of the ringleaders of the Benghazi attack. U.S. officials have confirmed that the American troops, with the assistance of FBI investigators, have taken Ahmed Abu Khattala into custody. Khattala was one of approximately a dozen suspects wanted by U.S. authorities for his alleged role in the Benghazi terror attacks in 2012.
Remarkably there were no casualties in the secret raid. Khattala is being held in an undisclosed location, but he will be transported to the United States where he will face criminal charges for his role in the Benghazi slayings. While the Republicans have exploited the Benghazi incident to try to score political points, the Obama administration has been working diligently to bring the perpetrators to justice. Although most of the suspects in the attack are still being sought, the capture of Khattala marks a turning point in the efforts to hold those responsible for the slayings accountable.
Although Republicans like to portray the President as a weak and feckless leader, the Obama administration has quietly assembled an impressive record when it comes to capturing international terrorists through daring, carefully planned out raids. Obama’s Republican predecessor, George W. Bush spent the better part of two four-year terms unable to capture Osama bin Laden. President Obama’s administration conducted a successful raid to end bin Laden’s reign of terror in 2011.
While Republican leaders have always talked about getting tough with terrorists, they have never been able to match their rhetoric with decisive action. Obama, by contrast, has consistently found ways to work with intelligence agencies and military troops to apprehend terrorists. In addition, he has usually done so with minimal casualties.
In the weeks ahead we can expect Republican Senators like Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, and John McCain to continue to accuse the President of being a weak leader. We can also expect the talking heads over at FOX News to continue to shriek “Benghazi! Benghazi!” in shrill partisan tones. However, those words will ring even more and more hollow as quietly behind the scenes, the White House will be coordinating efforts to bring more and more terrorists to justice.
Keith Brekhus is a progressive American who currently resides in Red Lodge, Montana. He is co-host for the Liberal Fix radio show. He holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Missouri. In 2002, he ran for Congress as a Green Party candidate in the state of Missouri. In 2014, he worked as a field organizer for Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick’s successful re-election bid in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. He can be followed on Twitter @keithbrekhus or on Facebook.
