US indicts 'Benghazi ringleader'
October 15, 2014
A US federal grand jury indicted the alleged conspirator behind the Benghazi attacks on 18 counts on Tuesday.
The 43-year-old Libyan national, Ahmed Abu Khatallah, faces charges which include multiple counts of murder and allegedly leading an extremist militia group.
There was no immediate comment available from his defense attorney.
US federal prosecutors accuse Khatallah of playing an "integral role" in the September 11, 2012 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, which left US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans dead.
If found guilty, the Libyan national could face the death penalty.
In June, the US military captured Khatallah in a secret operation with the help of local law enforcement near Benghazi. They then transported him to a navy ship where federal agents interrogated him.
The Obama administration was criticized by Congress for allegedly misleading the US public about the cause of the killings. In the days immediately following the attack, top officials said protests over an anti-Muslim film had sparked the violent reaction. They later confirmed that it had been premeditated by an al Qaeda-backed militia.
kms/rc (AP, Reuters)