On Sept. 28, U.S. intelligence announced that the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya on September 11 was an organized and systematic event rather than a spontaneous riot.
At first, American intelligence believed that the attack was simply one of many anti-American riots that spread throughout the Middle East in reaction to the anti-Muslim video “The Innocence of Muslims.” But after several weeks of research and interviews with local sources, the U.S. government revealed that the perpetrators were members of the local extremist group Ansar al Sharia, which has connections to Al Qaeda.
The new development did not quell Republican criticisms of Obama’s treatment of the Benghazi attack. Before the announcement, Romney criticized Obama for his ineffectiveness in reaction to the attacks. However, Romney’s credibility was damaged when Obama and some Republican politicians asserted that Romney was using a tragedy for political gain. Republican disagreement with Obama was restored when eight Republican Representatives recently said that Obama treated the situation more as an isolated criminal act of war rather than an important opportunity to gather intelligence to prevent future attacks.
The attack suggests potential hardships and problems in the Arab nations recently liberated from dictatorships during the Arab Spring. In Libya, extremist Muslims were once targeted and censored by police forces under Gadhafi’s rule. But without former restraints, these extremist groups are given new freedom, which may lead to more riots and violence in the future.
