Libya: FBI investigators visit crime scene
On Thursday, U.S. Department of Defense personnel aided FBI investigators as they toured the site of the September 11 attack in Libya which killed four. The visit lasted approximately 13 hours.
This file photo shows Libyans walking on the grounds of the gutted U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, after an attack that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. FBI investigators visited the scene Thursday.
AP Photo/Ibrahim Alaguri, File
BENGHAZI, Libya
A team of U.S. investigators travelled for the first time to the eastern Libyan city of聽Benghazi聽on Thursday to analyse the crime scene where the U.S. ambassador was killed in an attack last month, Libyan and U.S. sources said.
FBI agents were sent to聽Libya after the Sept. 11 assault on the U.S. diplomatic mission and on another facility in which Ambassador聽Christopher Stevens聽and three other Americans were killed.
But, until now, they had mainly remained in聽Tripoli聽and had not visited the site of what the聽United States聽has called a "deliberate and organised terrorist attack", partly because of security concerns.
"An American team has been visiting the compound," one Libyan security source said. Another security source said: "They have been assessing the damage, collecting evidence."
The FBI team was on the ground in聽Benghazi聽for about 13 hours looking at the crime scene before leaving, two U.S. government sources said on condition of anonymity.
In Washington, U.S. Attorney General聽Eric Holder聽suggested the probe had been active despite the weeks-long delay in getting FBI agents to聽Benghazi.
"You should not assume that all that we could do or have been doing is restricted solely to聽Benghazi. There are a variety of other places, in-country and outside the country, where relevant things could be done and have been done," Holder said at a news conference.
"This is a matter that's been under active investigation almost since the time of the incident, and I'm satisfied with the progress that we have made," he said.
Separately, the聽Pentagon聽said on Thursday U.S. military personnel provided support for the FBI visit to聽Benghazi.
"At the request of the FBI, the department provided logistic and security support to the investigation team in order to conduct work on-site in聽Benghazi,"聽Pentagon聽spokesman George Little told reporters.聽Department of Defence聽"personnel completed that support earlier today and have departed聽Benghazi聽along with the investigation team."
In聽Benghazi, the road leading to the compound's front gate was blocked by vehicles mounted with weapons belonging to the Libyan security forces, a Reuters witness said.
Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed Abdel Aziz said on Tuesday that the FBI team would soon be heading to聽Benghazi聽but that聽Tripoli聽and Washington had yet to agree on how the two sides would conduct a joint investigation.
U.S. Secretary of State聽Hillary Clinton聽on Wednesday vowed every effort would be made to try to piece together a full account of the attack "wherever that leads," but cautioned that it could take time for a complete picture to emerge.
Libyan officials say eight people have so far been arrested in connection with the attack.