Ahmed Abu Khattala
Ahmed Salim Faraj Abu Khattala (born May 7, 1971) is an incarcerated Libyan, who commanded a small militia during the 2011 uprising against Qaddafi. He participated in the 2012 Benghazi attack on the American diplomatic mission at Benghazi, in which Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed.
Ahmed Abu Khattala | |
|---|---|
Abu Khattala shortly after his capture in June 2014 | |
| Born | Ahmed Abu Khattala ( أحمد أبو ختالة) May 7, 1971 |
| Nationality | Libyan |
| Occupation | construction contractor |
| Known for | Participation in the 2012 Benghazi attack |
| Criminal status | Incarcerated at ADX Florence |
| Conviction(s) | Conspiracy to provide material support or resources to terrorists (18 U.S.C. § 2339B) Providing material support or resources to terrorists (18 U.S.C. § 2339B) Maliciously destroying and injuring dwellings and property and placing lives in jeopardy within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States (18 U.S.C. § 1363) Using a semiautomatic assault weapon during a crime of violence (18 U.S.C. § 924) |
| Criminal penalty | 22 years imprisonment |
In a December 2013 article about the attack, The New York Times described him as a central figure in the attack according to Libyan witnesses, although he had no known affiliations with terrorist groups. Abu Khattala denied killing the Americans or being part of the attack. In his trial in U.S. federal court in 2017, Abu Khattala was acquitted of 14 charges, including murder, but convicted of four lesser terrorism-related crimes.