Major broadcast networks ABC and NBC both refused to cover the news on Tuesday night that the lone individual the United States has in custody relating to the 2012 terror attacks in Benghazi, Libya has been charged with murder on multiple counts with 17 total charges that could bring the death penalty if convicted.
As for those that did cover it on their Tuesday evening newscasts, both the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley and the Fox News Channel’s Special Report with Bret Baier offered news briefs on the subject. [MP3 audio here; Video below]
CBS’s Scott Pelley said this about the indictment during a 29-second news brief:
We received word late today that a Libyan man has been charged with four counts of murder in the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya. Ahmed Abu Khattala was captured by U.S. forces this last summer. He's being held in the Washington, D.C. area. Today's grand jury indictments include 10 charge charges that could bring the death penalty. The U.S. Ambassador to Libya and three other Americans died in that attack.
Over on Special Report, host Bret Baier mentioned that: “The indictment confirms what was initially dismissed by the State Department that computers were stolen from the Benghazi Consulate containing sensitive and classified information.”
Back when Khattala was arrested, each of the “big three” networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) devoted segments to it on June 17 and included NBC promoting it as “victory lap” for President Obama yet “opened old political wounds” for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
While the networks covered the ongoing story of Benghazi in that instance, Tuesday’s omissions are par for the course on this story concerning the mainstream media. When the first hearing of the House Select Committee on Benghazi took place on September 17, none of the networks covered them. Additionally, when a book was released in September that claimed a CIA official delayed a rescue attempt the night of the attacks, the networks said nothing about this either.
The complete transcript of the news brief that aired on the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley on October 14 can be found below.
CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley
October 14, 20146:43 p.m. Eastern
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: Murder Charges]
SCOTT PELLEY: We received word late today that a Libyan man has been charged with four counts of murder in the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya. Ahmed Abu Khattala was captured by U.S. forces this last summer. He's being held in the Washington, D.C. area. Today's grand jury indictments include 10 charge charges that could bring the death penalty. The U.S. Ambassador to Libya and three other Americans died in that attack.
The full transcript of the news brief from FNC’s Special Report with Bret Baier on October 14 is transcribed below.
FNC’s Special Report with Bret Baier
October 14, 20146:35 p.m. Eastern
BRET BAIER: A federal grand jury here in Washington has returned a superceding indictment against the only suspect in U.S. custody for the Benghazi terror attacks. Ahmed Abu Khattala has been charged with 17 additional offenses, some of which could be punishable by death. The indictment confirms what was initially dismissed by the State Department that computers were stolen from the Benghazi Consulate containing sensitive and classified information.
