Benghazi victims' parents sue Clinton for 'negligence'

The parents of two Americans killed in a 2012 attack on a US mission in Libya have filed a lawsuit against Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, alleging her use of a private email server contributed to their sons deaths.

Larry Klayman, the founder of the political advocacy group Freedom Watch USA, filed the lawsuit on Monday on behalf of Patricia Smith, the mother of US State Department employee Sean Smith, and Charles Woods, the father of NAVY SEAL Tyrone Woods.

The two Americans, along with a third staffer and US Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens, were killed in September 2012 when an armed mob attacked and set fire to the US diplomatic compound in Benghazi during a protest against an amateur film deemed offensive to the Prophet Muhammad.

The lawsuit blames Clinton, then US Secretary of State, for the deaths as well as for defamation and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

The lawsuit says that fighters were able to "obtain the whereabouts of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and thus the US State Department and covert and other government operations in Benghazi, Libya, and subsequently orchestrate, plan, and execute the now infamous September 11, 2012 attack".

In addition to the wrongful death and negligence charges named in the lawsuit, the parents also claim that Clinton defamed them in statements to the media, according to the court statement.

"During her campaign for President, Defendant Clinton has negligently, recklessly, and/or maliciously defamed Plaintiffs by either directly calling them liars, or by strongly implying that they are liars, in order to protect and enhance her public image and intimidate and emotionally harm and silence them to not speak up about the Benghazi attack on at least four separate occasions," it added.

Patricia Smith, one of the plaintiffs, has repeatedly spoken out against Clinton.

At the Republican National Convention on July 18 she said she "personally" blamed Clinton for her son's death.

SOURCE: aljazeera.com