Benghazi victim's’ parents infuriated by trial verdict
A Libyan man was convicted Tuesday of terrorism charges for his role in the 2012 Benghazi attacks on a U.S. compound that killed a U.S. ambassador as well as three other Americans but was ultimately acquitted of murder, the most serious charge in the case, a decision that infuriated some parents of the attack victims.
“It’s disgusting,” Patricia Smith told FOX Business’ Liz MacDonald during an interview on “Risk and Reward.” “The man was one of the men who killed my son. What’s wrong with putting him to death, or saying that he did it?”
The defendant, 46-year-old Ahmed Abu Khattala, was the first person charged and prosecuted in the attacks, which provided significant fodder to Donald Trump’s campaign during the 2016 presidential election against Hillary Clinton, who was Secretary of State during the attacks.
Khattala was convicted by a federal jury on four counts, including providing material support for terrorism and destroying property and placing lives in jeopardy. He was acquitted on 14 other charges, including murder.
Though President Trump has been vocal about sending terror suspects to the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Khattala -- who was arrested in 2014 -- was put aboard a Navy transport ship headed to the U.S. and interrogated at length for 13 days.
Smith, whose son Sean Patrick Smith at the time worked as an information management office for the State Department, also lambasted Clinton for the role she played in the aftermath of the attacks. Some accused her of covering up the attack or that she downplayed security concerns ahead of it.
“I want Hillary to go to jail,” she said. “She has not called. The last thing she said to me was on TV calling me a liar. I’ve been begging her, please tell me what happened. I don’t know officially what happened.”