Feb 7 2026

Third Member of Ansar Al Sharia Captured and Indicted for Participating in Benghazi Attack

Posted originally on CTH on February 6, 2026 | Sundance

A lesser-known member of Ansar al Sharia, the Islamic group who conducted the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi Libya, Zubayar Al-Bakoush, was captured and indicted by federal law enforcement. Attorney General Pam Bondi made the announcement earlier today.

Bakoush is labeled as a leading ‘facilitator’, essentially a ground planner of Ansar al Sharia during the attack that killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods and Glenn Doherty. He was charged in an eight-count indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court on multiple terrorism and murder counts. AG Pam Bondi made the announcement.

CTH followed the events closely, conducted a two-year research effort and then subsequently published the full story Benghazi Brief [SEE HERE]. Domestically, Barack Obama, Leon Panetta, Hillary Clinton, Mike Morrell and James Comey participated in the coverup.

DOJ PRESS RELEASE – The indictment charges Zubayar Al-Bakoush with:

•Conspiracy to Provide Material Support and Resources to Terrorists Resulting in Death
•Providing Material Support and Resources to Terrorists Resulting in Death
•Murder of an Internationally Protected Person
•Murder of a United States National Outside of the United States (Two Counts)
•Attempted Murder of a United States National Outside of the United States
•Arson and Placing Lives in Jeopardy Within the Special Maritime and Territorial Jurisdiction of the United States and Attempting to Do the Same
•Maliciously Destroying and Injuring Property and Placing Lives in Jeopardy within the Special Maritime and Territorial Jurisdiction of the United States and Attempting to Do the Same

The charges stem from the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack on the U.S. Special Mission and nearby CIA Annex that killed Ambassador Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty.

According to the indictment, Bakoush was a member of Ansar Al Sharia (AAS), an Islamist extremist militia in Benghazi, which had the goal of establishing Sharia law in Libya.

On the evening of Sept. 11, 2012, a group of more than 20 heavily armed men – including Bakoush assembled outside the main gate of the U.S Special Mission in Benghazi. They were armed with assault rifles, other firearms, and explosive devices. At about 9:45 p.m., the group of armed men violently breached the main gate of the Mission. Upon entry, the men fanned out across the Mission complex, setting fires to building within the Mission compound.

When the attackers could not gain entry to the secure area of Villa C, the Ambassador’s residence, they set fire to it. Ambassador Stevens and Mr. Smith suffocated from the thick, black smoke that enveloped the residence. Diplomatic Security Services (DSS) Special Agent Scott Wickland, who had tried to guide Ambassador Stevens and Mr. Smith to safety, was injured and repeatedly took small arms fire while trying to rescue the two Americans.

The extremist group also attacked the Quick Reaction Force building, which was occupied by local Libyans serving as guards for the Mission.

About 10 p.m., Bakoush entered the Mission compound with other conspirators, and conducted surveillance of the Tactical Operation Center and the Villa. After Bakoush attempted to gain entry to vehicles belonging to Mission staff, he and his co-conspirators temporarily retreated to an area just outside the Mission.

About 11:15 p.m., conspirators assembled outside the southern gate and launched a second violent attack on the Mission using AK-type assault rifles, grenades, and rocket-propelled grenades. After 30 minutes, the group entered the compound and plundered the Mission’s office of documents, maps, and computers containing sensitive information about the location of the CIA Annex.

At 12:30 a.m., conspirators attacked the Annex with small arms, assault rifles, and rocket-propelled grenades.

Following the attack at the Mission, in the early hours of September 12, 2012, the violence continued at the CIA Annex, first with gunfire and then with a precision mortar attack. While defending the Annex, Mr. Woods, Mr. Doherty, DSS Special Agent David Ubben, and CIA security specialist Mark Tiegen were hit by a precision mortar attack, leading to the deaths of Mr. Woods and Mr. Doherty. Special Agent Ubben and Mr. Tiegen were seriously wounded but survived.

The Department of Justice previously charged and convicted two leaders in the Benghazi attack on federal terrorism charges and other offenses. Ahmed Abu Khatallah, aka Ahmed Mukatallah was sentenced in June 2018 to 22 years in prison and resentenced in September 2024 to 28 years in prison. Mustafa al-Imam was sentenced in January 2020 to nearly 20 years. (SOURCE)

[The Benghazi Brief]

After I published the Benghazi Brief, our CTH website was blocked in Qatar.

