Terrorism

A Tunisian national suspected by U.S. officials of playing a role in last year's deadly assault on the U.S. Consulate in Libya has been set free due to a lack of evidence, according to recent reports. 

The State Department on Tuesday announced a $10 million bounty for information leading to the capture of two Sudanese men accused of killing a U.S. diplomat and a Sudanese employee of the U.S. Agency for International Development in Khartoum five years ago.

Your morning global affairs speed-read

A judge in Tunisia has ordered the conditional release of a suspect in the terror attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans on Sept. 11, 2012, due to a lack of evidence, The Associated Press reports.

Cursed endorsement: Iran's foreign ministry said Tuesday it was hopeful Chuck Hagel's nomination to be secretary of Defense could lead to "practical changes" to U.S. foreign policy. [CBS News]

In other news: 

Hagel's nomination signals a national-security course adjustment for President Obama's second term. [The Washington Post].

Guam is throwing roadblocks at U.S. plans to redeploy its military presence in Asia. [The Wall Street Journal]

Israel's warnings last November about Syria's chemical weapons sparked unprecedented international cooperation. [The New York Times]

Graham said he had "not forgotten about the Benghazi debacle" and expected more answers before confirming the next CIA director.

State Department employees presented Clinton with a football helmet and jersey symbolizing the "contact sport" of Washington politics.

"What’s next—a Senate inquiry of the ‘Bourne’ trilogy or ‘24’?" the Georgia Republican asked

Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) is trying to create a new temporary committee to investigate the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. facility in Benghazi in the 113th Congress.

Wolf is offering an amendment to the 113th Congress Rules package Wednesday to create a temporary “House Select Committee on the Terrorist Attack in Benghazi,” following up on legislation that he introduced that would do the same thing.

The idea for a select committee on Benghazi was also raised in the Senate, where Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) called for a new panel, too.

The Senate passed an amendment Friday that would allow the Department of State to transfer $1 billion of already appropriated funds to increase security at U.S. embassies and other overseas posts.

The amendment was attached to the Hurricane Sandy emergency-spending measure, and a vote on final passage of that bill is expected later Friday. The House would also have to pass the same version of a recovery package in order for the president to sign the amendment into law.

The Senate passed a resolution Friday before leaving for the Christmas holiday that would encourage European countries to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. 

S. Res. 613, urges the European Union to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, impose sanctions and tells President Obama to provide information about Hezbollah to the European allies of the United States.

An official says all high-risk posts are being evaluated after a report faulted security problems at consulate in Benghazi.