Tripoli, 19 September:
An FBI team has arrived in Tripoli to join the investigation by Libyan officials into the murder of US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three of his colleagues in Benghazi last week.
The announcement was made by US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton at a press conference in Washington yesterday.
“The FBI is now in Tripoli to join the investigation with Libyan officials, and there is nothing more important to us than ensuring the safety of our American representatives worldwide,” Clinton told reporters.
“We are working closely with the Libyan government in our efforts to bring to justice those who murdered our four American colleagues in Benghazi… We will not rest until the people who orchestrated this attack are found and punished.”
Several people have thus far been arrested in connection with the assault, which took place on the 11th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 attacks on the United States, although conflicting reports have emerged as to exactly how many have been taken into custody.
This morning, Prime Minister-elect said he believed “seven or eight” people had been arrested, although National Congress leader Mohammed Magarief said on Sunday that the number was as high as 50.
That figure was later clarified by Interior Minister Fawzi Abdelal, who said on the same day that only four people had been arrested, and that 50 were under investigation.
At present, the finger of suspicion is pointing at the Ansar Al-Sharia brigade as being responsible for the attacks, although the Islamist group has denied any involvement.
It has previously been reported that members of the brigade are amongst those who have been arrested.
The FBI team will also be seeking to ascertain whether the attack was an exclusively Libyan operation, or if the assailants received external assistance, in particular from Al-Qaeda. [/restrict]
