Khattala with the Candlestick in the Diplomatic Mission

David Kirkpatrick's New York Times investigative report about the causes of the killing of Chris Stevens is the best account yet produced of the motivations of the key players and causes of the tragedy.  I am still a little skeptical about the importance of the silly anti-Islamic YouTube video made in California, but I don't doubt that Kirkpatrick is correct that many different causes combined together to fuel the attack.  I also think Kirkpatrick is wrong to down play the revenge element for the killing of Al Qaeda operative Abu Yahya Al-Libi.Most importantly, Kirkpatrick connects the dots between the killing of Chris Stevens and that of Abdul-Fattih Younis. These events are most certainly the two most significant incidents that have derailed the NTC's and GNC's attempts to build a central government and keep the Islamist militias in check.  Fascinating, Abu Khattala is directly implicated in both incidents and therefore despite being a mental ill, loner with less than a hundred followers, he can be said to be the key figure who has 'defeated' Mahmoud Gibril's and the NTC's political vision for post-Qadhafi Libya.  What a shame and how depressing. To read the whole report click here.