Libya suspect in US consulate attack denies charge

A former Libyan militia commander today denied charges filed in US federal court accusing him of being involved in an attack that killed a US ambassador and three other Americans.
Ahmed Abu Khattala told The Associated Press that he was not in hiding, nor had he been questioned by Libyan authorities over the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the US consulate in Benghazi. That assault killed US Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and sparked Republican-led investigations in Congress over the attack and its aftermath.
Khattala repeatedly has denied being involved in the attack. He did so again today when reached by telephone by the AP.

"I am a Libyan citizen and the American government has nothing to do with me," he said. "I am in my city, having a normal life and have no troubles and if they have an inquiry to make, they should get in touch with Libyan authorities."
Officials in the US say he and an unspecified number of others are named in a sealed complaint filed in US District Court in Washington. It's unclear what charges he and the others face. Libya's Justice Ministry declined to comment today when asked about the U.S. Charges.
Khattala was the commander of an Islamist militia group called Abu Obaida Bin Jarrah. However, he said Wednesday he had abandoned the militia and begun working as a construction contractor.

The night of the attack, assailants stormed the consulate compound and set its buildings aflame. US officials have said that American security agents took fire across more than a mile of the city when they were forced into a daring car escape against traffic.
A Libyan witness interviewed after the attack told the AP that Khattala was present at the compound and directed fighters. An AP reporter also was shown a photograph of a long-haired, long-bearded man at the scene who was wearing the Afghan-style robe favored by many radicals. Benghazi residents identified the man as Khattala.
Since US President Barack Obama's re-election, Republicans in Congress have condemned the administration's handling of the matter, criticizing the level of embassy security and questioning the talking points provided to UN Ambassador Susan Rice for her public explanation of the attack.