U.S. offers $10 million bounty for Benghazi attackers

[News_Editor]

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- The U.S. government is offering a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of any individuals involved in last year's Benghazi attack, which resulted in the deaths of U.S. Ambassador John Christopher Stevens and three others.

The U.S. State Department acknowledged the reward on Friday after a letter from a Republican lawmaker to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry last month that questioned why the government had failed to use its Reward for Justice (RFJ) Program to help apprehend those involved in the September 11, 2012 attack.

In a letter to U.S. House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul and 82 additional members of Congress, the State Department said the Rewards for Justice Program has offered the $10 million reward since January, when Hillary Clinton was still Secretary of State. It was decided not to go public with the reward due to security issues.

"Due to security issues and sensitivities surrounding the investigation, the event-specific reward offer has not been publicly advertised on the RFJ website," a state department spokesman said in a statement. "RFJ tools can be utilized in a variety of ways, without publicizing them on the website."

In the letter dated October 30, McCaul and 84 co-signers said they were "deeply troubled" that no reward had been offered despite public statements by U.S. President Barack Obama to bring those responsible for the Benghazi attack to justice. The letter also quoted the State Department's own website which describes RFJ as "one of the most valuable assets" the U.S. has in fighting international terrorism.

"We fail to understand how such an important counterterrorism tool could not be used by the administration, when you (Kerry) and the President claim that bringing the assailants to justice is such a high priority," the letter said. "Please explain to us why one of the most valuable assets the U.S. government has in the fight against international terrorism will not help to bring justice the victims of the Benghazi attack, as you have so determined."

The Benghazi attack happened when militants believed to have ties to al-Qaeda affiliates attacked the U.S. consulate in the Libyan port city of Benghazi. It happened on the anniversary of the 2001 attacks on the United States and marked the first time in more than three decades that a U.S. Ambassador was killed as a result of hostile action.

The Obama administration initially blamed the attack on protests against a 14-minute English-language amateur movie that depicts Islam's Prophet Muhammad as a fraud and feckless philanderer who approved of child sexual abuse. That explanation later backfired with Republicans accusing the Obama administration of misleading the public just weeks before the elections.

(Copyright 2013 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: [email protected].)

[chuckd]

So the administration is finally admitting the video maker isn't a suspect?

Maybe this will re-start the Congressional investigations into the failings of this scandal once again.

[Chicog]

So the administration is finally admitting the video maker isn't a suspect?

Maybe this will re-start the Congressional investigations into the failings of this scandal once again.

Chuck they admitted that a long time ago.

This scandal only exists in the minds of tea party republican organ grinders and their congressional monkeys.

[chuckd]

So the administration is finally admitting the video maker isn't a suspect?

Maybe this will re-start the Congressional investigations into the failings of this scandal once again.

Chuck they admitted that a long time ago.

This scandal only exists in the minds of tea party republican organ grinders and their congressional monkeys.

Don't you even wonder why the reward wasn't made public for the last 10 months?

This would be the equivalent of the FBI not sending out any Top 10 Wanted posters so the bad guys wouldn't know they were being hunted.

It doesn't get much more idiotic than this.

As long as DOD, CIA and State Department personnel are still required to take lie detector tests and sign non-disclosure statements, the scandal exists. Open and unimpeded testimony by the participants is the only way this will go away.

It is only the Obama/Hillary apologists that want it to go away.

Edited November 17, 2013 by chuckd

[Chicog]

So the administration is finally admitting the video maker isn't a suspect?

Maybe this will re-start the Congressional investigations into the failings of this scandal once again.

Chuck they admitted that a long time ago.

This scandal only exists in the minds of tea party republican organ grinders and their congressional monkeys.

Don't you even wonder why the reward wasn't made public for the last 10 months?

This would be the equivalent of the FBI not sending out any Top 10 Wanted posters so the bad guys wouldn't know they were being hunted.

It doesn't get much more idiotic than this.

As long as DOD, CIA and State Department personnel are still required to take lie detector tests and sign non-disclosure statements, the scandal exists. Open and unimpeded testimony by the participants is the only way this will go away.

It is only the Obama/Hillary apologists that want it to go away.

Why does it need to be public in the US, Chuck? Going to get a lot of hits from Backstreetsville, Alabama?

Oh I know, so that Fox can then make up a scandal about something else.

And I'm fairly certain the actions of certain intelligence agencies in Libya is probably best kept classified, as such things are under any administration.

Funny how I don't remember Fox going after Bush so vehemently when he gave up looking for OBL?

Edited November 17, 2013 by Chicog

[Chicog]

Now back on topic, how could the simple announcement that rewards were being offered for the capture or death of some bad guys in Benghazi have possibly compromised ANY alleged security operations ongoing there?

An announcement of the reward just might have loosened some tongues and the bad guys might have already been apprehended. There are other scenarios than those you seem to offer as facts.

Alternatively, it might have tipped them off and sent them scurrying for cover.

I would think that's the Intelligence services and the State Department's call, not that of Mr. Cruz or Fox News, wouldn't you?

Edited November 17, 2013 by Chicog

[Scott]

An off-topic post deleted.

[F430murci]

Oh great, lets just give more taxpayer money to nutbags so they can finance more terrorism. I am thinking drones and back room wires to testicles is more deserved than money. More to appease nutters in tea party that are incapable of seeing the forest for the trees.

