Video shows US covert operatives abducting al-Qaeda suspect in car

The Washington Post has obtained a rare glimpse at the capture of a Libyan terror suspect as it happened last October. Nazih Abdul-Hamed al-Ruqai, wanted for his alleged involvement in the 1998 US embassy bombings in East Africa, can be seen in a video recorded by a closed-circuit camera approaching his home by car moments before he was captured by a squad of FBI, CIA, and US Army “Delta Force” operatives. Despite the grainy footage, the viewer can see armed men stream out of the two vehicles that corner al-Ruqai before they stuff him into a white van and leave the scene.

US documents allege that al-Ruqai, who fought in the 2011 uprising that led to the overthrow of Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi, had close ties to al-Qaeda and was a senior operative under Osama bin Laden prior to the embassy bombings. His capture, after a 13-year-long manhunt, made headlines late last year as it was a reminder of the “extraordinary rendition” practices that became prevalent in the years following 9/11. President Obama condemned the use of extraordinary rendition, but the practice may persist to this day. Al-Ruqai plead not guilty to terrorism charges in October, and is currently being held at a facility in New York where he awaits trial.