US sending Marines, two warships to Libya after Benghazi attack
An armed man waves his rifle after buildings and cars were set on fire inside the US Consulate compound in Benghazi late on Sept. 11.
The Pentagon is moving two warships to the Libyan coast following the the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi that killed the US ambassador and three others.
According to the Associated Press, the destroyer, the USS Laboon, is already off the coast and the USS McFaul is en route and should be there within days.
The ships carry Tomahawk cruise missiles and do not have a specific mission, according to officials briefing the AP.
More from GlobalPost: US suspects Libya attack was planned
Pentagon spokesman George Little said: "Without commenting on specific ship movements, the United States military regularly takes precautionary steps when potential contingencies might arise in a given situation. That's not only logical in certain circumstances, it's the prudent thing to do."
There have been four destroyers in the Mediterranean for some time. These moves will increase that to five.
Also on Wednesday, the US sent an elite group of 50 Marines to Libya as American officials continue to investigate whether the violence was a planned terrorist attack planned on the anniversary of 9/11.
The article you just read is free because dedicated readers and listeners like you chose to support our nonprofit newsroom. Our team works tirelessly to ensure you hear the latest in international, human-centered reporting every weekday. But our work would not be possible without you. We need your help.
Make a gift today to help us reach our $25,000 goal and keep The World going strong. Every gift will get us one step closer.