GOP Rep. Wolf calls for ending Tunisian aid after release of Benghazi suspect

Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) on Tuesday reiterated his call for the Obama administration to cut aid to Tunisia after authorities there released a suspect in the Sept. 11 Benghazi Consulate attack.

A Tunisian judge on Monday granted Ali ani al-Harzi, a reported member of al Qaeda with ties to the group's Africa terror cell, provisional release, citing a lack of evidence since al-Harzi was detained last March on terrorism charges. His release ends a months-long standoff between Washington and Tunis, which initially refused to give the FBI access to al-Harzi but backed down under heavy pressure from Washington.

“For months following the attack, the Tunisian government blocked the FBI from interviewing Harzi. Now Harzi walks the streets of Tunisia a free man — facing no consequence for his role in the Benghazi attack,” Wolf said in a statement. “Keep in mind that, since 2011, the American government has given $320 million in taxpayer dollars to the Tunisian government and is being considered as a Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) candidate country. I find it morally wrong to support a country that has obstructed FBI efforts to bring these terrorists to justice.”

Wolf added that he would reintroduce his resolution to create a select committee to probe the Benghazi attack when the House reconvenes next week.

The attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens.

---