Ahmed Abu Khattala
Libyan militia commander / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ahmed Salim Faraj Abu Khattala (born May 7, 1971)[2] is an incarcerated Libyan, who commanded a small militia during the 2011 uprising against Qaddafi.[1] 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.[3]
Ahmed Abu Khattala | |
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Born | Ahmed Abu Khattala ( أحمد أبو ختالة) (1971-05-07) May 7, 1971 (age 53) |
Nationality | Libyan |
Occupation | construction contractor[1] |
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[4] according to Libyan witnesses, although he had no known affiliations with terrorist groups.[1] Abu Khattala denied killing the Americans or being part of the attack.[1] 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.[5][6]