The US has filed charges
against a Libyan man suspected of taking part in the deadly attack on
the US consulate in Benghazi last year, say reports. Militia chief Ahmed Abu Khattala was reportedly among those
charged over the assault that killed the US ambassador Christopher
Stevens and three others.
The filing was sealed and officials declined to comment on
the reported charges. The New York Times said Mr Khattala was charged
with murder. Mr Khattala is not in custody An unknown number of other alleged attackers have also been charged, US media reported. The US consulate in Benghazi, on the Libyan coast, was attacked by a militia on 11 September 2012. The fighters stormed the diplomatic compound and set it
ablaze. Stevens, another state department worker and two former Navy
Seals were killed. The US initially reported that the attack grew out of violent
protests sparked by an anti-Islam film produced in the US, though it
soon became clear it was an organised, pre-planned assault. Republicans have denounced President Barack Obama's handling of the aftermath of the attack. Members of the opposition party accused Mr Obama and his
fellow Democrats of downplaying the attack in order to protect his
re-election campaign.
The Republicans have also sought to link former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, seen as a strong possible contender for the presidency in 2016, to the attack, suggesting without evidence that she was personally responsible for lapses in security.