Clinton’s liberated Libya now haven for three virulent al Qaeda’s leaders

A few weeks ago, there were those who questioned what the accomplishments of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State were. But indeed, the Arab Spring was one of her most significant accomplishments, setting aside Benghazi itself. Now the fruits of her labor are here, and we are about to appreciate the accomplishment. Egypt? For another day. Let us be sure and give her the credit for Libya. Was it Obama? No, not his decision. He can only lead from behind, and that is a stretch.

Leaders from at least three of al Qaeda’s most virulent affiliates are now in Libya. What are they planning there? Let’s  give Hillary the full credit.

From the post:Three women who brought us the new long war in Libya

Three women in the Obama administration lobbied the President hard, over the span of a few hours, to approve the strike in Libya over the advice of his military and defense leaders. (Josh Rogin at the Cable has a full report on the meeting.)

New York Times:

In joining Ms. Rice and Ms. Power, Mrs. Clinton made an unusual break with Secretary of DefenseRobert M. Gates, who, along with the national security adviser, Thomas E. Donilon, and the counterterrorism chief, John O. Brennan, had urged caution. Libya was not vital to American national security interests, the men argued, and Mr. Brennan worried that the Libyan rebels remained largely unknown to American officials, and could have ties to Al Qaeda.”

Via Daily Beast:

Leaders from at least three of al Qaeda’s most virulent affiliates are now in Libya. What are they planning there?

In the nearly 20 months since the September 11, 2012 Benghazi attacks, al Qaeda operatives and allied terrorists have flocked to Libya, making the fragile North African country a hub for those seeking to wage jihad from north Africa, current and former U.S. counterterrorism officials tell The Daily Beast.

Not only does al Qaeda host Ansar al-Sharia, one of the militias responsible for the Benghazi attacks that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. But U.S. intelligence now assesses that leaders from at least three regional al Qaeda affiliates—al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and members of the organization of Al-Mulathameen Brigade loyal to Algerian terrorist, Mokhtar BelMokhtar—have all established havens in the lawless regions of Libya outside the control of the central government.

One U.S. military contractor working on counter-terrorism in Africa summed up the situation in Libya today as simply, “Scumbag Woodstock.” The country has attracted that star-studded roster of notorious terrorists and fanatics seeking to wage war on the West.

An American counter-terrorism official used a different metaphor to describe the situation. “Libya today plays host to members and associates of several AQ-allied groups, in some ways becoming a jihadist melting pot,” this official told The Daily Beast. “These groups haven’t united under the same banner, but the ad hoc links and intermittent cooperation among them are worrisome, especially as some of these groups have made no secret of their desire to conduct attacks beyond Libya’s borders.”

The collapse of security in Libya comes as the House of Representatives forms a special committee to investigate the 9/11 anniversary attacks in Benghazi. Those strikes, according to an investigation from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, were the work of individuals with clear links to al Qaeda  (PDF). The report says that already in the summer before the Benghazi attacks the CIA and the Defense Intelligence Agency had produced reports on how al Qaeda affiliates were establishing havens in Libya.

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