As a collective deeply affected by the events of September 12, 2012, at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Annex in Benghazi, Libya, we feel compelled to raise significant legal and national security concerns regarding the ongoing investigation into our attacks. Our collective’s goal is to shed light on issues surrounding a key witness in the case who has undisclosed personal connections to our attackers.

The Impact of Witness’s Familial Relationships

Five of the terrorists on the mortar team that attacked us at the CIA Annex on September 12th have a familial relationship with one of the key U.S. Department of Justice witnesses in the case against Ahmed Salim Faraj Abu Khatallah variant Ahmed Abu Khatallah. Khatallah was the terrorist erroneously charged as the mastermind for the attacks at both the U.S. Mission facility (which we referred to as the “Consulate” when stationed in Benghazi) and our CIA Annex (see Case No. 14–cr–00141, United States v. Ahmed Salim Faraj Abu Khatallah). The attacks, in fact, had two separate masterminds: al-Qa’ida’s Mokhtar Belmokhtar and Wissam bin Humaid, both of whom are now deceased. The undisclosed family ties between the terrorist mortar team (listed below) responsible for the murder of our fellow CIA officers and the key witness raise serious concerns.

1. Ahmed Ramadan Mahmoud Abdel Ati
2. Musab Ramadan Mahmoud Abdel Ati
3. Ramadan Mahmoud Abdel Ati Al-Barghathi
4. Salem Mahmoud Abdel-Ati Al-Barghathi
5. Zakaria Ramadan Mahmoud Al-Barghathi

Additionally, two of the attackers from the U.S. Mission on September 11, 2012, were related to the witness: Zakaria Bil Qasim Harroun al-Barghathi and Ayman Faraj Hassan Bouamoud al-Barghathi. Notably, Ayman was also implicated in the April 15, 2014, kidnapping of Jordanian Ambassador Fawaz al-Aitan. It was reported that Ayman used the assistance of the witness and the CIA Annex attack mastermind, Wissam bin Humaid, to relocate the kidnapped Ambassador from Tripoli to Benghazi. There, he was housed at the family home of another attacker from our U.S. Mission, Ali Mohammad Mohammad Ibrahim al-Karshini. The family of attacker al-Karshini has also been given agency in our opinion to misuse the U.S. legal system (see Case No. 1:20-cv-00170-LMB-JFA, filed 02/18/2020 in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria Division).

It is our judgment that one of the main reasons the U.S. Government, and in particular the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who has primacy over the Benghazi investigation, never identified the mortar team that murdered our CIA colleagues, Tyrone “Rone” Woods and Glen “Bub” Doherty is because they allowed this nefarious actor, their witness, to get in the way of the truth regarding our attacks. Particularly the identities of the actual terrorists.

Additional Concerns About the Witness

We have added reservations regarding the accuracy of the information provided by the key witness. Given his concealment of the involvement of an unknown number of terrorists in our Benghazi attacks, this raises doubts about the integrity of the federal government’s investigation. It also raises questions about whether he may have lied under oath during a federal trial. It remains unclear whether the witness framed Khatallah as the mastermind of our attacks, or if this is a miscarriage of justice orchestrated by the U.S. Government. These points raise significant concerns not only about the FBI’s handling of the Benghazi attacks case but also about the awarding of millions of dollars to this witness and the residency he was granted in the United States.

Threat Implications

Furthermore, we believe the key witness poses a threat to our lives and our family members due to his association with terrorist and criminal activities. As former intelligence officers, we are particularly concerned about his direct involvement in the torture and subsequent extrajudicial killing of an intelligence officer in Libya named Nasser Bouajila al-Surmani in 2011. Nasser was a member of the Internal Security Forces, and we possess videographic evidence implicating the witness in Nasser’s abduction, which we provided to individuals associated with the International Criminal Court (ICC).

This video had previously been uploaded to YouTube, raising questions about why an individual with a documented history of serious and violent crimes was allowed to relocate to our country, especially when his criminal activities were well-documented on platforms owned by U.S. companies, making the evidence readily accessible. Moreover, additional copies of the video were shared and stored on Facebook, another U.S. company. It’s worth noting that the video was subsequently removed from YouTube due to its graphic content, but the witness involved directly in this crime remains free in our communities, unimpeded and unchallenged.

Regrettably, his relocation to the U.S. is also preventing authorities in Benghazi, where the crime occurred, from bringing him to trial for the torture and murder of Nasser. Thus, our government is, in effect, aiding a potential fugitive from justice.

Call for Oversight and Action

We demand a comprehensive oversight investigation into the mishandling of the Benghazi case, with a focus on the influence of the key witness and the potential obstructions to the truth. Additionally, we seek to question the legal justification behind the key witness’s immigration status and the substantial reward he has received for misinformation. Given the legal implications and the apparent deportability of the key witness under U.S. immigration laws, we respectfully request the involvement of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) from the U.S. Department of Justice in examining this matter.

Regarding the funds received by the witness, we respectfully request oversight over the administration of the Reward for Justice funds to ensure that they are directed toward initiatives that do not support the terrorists who attacked us. Ideally, we would like to see these funds allocated for bounties against senior terrorists involved in our attacks, and for rewards to Libyans identifying our attackers who share our commitment to ending terrorism, not those who have benefited from participating in it. If these funds are not to be used to advance the investigation, we kindly ask that they be donated to two honorable non-profits, namely the Glen Doherty Memorial Foundation and the Tyrone Woods Wrestling Foundation, in memory of our fallen brothers.

As a collective, we stand ready to provide any assistance necessary to ensure that Benghazi-based terrorists do not influence our legal system nor find refuge on U.S. soil. The imperatives of national security and justice necessitate a comprehensive and unbiased examination of our concerns. From the very beginning, all we’ve sought is the unwavering pursuit of justice against those who caused us harm, and today we are here to ask again.

Sincerely,