The Great Smoky Mountain Journal

Staff, Wire Reports

Posted: Sunday, January 21, 2018 06:30 PM

Trial Begins For Benghazi Mastermind Ahmed Abu Khattala

WASHINGTON – Federal prosecutors told jurors Monday that alleged Benghazi mastermind Ahmed Abu Khattala “hates America with a vengeance,” as the long-awaited trial began for the only suspect held in connection with the 2012 attack.

Both sides delivered opening statements at a Washington federal courthouse.

Khattala faces 18 federal charges, including murder. Four Americans were killed in the Sept. 11, 2012, attack: Ambassador Christopher Stevens, State Department official Sean Smith and security officers Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty, both former Navy SEALs.

“Ambassador Christopher Stevens was choked to death by thick black smoke. … Glen Doherty was blown apart by a mortar attack. Why? Because they were Americans. And that defendant, right there, hates America with a vengeance,” Assistant U.S. Attorney John Crabb said while motioning at Khattala, dressed in a white shirt and sitting expressionless at the defense table.

Crabb, in the prosecution’s 60-plus minute opening statement, said Khattala believed the State Department compound, where Stevens and Smith died, and the nearby CIA annex were U.S. spy operations. Both posts came under attack.

“And that concern and that desire drove Abu Khattala to kill,” Crabb said.

Defense lawyers, in their opening statement, argued they have evidence that will show Khattala is not guilty and was not the so-called mastermind behind the attacks.

They said their client was, in fact, someone the United States and Libya decided could be readily blamed.

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The lessons learned from Benghazi attack

“He was a soft target,” defense attorney Jeffrey Robinson said, calling Khatalla a “Libyan patriot.” “He didn’t have anything to do with it. That’s why he talked to reporters and answered questions about it. He wasn’t in hiding from anything.”

Stevens and Smith died at the compound from the smoke of a fire started by the attackers, whom Crabb said were associates of Khattala.

Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty died nearly eight hours later at the CIA annex during the mortar attack.

Crabb showed a video that appeared to show Khattala outside the State compound during the first attack, then entering after the Americans left so he could ransack a room in which top-secret U.S. documents including maps were kept.

“Abu Khattala didn't do the killings by himself. He didn’t set the fire. He didn’t fire the mortar,” Crabb said. "But Abu Khattala planned the attack. ... He got others to do his dirty work."

The defense team said Khattala went to the State Department compound to see what was going on and never stopped anyone from trying to rescue the Americans.

“He didn't attack or shoot anyone, nor go to the CIA annex. … They have no evidence,” said the defense lawyer, further arguing government witnesses are in fact political enemies of Khattala.