Attack Setback Libya Intelligence

The Sept. 11 attack at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi wasn’t just a tragic blow to American life, but it was a disaster for U.S. intelligence. Among the two dozen evacuated from Libya since the attack were about 12 CIA operatives who were crucial to monitoring militant groups around the city. “We got our eyes poked out,” one intelligence official said. The U.S. is watching several crosscurrents in eastern Libya, including a reaction by the public against armed militias in response to the killing of American ambassador Christopher Stephens, and a fierce debate among the Salafi population over what amount of political integration they can support.