On Tuesday, the Washington Post broke the news that US Special Operations forces—working alongside the FBI—captured Ahmed Abu Khattala, one of the suspected ringleaders of the 2012 Benghazi terror attacks, during a raid in Libya over the weekend. You might remember Abu Khattala from his appearance in an October 2012 New York Times piece in which he hangs out with a reporter at a busy luxury hotel, drinking a strawberry frappe and mocking US and Libyan authorities.
This is the first time an accused perpetrator of the Benghazi assault has been apprehended, according to American officials. The raid was conducted following “months of planning,” the Post reports, and Abu Khattala is now in US custody in a secure location outside Libya. There were no reported casualties in this operation. White House press secretary Jay Carney says that Abu Khattala’s apprehension is not the end of the Benghazi investigation.
This seems like pretty good news. But cue some idiocy, courtesy of Joe Walsh, former Republican congressman and tea party favorite:
Glad we nabbed a #Benghazi suspect, but the timing is questionable. Did they let him wander, waiting for the perfect political opportunity?
— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) June 17, 2014
UPDATE, June 17, 2014, 1:37 p.m. ET: Oh. Him.
Squirrel! #Benghazi suspect conveniently captured to deflect attention from all the other nightmares http://t.co/wSz5vJMs2Y #tcot
— Allen West (@AllenWest) June 17, 2014