by Christopher W. Holton
Though many would still deny this reality, Islamic Jihadists are at war with America.
They are not homogenous and certainly not united, but Jihadists from groups we know by name (Al Qaeda, the Islamic State) and some from groups whose names are not commonly known are at war with us–whether we want to be in a war with them or not.
One time and place in which our Jihadist enemies launched an act of war against the United States occurred on 11 September 2012 in Benghazi, Libya.
In that action 4 Americans were killed, including a US ambassador and two brave military contractors. 10 more Americans were wounded.
Let’s examine the salient facts of this attack:
It was carried out by a group called Ansar al-Sharia, a Jihadist organization based in Libya made up of Libyan jihadists.
The attack(s) occurred at two places in Benghazi, Libya.
Obviously, the proper response to this act of war would have been to seek out, close with and destroy the members of Ansar al-Shariah, wherever they are. If any of the Jihadists survived the operation they should have been taken prisoner as irregular enemy combatants and treated as such.
Unfortunately, this is not the way that the Obama administration decided to handle the situation.
In 2014, the US military, following Obama’s policies, captured the reported ringleader of the Benghazi attacks, Ahmed Abu Khattala in an operation IN LIBYA.
Unbelievably, Khattala was brought aboard a US Navy ship and, eventually, Mirandized.
He was brought to the US and charged with some 18 crimes, including murder.
Note that he wasn’t charged with a war crime, he was simply charged with murder, the same way a gangbanger from a bad neighborhood in any US city would be after a drive-by shooting.
We have now seen the outcome of this insane policy of fighting a war with lawyers:
Yesterday, a jury in Washington acquitted Khattala of 14 of the 18 charges he faced after deliberating for 5 days following a 7 week trial.
Khattala was convicted on 4 charges including conspiracy to provide material support for terrorism, maliciously destroying and injuring dwellings and property as well as using and carrying a semi-automatic weapon during a crime of violence.
Fortunately, Khattala still faces up to 60 years in prison, but the fact that he was acquitted of the most serious charges against him illustrates the dangerous folly of confronting an enemy who is fighting a war against us this way.
It is one thing to apprehend a Jihadi in the United States after he carries out an attack here and trying him in our courts, especially if he is a US citizen.
It is quite another to go capture a foreign terrorist in a foreign country after he attacked the US in that foreign country and then bring him back stateside to face a jury trial.
That is pure insanity and it must never happen again.
Terror Trends Bulletin 