The U.S. Justice Department released
the below information:
Ahmed Abu Khatallah, aka
Ahmed Mukatallah, 46, a Libyan national, was found guilty by a jury today of
federal terrorism charges and other offenses stemming from the Sept. 11, 2012
terrorist attack on the U.S. Special Mission in Benghazi, Libya. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and U.S.
government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty died in the
attack at the Mission and the nearby Annex in Benghazi.
Acting Assistant Attorney
General for National Security Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for
the District of Columbia, Assistant Director Grant Mendenhall of the FBI's
Counterterrorism Division and Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney
Jr. of the FBI’s New York Field Office made the announcement.
“Ahmed Abu Khatallah's arrest
and prosecution were critical steps in our efforts to identify and hold
accountable those who were responsible for the terrorist attacks on our
facilities in Benghazi, Libya. Our work
is not done. We will not rest in our
pursuit of the others who attacked our facilities and killed the four
courageous Americans who perished that day,” said Acting Assistant Attorney
General Boente.
“The jury has now held Ahmed
Abu Khatallah accountable for his role in the terrorist attack that destroyed
the U.S. Mission in Benghazi,” said U.S. Attorney Liu. “During that attack and the one that
followed, four American heroes lost their lives and others were seriously
wounded. We will never rest in our efforts to bring to justice those who commit
terrorism abroad.”
“Ahmed Abu Khatallah is being
held responsible for executing a brazen terrorist attack against the United
States. That attack resulted in the
deaths of four Americans in Benghazi, Libya.
This investigation demonstrates the FBI's ability to investigate
terrorist attacks against Americans even in the most difficult conditions,
determine who perpetrated the acts and bring those actors to justice,” said
Assistant Director Mendenhall. “We
remain dedicated to the pursuit of justice in this case and others around the
world where Americans and our allies have been victimized.”
“Ahmed Abu Khatallah was
convicted for his integral role in a calculated, cold-blooded attack on a U.S.
diplomatic location in Benghazi,” said Assistant Director in Charge
Sweeney. “Our hope is Khatallah's
conviction will provide some measure of justice for the honorable and heroic
American victims and their families. Our
work will continue, but today's verdict serves as a reminder to those who plot
terror attacks against the United States – the New York FBI Joint Terrorism
Task Force's reach is global. Working
together with our partners in the intelligence community and law enforcement,
our commitment to investigating acts of terrorism, capturing those responsible
and ensuring justice is served will never waver. I would like to express our appreciation for
the many investigators, analysts and operators from many agencies who played a
role in ensuring justice was achieved today.”
Khatallah was captured in
Libya on June 15, 2014, and brought to the United States to face trial in the
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The jury found him guilty of one count of
conspiracy to provide material support or resources to terrorists, one count of
providing material support or resources to terrorists, one count of maliciously
destroying and injuring dwellings and property, and placing lives in jeopardy
within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States,
and one count of using and carrying a semiautomatic weapon during a crime of
violence. He was acquitted of the
remaining counts against him.
The trial began Oct. 2,
before a jury in the courtroom of the Honorable Judge Christopher R. Cooper of
the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Over the next six weeks, the government
presented testimony from 30 witnesses, including four from Libya. The witnesses
included those who were wounded in the attack, as well as relatives of the
people who died. The government’s
witnesses also included others who survived the attacks.
According to the government’s
evidence, Khatallah was a leader of an extremist militia named Ubaydah bin
Jarrah, which operated outside the law, and in the months prior to the attacks,
he sought to incite violence by his and other militia groups against the
presence of the United States in Libya.
In early September of 2012, he and other members of his group mobilized
for an attack by stockpiling truckloads of weaponry.
On the night of Sept. 11,
2012, according to the government’s evidence, Khatallah directed his group to
carry out the violence, striking first at the U.S. Special Mission in
Benghazi. A group of men, armed with
AK-47 rifles, grenades, and other weapons, swept into the Mission compound,
setting fires and breaking into buildings.
During that violence, Ambassador Stevens and Mr. Smith valiantly tried
to protect themselves when the attackers stormed into a villa, but they were
fatally overcome by thick, black smoke when the attackers set a fire. A State Department employee, who tried to
guide them to safety, was injured.
Before, during and after the
attack, Khatallah maintained contact with his group in a series of cellphone
calls. Also, according to the
government’s evidence, for much of the attack, he positioned himself on the
perimeter of the compound and kept others, including emergency responders, from
getting to the scene. The government’s
evidence also showed that Khatallah made calls to leaders of other militia
groups warning them not to interfere with the attack.
Following the attack at the
mission, in the early hours of Sept. 12, 2012, the violence continued at a
nearby CIA annex, first with gunfire and then with a precision mortar
attack. Mr. Woods and Mr. Doherty died
in the mortar attack, and a State Department employee and U.S. government
security specialist were seriously wounded.
Khatallah faces statutory
maximums of 15 years in prison on each of the two terrorism offenses, 20 years
for maliciously damaging and destroying dwellings and property, and life
imprisonment for the firearms offense.
The firearms offense also carries a mandatory minimum consecutive term
of 10 years. A sentencing date has not
yet been set.
The maximum statutory
sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational
purposes. The sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court after
considering the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case was investigated by
the FBI New York Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force with substantial
assistance from various other government agencies, including the two victim
agencies, the CIA and the Department of State.
The case was prosecuted by
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Crabb, Jr., Michael C. DiLorenzo, Julieanne
Himelstein and Opher Shweiki, all of the National Security Section of the U.S.
Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Assistance was provided by Trial Attorney C. Alexandria Bogle of the
Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security
Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Kohl and David Mudd of the U.S.
Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Assistance also was provided
by Victim/Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant and Paralegal Specialists Rayneisha
Booth, Jessica Moffatt and Legal Assistant Matthew Ruggiero, all of the U.S.
Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia
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