As the United States struggles to understand last September's attack on its diplomatic mission in Benghazi, which took the lives of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, a formal investigation has not even been opened in Libya — and likely never will be.

Libya's leaders face myriad challenges — from a vocal federalist movement in the East, aimed at usurping the central government's prerogatives, to a wave of assassinations targeting security officials — which leaves them few resources to allocate to a case that does not pose an immediate threat to their domestic standing.

Instead, they are focusing on rebuilding the state that former leader Moammar Gadhafi destroyed. They have been grappling with the need to create effective administrative institutions and foster an independent judiciary.