Tripoli, 6 October:
Two men suspected of involvement with the . . .[restrict]attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi which killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans have been arrested at an Istanbul airport, according to Turkish media.
The pair, understood to be Tunisians, were apparently arrested on Wednesday as they attempted to enter Turkey through Ataturk Airport on fake passports. It is not yet clear where the two men’s flight originated, but there are direct flights from both Libya and Tunisia to Istanbul.
The story broke on Turkish television network Kanal D. Turkish newspaper Sabah then gave further details, saying the men were in their mid-thirties and their names had been on a watch list of suspects that US intelligence agencies had given out.
American officials are apparently awaiting further details from the Turkish authorities, and it is not yet clear whether the detained men were suspects or witnesses to the incident in Benghazi. US reports say that the FBI is hoping to question the pair. American defence secretary Leon Panetta said this morning that it was too early to tell what the connection was between the detained Tunisians and al-Qaida, according to the Associated Press. [/restrict]
