Trial of Libyan charged with killing US ambassador to begin

A Libyan militant accused of heading an attack on an American compound that killed the US ambassador and three others in Benghazi in 2012 will stand trial in Washington today.

Ahmed Abu Khattala is charged with 18 counts of murder and supporting terrorists after he was captured and extradited to the States three years ago where he will now stand trial in a federal district court in Washington.

Khattala, 46, is believed to be the head of an Islamist militia in Benghazi called the Ansar Al-Sharia which was behind the deadly operation on the US compound in September 2012.

Around 20 militants stormed the compound and set fire to buildings including one that had the US Ambassador Christopher Stevens, killing him and a Foreign Service officer.

Two US security contractors were also subsequently killed when the group attacked a CIA outpost near the diplomatic compound.

An investigation was launched in the States in which then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was blamed for the incident ahead of her intentions to run for presidency.

Khattala has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has had his trial adjourned following motions that stalled the process after his extradition was questioned and the evidence extracted under interrogation.

Instead of being extradited by plane to the US, he was instead put on a ship which took two weeks to reach its destination after which he was interrogated for five days by American intelligence agents and then the FBI.

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In August this year a Washington court ruled against Khattala’s lawyers’ motion to negate the evidence gathered from his interrogations due to the absence of his lawyer and his disregarded rights to remain silent and the allegations that his long journey to the States was used to extract information from him without legal protections.

Judge Christopher Cooper however overruled the lawyers’ request due to the FBI agents repeatedly advising Khattala of his Miranda rights to have a lawyer present and to remain silent which Khattala “knowingly and intelligently” waived.

The judge further added,

Abu Khattala was treated humanely and courteously: He was given breaks every hour or two, and offered snacks and refreshments.