Feb 7 2026

President Trump Holds Impromptu Presser Departing the White House

Posted originally on CTH on February 6, 2026 | Sundance

President Trump holds a brief impromptu chopper presser as he departs the White House for Palm Beach this weekend. President Trump began with remarks of the strong stock market, with the DOW closing over 50,000 much sooner than expected, highlighting the strength of the overall economy.

President Trump also noted positive crime statistics and then took questions. The first question was about the SAVE act and the need to eliminate the filibuster to get voter ID passed into law. The conversation then shifted to “affordability” with President Trump noting that prices are stable and declining due to his economic policies. WATCH:

Feb 7 2026

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele Outlines the Big Battle Forces We Face

Posted originally on CTH on February 6, 2026 | Sundance

El Salvador President Nayib Bukele delivered a remarkable speech at the National Prayer Breakfast yesterday. Bukele accurately frames the bigger battle forces we face, the challenge of confronting evil.

Nayib Bukele delivers a powerful and inspiring speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC, addressing topics of faith, leadership, hope, and moral guidance. Bukele emphasizes the importance of values, public service, and global unity, sharing his vision for a better future. His remarks are exceptionally well framed and delivered. Watch:

Feb 7 2026

Deporting Illegal Aliens and the Impact on Inflation, Consumer Prices and Wages

Posted originally on CTH on February 6, 2026 | Sundance

CTH reader “Charles” asked a great question yesterday that deserves some expansion:

CHARLES: “I’m having some trouble parsing how exfiltrating [deporting] illegal alien workers thereby pushing American wages upward can cause a decrease in inflation. Conventional wisdom for my whole life (73 years) has held that increasing labor costs drive inflation upwards.”

It’s a great question because Charles is essentially correct from a historical reference. However, we are in uncharted territory due to the scale of illegal aliens within the U.S. economy in this modern era. The answer is a commonsense theory currently playing out in real time.

ANSWER: A much larger percentage of illegal aliens live on various subsidies and govt spending programs than our native American population. As a result, it’s like govt spending, except we have ten million people spending excessive govt money instead of one big spending bill.

The underlying economy is inorganic and detached from traditional cause and effect. In this dynamic when you deport the illegals, we are reducing the govt spending. Less govt spending actually tames inflation and lowers housing costs at a greater rate than the upward pressure on wages.

Removing the ‘free govt money” from the economy, creates less upward price pressure. Additionally, deporting the govt spender reinstalls a more authentic supply and demand economy, because the current demand is skewed by all the ‘free money’ subsidy spending.

Charles is correct in that within his 73-years this was not evident. That’s because we have an unprecedented number of illegal aliens spending govt money without any economic productivity. Those subsidies, extra non-productive money in the economy, creates upward price pressure. Take the money away and prices drop.

It’s the same issue we have always had with supplemental food assistance programs, and entirely the reason why Barack Obama exploded the number of people eligible for food stamps and SNAP benefits.

This is also why Big Ag and big corporate food conglomerates always lobby for increases in food subsidy programs. It enables them to charge more money and make bigger profits.

Think of it like shopping in a grocery store. Perhaps 50% of the customers pay for their purchases with wages, 50% of the customers pay with govt subsidy. Everyone from the field to the store can charge more money. The retailer can charge more for the products because half of the customers are essentially disconnected from feeling any impact.

Take away or lower the ‘free money’ subsidy, and food prices start to return to a more traditional supply/demand scenario.

Take the “free money” illegal aliens out of the spending economy and you increase the percentage of authentic, actually productive money earned from wages being spent.

Now, to be fair, there is a point at which the price pressure from the rate of spending drops below the upward pressure from the rate of wage growth. Once that apex is crossed, the wage growth can naturally drive inflation; Charle’s traditional frame of reference. However, due to the scale of spending by illegal aliens, we are a long way from the point at which that happens.

Right now, my best guess is we can likely remove 10 to 15 million subsidized illegal alien spenders, before we reach the point where upward worker wage pressure starts to exceed the downward price pressure created by removing ‘free money’ spending.

And yes, we are in uncharted territory. Traditional economic references don’t work. This is one reason why America-First MAGAnomics is defying all the traditional economic analysis. Tariffs do not increase consumer prices; at scale they decrease producer margins. Deportation doesn’t drive inflation; at scale removal actually lowers prices.

Hope that helps.

~ Sundance