Tripoli, 21 September:
The United States has reiterated the need for greater security and accountability in Libya following the death of US . . .[restrict]Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three of his staff in Benghazi on 11 September.
Prior to last night’s ceremony commemorating the lives of Stevens and his colleagues, US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns held meetings in Tripoli with several political leaders, including Prime Minister Abdurrahim Al-Kib, Prime Minister-Elect Mustafa Abushagur, Foreign Minister Ashour Bin Khayal and National Congress Speaker Mohammed Magarief.
The American is said to have expressed his thanks to Libya for the support it has shown to the US over the past 10 days, and discussed avenues of mutual cooperation between the two countries.
Burns also restated the importance not only of finding and prosecuting those responsible for the attacks, but also taking urgent steps to ameliorate the security situation in Libya to ensure that such incidents cannot happen again.
In the wake of the attacks, the US has sent both a counter-terrorist unit and an FBI team to Libya, and American drone aircraft are known to be conducting surveillance operations over and around Benghazi.
Thus far, it is said that eight men have been arrested in connection with the incident, with several dozen others still under investigation. [/restrict]
