The United States will not stop pursuing those responsible for the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, according to Jeanine Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
Her comments came after the arrest of Zubair Al-Bakoush, who is accused of taking part in the assault that killed four Americans, including then-U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens.
Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Pirro said Washington’s message is unequivocal. “The message is clear: we will come after all of you. Al-Bakoush is now in our custody, and there are more,” she said, indicating that further arrests linked to the Benghazi attack could follow.
Pirro strongly criticized the response of the administration of former President Barack Obama, arguing that it failed to hold the perpetrators accountable in a timely manner. The September 11, 2012, attack targeted the U.S. diplomatic mission and a nearby CIA facility in Benghazi, resulting in the deaths of Ambassador Stevens, State Department official Sean Smith, and CIA contractors Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods.
“The cavalry never came,” Pirro said, referring to what she described as the absence of an effective military response. She rejected claims made at the time that the violence resulted from spontaneous protests, insisting that U.S. officials knew the attack was a coordinated terrorist operation. According to Pirro, Americans watched in horror as four U.S. citizens were killed while adequate protective measures were not deployed.
She questioned why additional steps, such as deploying fighter aircraft or a rapid response force, were not taken to protect American personnel. Pirro described Benghazi at the time as “the most dangerous place for Americans” and accused the Obama administration of misleading both Congress and the public about the circumstances of the attack.
The remarks followed an announcement by the United States Department of Justice confirming that Al-Bakoush was arrested and transferred to the United States, where he appeared before a federal judge in Washington.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the suspect faces charges including murder, terrorism-related offenses, and arson, underscoring Washington’s determination to pursue accountability regardless of how much time has passed.
