Sheriff: Benghazi suspect prompts extra security

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — The sheriff’s office in Alexandria, Virginia, says it has increased jail security with the arrival of a Libyan militant charged in the 2012 Benghazi attacks.

Sheriff Dana Lawhorne said in a statement Thursday that Ahmed Abu Khattala (hah-TAH’-lah) was booked last week into the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center.

That jail has also held, among others, Sept. 11, 2001, conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui (zak-uh-REE’-uhs moo-SOW’-ee) and John Walker Lindh, an American convicted of fighting alongside the Taliban.

Khattala is being held without bond on a conspiracy charge accusing him of participating in the September 2012 attacks that killed four Americans. He is being tried in federal court in Washington after being captured by U.S. special forces.

Lawhorne said the jail has “increased certain security measures and made adjustments in staffing.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up