[chuckd]

Oh great, lets just give more taxpayer money to nutbags so they can finance more terrorism. I am thinking drones and back room wires to testicles is more deserved than money. More to appease nutters in tea party that are incapable of seeing the forest for the trees.

I think the "nutters in the tea party" come down more on the side of back room wires than you might understand.

It's the over educated, well fed social do gooders who have never held a job outside academia that object to that sort of thing. Think the 1%'ers.

We nutters are a lot more pragmatic. Maybe you should mingle with the common folk a little more often.

[chuckd]

Now back on topic, how could the simple announcement that rewards were being offered for the capture or death of some bad guys in Benghazi have possibly compromised ANY alleged security operations ongoing there?

An announcement of the reward just might have loosened some tongues and the bad guys might have already been apprehended. There are other scenarios than those you seem to offer as facts.

Alternatively, it might have tipped them off and sent them scurrying for cover.

I would think that's the Intelligence services and the State Department's call, not that of Mr. Cruz or Fox News, wouldn't you?

Yeah, the State Department has done a bang up job in Benghazi. Four dead, no help sent and nothing done since then except to offer an award and NOT announce that one has been offered. What could possibly go wrong with keeping secret the award program?

A brilliant tactic, indeed.

[Credo]

Somebody got an award for Benghazi? How odd.

It's not just the offer of money that is important. It's important for the guys who did it to know there is a price on their head. For that kind of money, their mother just might decide to turn them in. It makes them pretty nervous, I am sure. Like OBL, they will need to be keeping a pretty low profile.

[F430murci]

Oh great, lets just give more taxpayer money to nutbags so they can finance more terrorism. I am thinking drones and back room wires to testicles is more deserved than money. More to appease nutters in tea party that are incapable of seeing the forest for the trees.

I think the "nutters in the tea party" come down more on the side of back room wires than you might understand.

It's the over educated, well fed social do gooders who have never held a job outside academia that object to that sort of thing. Think the 1%'ers.

We nutters are a lot more pragmatic. Maybe you should mingle with the common folk a little more often.

Fact is, tea party would be completely quiet about this except for it being on Ovama's watch. People stationed in dangerous get killed everyday. Sad and sucks, but this has little to do with those killed and everything to do with politics.

Credo, these awards do little. The terrorist could turn over anyone to collect the $ 10,000,000 and those huge prices we put on Guzman Chapo and other Cartel members has been useless. Frankly, we need to stop giving money to those outside our country and stop wasting so much time and resources on politically motivated bs so we can actually get some things done.

This rates up there with the lets impeach Bill because of a blow job. Just conservative MO and they could give a care less about Ambassador Stevens or anyone else killed over seas. This is forest . . .

[Credo]

I disagree. I think those rewards are worth every penny.

These people are pretty much neutralized as long as there is such a worthwhile price on their head.

[Ulysses G.]

Fact is, tea party would be completely quiet about this except for it being on Ovama's watch.

It has lot more to do with Obama, Hillary and his administration blatantly lying (sound familiar?) about Benghazi being caused by a YouTube video, because he wanted to get reelected. Folks are sensitive about their government lying to them when it is so obvious that it is a cover-up.

[Scott]

I think that is enough off-topic posting. This is about the reward being offered.

[NeverSure]

OK, so I'm a Libyan living in a mess of a war torn country. I know who did it. If I drop a dime on them, I and my family get a quick plane ride to the US and a green card and protection, and I have ten mil in the bank.

Hmm. Would I rather have my family struggling in Libya or...

It should have been the biggest news in Libya and if nothing else it would have driven the perps underground.

[Credo]

Driving the perps underground is exactly what it's meant to do. Between the rewards, the drone strikes and the absolute complete persistence at pursuing these guys, I think the message is getting across that you might want to re-think targeting the US.

[boomerangutang]

Whether or not the reward was well-publicized, the bad guys would have heard about it through their grapevine. They're the ones who most need to know about it, not rich Republicans picking up their federal PIK checks for $260,000 for not growing crops on their fallow farmlands.

[Rimmer]

Profane post removed

[Scott]

An off-topic post has been removed.

[Chicog]

Driving the perps underground is exactly what it's meant to do. Between the rewards, the drone strikes and the absolute complete persistence at pursuing these guys, I think the message is getting across that you might want to re-think targeting the US.

I don't really think that logic applies to people who think the afterlife is more fulfilling than this one.

[Naam]

Driving the perps underground is exactly what it's meant to do. Between the rewards, the drone strikes and the absolute complete persistence at pursuing these guys, I think the message is getting across that you might want to re-think targeting the US.

unfortunately some of "these guys" needed to target the U.S. only once to cause many billions of damage in the past and perhaps trillions of damage in the future; not only to the U.S. but globally.

dozens of drone strikes did not lift the prevailing restrictions of "homeland security" in many countries and neither did drone strikes have a tangible impact on global terroristic activities.

summary: the "messages" are nothing but luke warm farts and for every killed innocent civilian and/or guilty terrorist new recruits will apply to join the bunch.

go ahead and applaud the "absolute persistence of pursuying these guys."

the only ones who have a reason to applaud and are applauding secretly are the tax collectors of many countries who use the terrorist threat to catch tax evaders.

[Scott]

Off-topic post deleted.

[NxaiPan]

Even odds the guys responsible for this attack come from Derna, hence no one has come forward to claim the $.