State Department refuses to say whether Rewards for Justice Program involved in Benghazi suspect capture

WASHINGTON, June 18 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of State has declined to say whether the Rewards for Justice Program was involved in the apprehension of suspected U.S. Consulate Benghazi attacker Ahmed Abu Khatallah.

The State Department's Rewards for Justice Program has advertised a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of those responsible for the September 11-12 attacks on U.S. facilities in Benghazi.

While the State Department confirmed that information leading to the arrest of Khatallah, a specially designated "global terrorist" under Executive Order 13224, would have qualified for the reward, it declined to confirm whether it played a role.

"Because confidentiality is the cornerstone of the Rewards for Justice Program, we cannot comment on any role that the RFJ program may or may not have played in the capture of Khatallah."

Khatallah was captured by the U.S. military outside Benghazi on Sunday and has been taken outside Libya, with plans to prosecute him in the U.S.