Trial Secondary as U.S. Questions a Libyan Suspect
By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT, MATT APUZZO, ERIC SCHMITT and CHARLIE SAVAGE, NYT, JUNE 19, 2014
WASHINGTON — The Libyan suspected of playing a key role in the deadly attack on the United States Mission in Benghazi is talking freely with American interrogators aboard a Navy ship in the Mediterranean Sea, according to senior American officials.
Interrogators began questioning the man, Ahmed Abu Khattala, on the U.S.S. New York shortly after he was taken into custody Monday in an attempt to learn what he knows about planned or past attacks, the Islamic militia that he has helped lead and the security situation in Libya, one official said. As of Thursday afternoon, Mr. Abu Khattala, secretly charged in a criminal complaint last July for his role in the attack, had not been given a Miranda warning informing him that he has the right to remain silent and be represented by a lawyer, the officials said.
The interrogation highlights how the F.B.I. has become increasingly comfortable focusing on gathering intelligence when questioning suspects linked to terrorism, rather than seeking evidence admissible in court. The authorities want to transport Mr. Abu Khattala to the United States on the Navy ship because they do not want to disrupt the interrogators’ attempts to build rapport with him, the officials said. Putting him on a plane would require taking him to a foreign country, which could create legal and diplomatic entanglements.
(More here.)
WASHINGTON — The Libyan suspected of playing a key role in the deadly attack on the United States Mission in Benghazi is talking freely with American interrogators aboard a Navy ship in the Mediterranean Sea, according to senior American officials.
Interrogators began questioning the man, Ahmed Abu Khattala, on the U.S.S. New York shortly after he was taken into custody Monday in an attempt to learn what he knows about planned or past attacks, the Islamic militia that he has helped lead and the security situation in Libya, one official said. As of Thursday afternoon, Mr. Abu Khattala, secretly charged in a criminal complaint last July for his role in the attack, had not been given a Miranda warning informing him that he has the right to remain silent and be represented by a lawyer, the officials said.
The interrogation highlights how the F.B.I. has become increasingly comfortable focusing on gathering intelligence when questioning suspects linked to terrorism, rather than seeking evidence admissible in court. The authorities want to transport Mr. Abu Khattala to the United States on the Navy ship because they do not want to disrupt the interrogators’ attempts to build rapport with him, the officials said. Putting him on a plane would require taking him to a foreign country, which could create legal and diplomatic entanglements.
(More here.)
Powered by Blogger
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home