US tracking Libyan consulate attackers

The US military and intelligence agencies are compiling detailed dossiers on those believed to have attacked the US consulate in Libya ahead of possible retaliation, the New York Times reported. Citing US officials, the Times reported late Tuesday that the top-secret Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) was collecting information on the deadly attack last month that killed a US ambassador and three other Americans. US President Barack Obama has vowed to bring those behind the attack to justice, but has faced mounting criticism as officials have struggled to explain how it happened and who was behind it. The Times said the information now being compiled could be used to launch drone strikes or commando raids against suspects, but that no decision has yet been taken on any potential target. “They are putting together information on where these individuals live, who their family members and their associates are, and their entire pattern of life,” the Times quoted an American official as saying. The Sept. 11 attack came just weeks before the Nov. 6 presidential election, in which Obama hopes to secure a second term.