Shortly before Obama administration officials said that the killing of the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, and three other of his staff members may have been been planned in advance (vs. the initial storyline that this was the result of a spontaneous mob angered by an anti-Islamic video), Florida Democratic U.S. Senator Bill Nelson said he thought the killings might have the "markings of revenge by Al Qaeda."
It was reported yesterday that Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri confirmed the death of his deputy Abu Yahya al-Libi in a drone strike in Waziristan in a 42-minute video he released on the anniversary of 9/11, the first such video released by the worldwide terrorist group in three months.
Abu Yahya al-Libi took over from Osama bin Laden after U.S. forces brought down the 9/11 mastermind a year and a half ago.
Nelson said in his statement:
In light of Monday night’s Internet-video statement by the head of al Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, who urged Libyans to attack Americans to avenge the recent death of al-Libi, I am asking my colleagues on the Senate Intelligence Committee to immediately investigate what role al Qaeda or its affiliates may have played in the attacks in Libya and Egypt, and to urge appropriate action.
This article appears in Sep 13-19, 2012.