The Trial of Abu Khattala Is Getting Off To A Strange Start

Defense attorneys may want to watch closely what is taking place in a DC courtroom. A man is on trial for what happened at Benghazi five years ago, but so far we have not seen any credible evidence as to how Chris Stevens died, who killed Stevens, and what was the real motive for the crime? If Chris Stevens were your son or lover, would you not want answers to these three questions?

Granted, trials are about legal matters, nevertheless, there are always extra legal questions the shrill about many trials. We have to wonder first of all, why the government wants to go forward with this trial in the first place. “Abu Khattala has pleaded not guilty to 18 counts including murder, attempted murder, material support of terrorism and destruction of U.S. facilities in the Benghazi attacks of Sept. 11 and Sept. 12, 2012. He faces a life sentence if convicted.” (Independent Journal Review, Oct. 4, 2017) “The superseding indictment describes Khatalla’s alleged role in the attacks at a U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi and a second U.S. facility there, known as the annex…Khatalla was a leader of an extremist militia group and he conspired with others to attack the facilities, kill U.S. citizens, destroy buildings and other property, and plunder materials, including documents, maps and computers…” (Department of Justice) The alleged motive for these acts was that he hated Americans. At the trial so far, John Crabb Jr., an assistant United States attorney, told the jurors. “Abu Khattala didn’t do the killing by himself…He didn’t light the fires and he didn’t fire the mortars. But you will hear that he is just as guilty as the men who lit those fires and the men who fired those mortars because Abu Khattala planned the attack. Abu Khattala incited others to do his dirty work.”

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If Abu Khattala did incite others to do his dirty work, who are they? Why are they not arrested and put on trial?

If Abu Khattala did incite others to do his dirty work, who are they? Why are they not arrested and put on trial? The government also claimed that ambassador Stevens died of “smoke inhalation during that long night…,” yet the government did not offer so far, autopsy evidence to substantiate this claim of death by smoke inhalation. At least we now know, according to the prosecution, the attack at Benghazi was a planned attack. What about the lie told by members of the past administration that explained that what happened at Benghazi was caused by a spontaneous protest to an offensive video? Are those politicians who lied to the American people going to be put on trial next for lying? Writing in the American Thinker, James Lewis claims, “The evidence now shows that Obama was aware of the attack (at Benghazi) within 55 minutes of the start. It lasted for six or seven hours, and Obama consistently countermanded standing orders to protect Americans under attack in the Africom command area.” If Abu Khattala didn’t outright murder ambassador Stevens, then who did? Will the prosecution tell us this as the trial proceeds? Mr. Khattala has been in US custody for more than three years. In that time, investigators could have found leads to all those involved in Stevens’ murder.

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Wesam Bin Hameed. What role did he play?

Then there is Wesam Bin Hameed. What role did he play, if any, in the attack and murder of Stevens? Will he be called to testify for the defense? When the dust settled after the battle at Benghazi, it was time for our enemies to collect their trophies. “...Stevens’ personal belongings—including his camera, cell phone, identification papers and various private documents—are being kept locked in a safe in the possession of Wesam Bin Hameed, in Libya." Furthermore, reports say more than thirty survivors of the attack are being kept under wraps and not allowed to talk to the media. Will the defense call any of these survivors to testify? “Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT)...has been asking the State Dept. to produce witnesses and survivors of the Benghazi attack and has been left without a response.” (Breitbart) “…Jeffrey D. Robinson, a defense attorney, argued that Mr. Khattala was being scapegoated. While the attacks were tragic, he said, no credible evidence would show that his client was responsible.” (New York Times) What kind of credible evidence does the defense plan to show? According to court testimony, Mr. Wickland never saw Khattala kill ambassador Stevens, nor did he testify to the cause of Stevens’ death.

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If someone is on trial for murder, we should know more than “pretty much.”

“I waited until the firing stopped on my position for a second, bolted for the ladder onto the roof of the building, pulled up the ladder behind me,” he said. “And that’s pretty much when I knew Sean Smith and the ambassador were dead.” Pretty much knew? If someone is on trial for murder, we should know more than “pretty much.” The defense has to ask how Wickland knew Stevens died. They ought to show evidence from the official autopsy on Stevens’ death. Who is preventing that? The family of Chris Stevens? The FBI or other government officials? Cause of death is often linked to a motive or to the degree of murder. According to Debra Heine, “Bill Gertz is reporting at The Washington Times that a recent online post by an al Qaeda terrorist indicated that U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens was killed by lethal injection after plans to kidnap him (after) the Sept. 11 attacks in Benghazi went bad. According to the post on a prominent jihadist web forum, the plan was ‘based on the abduction and exchange of high-level prisoners.’” Will Debra Heine or Bill Gertz be called as a witness for the defense? That remains to be seen. Because of all the extra legal matters that swirl around the trial of Abu Khattala, a man who is innocent until proven guilty, his trial may end up as just a show trial. The trial of Abu Khattala may end with no clear answers as to what happened to ambassador Stevens at Benghazi, and why. This may be exactly what the government wants.