A picture shows the damage inside the burnt US consulate building in Benghazi on September 13, 2012, following an attack on the building late on September 11 in which the US ambassador to Libya and three other US nationals were killed. -AFP Photo

 

BENGHAZI: The deadly attack on the US consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi was planned and “meticulously executed,” the country’s assembly chief told AFP on Saturday.

“I don’t want to talk about what happened in other countries but as for Libya, the operation was meticulously executed,” Mohammed al-Megaryef said of the wave of protests across the world over a US-produced film mocking the Holy Prophet (PBUH).

“There was planning. It was not a peaceful protest which degenerated into an armed attack or aggression. That’s how it was planned,” he said.

US ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed on Tuesday when suspected militants fired on the consulate in the eastern Libyan city with rocket-propelled grenades and set it ablaze.

“The attack itself and the manner in which the attack occurred ...confirms that this was planned and programmed to achieve a purpose,” Megaryef said.

The attack “was prepared, especially since it coincided with the date of September 11,” he said in reference to the Sept 11, 2011 attacks in the United States claimed by al Qaeda.

“I do not exclude discovering things that will link al Qaeda and the US consulate attack,” said Megaryef but added that it was “very early to talk about the investigation.”

Opinion

Editorial

Military option
Updated 21 Nov, 2024

Military option

While restoring peace is essential, addressing Balochistan’s socioeconomic deprivation is equally important.
HIV/AIDS disaster
21 Nov, 2024

HIV/AIDS disaster

A TORTUROUS sense of déjà vu is attached to the latest health fiasco at Multan’s Nishtar Hospital. The largest...
Dubious pardon
21 Nov, 2024

Dubious pardon

IT is disturbing how a crime as grave as custodial death has culminated in an out-of-court ‘settlement’. The...
Islamabad protest
Updated 20 Nov, 2024

Islamabad protest

As Nov 24 draws nearer, both the PTI and the Islamabad administration must remain wary and keep within the limits of reason and the law.
PIA uncertainty
20 Nov, 2024

PIA uncertainty

THE failed attempt to privatise the national flag carrier late last month has led to a fierce debate around the...
T20 disappointment
20 Nov, 2024

T20 disappointment

AFTER experiencing the historic high of the One-day International series triumph against Australia, Pakistan came...