Thread by @jenanmoussa

1/ Six yrs after US consulate attack in Benghazi, I got NEW FOOTAGE.

In Benghazi I identified 17 extremists seen near/in consulate during attack.

6 out of 17 are in vid.

Witnesses say: Most of 17 killed/fled city. 1 lives in Berlin. 1 might be in Sweden

2/ As you know by now, my tv report for @akhbar is in Arabic.

But please do follow this thread where I will tweet out the relevant details in English.

#Benghazi

3/ Ten days ago I left Benghazi where I spent 3 weeks.

Ansar al-Sharia, the terrorist group that attacked US consulate on 11 Sept 2012 is now dismantled, defeated by Libyan army.

Although it happened 6 yrs ago, I used my time in #Benghazi to re-investigate the attack.

@akhbar

4/ Before I continue, let me remind u that in Oct 2012 @HaraldDoornbos & I already found docs between rubble of consulate which showed that consulate staff was worried about their safety prior to the 11Sept 2012 attack.

Here that story in @ForeignPolicy: foreignpolicy.com/2012/11/01/tro…

5/ Back to today's #Benghazi investigation:

Through source, I found new footage of 2012 consulate attack. Footage is 4.26 min.

Person who filmed footage remembers he shot first images around 21.45 hrs - basically shortly before attack. Rest of footage from later that evening.

6/ As you can see in this new Benghazi footage, in the beginning the crowd largely consists of 4 groups:

a/ Unarmed protesters, b/ unarmed looters, c/ unarmed bystanders, d/ armed terrorists.

For this report I was mainly interested in category d/, the armed militants.

@akhbar

7/ This new footage is important cause it's one of few vids where u can see faces.

Consulate attack happened in evening, most videos blurry. And Ansar al Sharia hunted down people who openly filmed that night.

So this footage was a good starting point for my report.

@akhbar

8/ When I got the new #Benghazi footage, I did the following:

Through sources I identified unarmed bystanders who appear in video.

I traced them in Benghazi &talked to them. I showed them the footage &asked if they knew other witnesses or if they recognize extremists in video.

9/ So @HaraldDoornbos and I drove in #Benghazi from house to house, sometimes in middle of the night.

Every time we spoke to another witness, they mentioned identity of new witnesses or names of extremists who they saw during 2012 consulate attack.

@akhbar

10/ Some witnesses we met in Benghazi were scared.

#Benghazi attack is of course hugely sensitive subject, not only in the U.S.

Some witnesses worried about possible retaliation by Ansar al Sharia sleeper cells, who have threatened consulate attack witnesses before.

@akhbar

11/ Eventually after talking in #Benghazi to many witnesses &based on multiple confirmations, I was able to identify 17 extremists who were present during attack on U.S. consulate on night of 11 Sept 2012.

Almost all belong to the terrorist group Ansar al Sharia.

@akhbar

12/ Six out of the 17 extremists, who I identified, appear in new footage. Some are carrying arms. At least one is holding a black bag with looted documents from U.S. consulate.

In our story, we chose to only publish their initials. Their full names are known to us.

@akhbar

13/ The 6 #Benghazi extremists who appear in footage are:

1/ T. B. H. - He lived in Sweden before Libya uprising, was judge in Islamic court in Benghazi's area of Guwarsha during Ansar alSharia rule of city. Current whereabouts unknown. Sources claim he might be back in Sweden.

14/ More #Benghazi extremists who appear in the new footage are:

2/ E. O. - Member of Ansar al Sharia. He was killed in Benghazi during clashes between extremists and Libyan army in 2015.

3/ A. K. - Prominent member of Ansar al Sharia. Current whereabouts unknown.

@akhbar

15/ Fourth Benghazi extremist in footage:

4/ M. - Member of Ansar alSharia. U can see him walking on consulate grounds carrying looted goods. His whereabouts unknown.

His brother, S.M., left to Syria &joined Jabhat al Nusra. Killed by army during clashes after return to Libya.

16/ Last extremists in footage:

5/ F. Z. - Owner of car locally called "Toyota Taliban". Ansar alSharia member.

6/ M.M.S - Ansar alSharia member. Sits next to F.Z. in car. Acc to witnesses, his brother K.S. also attended consulate attack. Brother now lives in Berlin, Germany.

17/ Above was basically a summary of the main points of my #Benghazi story.

In following tweets a couple of points I would like to make, based on studying the new Benghazi footage I obtained.

@akhbar

18/ Much has been said about this: Did a protest take place prior to attack on US consulate in Benghazi or not?

New footage I got shows there was indeed a small protest (50 ppl) shortly before attack. But as footage shows, protest NOT in front of consulate but 670 meters to east

19/ I took 1 screenshot of the protest from video. Check the background: Wall partly covered with green plants.

It's same as the location where I parked my car when I was in #Benghazi recently. (see 2 screenshots)

Protest site &consulate entrance around 670 meters apart.

20/ Important to note that there were armed men among small number of protesters. A witness told me: "One guy climbed on car &fired RPG from crowd towards consulate."

Then armed men started attack on consulate, which is 670 meters down the road. (RPG firing not caught on tape.)

21/ Last thing I want to share from #Benghazi. Not hugely important but nevertheless interesting fact to know: 2 vehicles (1 DS, 1 CIA) were used in evacuation from consulate.

An eyewitness I met in Benghazi saw that. Acc to him, they didn't exit from main gate but from here 👇

22/ That's it from me on the #Benghazi story. Hope you find this thread interesting.

Good night from Dubai.