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Benghazi Attack Witness Tells of Wounds From Mortar Attack as He Crawled to Safety Benghazi Attack Witness Tells of Wounds From Mortar Attack as He Crawled to Safety
(35 minutes later)
WASHINGTON — The explosion from the first mortar round to fall on the C.I.A. annex in Benghazi, Libya, drove shrapnel into the skull of David Ubben, a State Department security agent who had survived an earlier attack on the nearby American Mission and was helping stand watch on a rooftop.WASHINGTON — The explosion from the first mortar round to fall on the C.I.A. annex in Benghazi, Libya, drove shrapnel into the skull of David Ubben, a State Department security agent who had survived an earlier attack on the nearby American Mission and was helping stand watch on a rooftop.
Blood gushing down his face, Mr. Ubben dropped to a knee as he heard the whistling of more inbound mortars, he testified Wednesday at the Federal District Court in Washington. Mr. Ubben was crawling to the edge of the roof as the mortars exploded, tearing what he described as a “grapefruit”-size chunk off his arm and all but severing his leg.Blood gushing down his face, Mr. Ubben dropped to a knee as he heard the whistling of more inbound mortars, he testified Wednesday at the Federal District Court in Washington. Mr. Ubben was crawling to the edge of the roof as the mortars exploded, tearing what he described as a “grapefruit”-size chunk off his arm and all but severing his leg.
Mr. Ubben’s testimony about the mortar attack in September 2012 and its aftermath highlighted the third day of the trial of Ahmed Abu Khattala, a Libyan man charged with helping to orchestrate the Benghazi attacks and the first person to stand trial in the case.Mr. Ubben’s testimony about the mortar attack in September 2012 and its aftermath highlighted the third day of the trial of Ahmed Abu Khattala, a Libyan man charged with helping to orchestrate the Benghazi attacks and the first person to stand trial in the case.
Defense lawyers for Mr. Khattala — who was captured in 2014 in a Special Operations commando raid in Libya and has been quietly watching the trial while listening to an Arabic translator through headphones — argued that he is being scapegoated.Defense lawyers for Mr. Khattala — who was captured in 2014 in a Special Operations commando raid in Libya and has been quietly watching the trial while listening to an Arabic translator through headphones — argued that he is being scapegoated.
Mr. Ubben offered no evidence linking Mr. Khattala to either attack. In opening statements, the defense team conceded that its client was outside the mission during the attack and later briefly went inside, but said he had gone only out of curiosity, and emphasized that he went home before the mortar attack on the C.I.A. annex.Mr. Ubben offered no evidence linking Mr. Khattala to either attack. In opening statements, the defense team conceded that its client was outside the mission during the attack and later briefly went inside, but said he had gone only out of curiosity, and emphasized that he went home before the mortar attack on the C.I.A. annex.
But Julieanne Himelstein, an assistant United States attorney, appeared on Wednesday to be trying to use Mr. Ubben’s testimony to link the two attacks. She asked him questions about maps that the attackers looted from the mission that showed the annex’s location. The suggestion was that the attackers may have used those maps for the mortar attack.But Julieanne Himelstein, an assistant United States attorney, appeared on Wednesday to be trying to use Mr. Ubben’s testimony to link the two attacks. She asked him questions about maps that the attackers looted from the mission that showed the annex’s location. The suggestion was that the attackers may have used those maps for the mortar attack.
On cross-examination, Jeffrey D. Robinson, a lawyer for Mr. Khattala, got Mr. Ubben to acknowledge for the jury that he had no personal knowledge of whether Mr. Khattala masterminded the attacks or used the maps for the mortar attack, and was merely describing what he experienced during the assault.On cross-examination, Jeffrey D. Robinson, a lawyer for Mr. Khattala, got Mr. Ubben to acknowledge for the jury that he had no personal knowledge of whether Mr. Khattala masterminded the attacks or used the maps for the mortar attack, and was merely describing what he experienced during the assault.
Two Americans — Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and Sean Smith, a State Department computer technician — died of smoke inhalation in a burning building during the initial assault on the diplomatic compound. Two more — Tyrone S. Woods and Glen A. Doherty, C.I.A. security staff members — were killed in the subsequent mortar attack.Two Americans — Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and Sean Smith, a State Department computer technician — died of smoke inhalation in a burning building during the initial assault on the diplomatic compound. Two more — Tyrone S. Woods and Glen A. Doherty, C.I.A. security staff members — were killed in the subsequent mortar attack.
Mr. Ubben said that he believed Mr. Doherty and Mr. Woods, who were on the roof with him, were shooting at the attackers after the first of three mortar rounds exploded, but their guns fell silent after the second blast, suggesting that it killed them.Mr. Ubben said that he believed Mr. Doherty and Mr. Woods, who were on the roof with him, were shooting at the attackers after the first of three mortar rounds exploded, but their guns fell silent after the second blast, suggesting that it killed them.
By then, Mr. Ubben was fighting for his life. He knew he was hurt badly, he said, and believed his leg would probably have to be amputated. With tourniquets on his limbs, he tried to hold on to the neck of a colleague who carried him down a ladder from the roof, then Mr. Ubben lost consciousness.By then, Mr. Ubben was fighting for his life. He knew he was hurt badly, he said, and believed his leg would probably have to be amputated. With tourniquets on his limbs, he tried to hold on to the neck of a colleague who carried him down a ladder from the roof, then Mr. Ubben lost consciousness.
Later, for a winding convoy run to the Benghazi airport, Mr. Ubben, who said he is 6 feet 4 inches tall, was placed on a stretcher and into the back of a small sport utility vehicle. He was too long to fit, he said, so its rear hatch had to be left open, secured with only a strap, and whenever the driver accelerated, Mr. Ubben’s stretcher kept starting to slide out.Later, for a winding convoy run to the Benghazi airport, Mr. Ubben, who said he is 6 feet 4 inches tall, was placed on a stretcher and into the back of a small sport utility vehicle. He was too long to fit, he said, so its rear hatch had to be left open, secured with only a strap, and whenever the driver accelerated, Mr. Ubben’s stretcher kept starting to slide out.
“I had to put my good leg on the support beam of the car and kind of push back in,” he recounted in an emotionless voice. “So this whole route, I was sliding out of the truck and had to shout to the driver to stomp on the brakes. There was a little bit of comedy.”“I had to put my good leg on the support beam of the car and kind of push back in,” he recounted in an emotionless voice. “So this whole route, I was sliding out of the truck and had to shout to the driver to stomp on the brakes. There was a little bit of comedy.”
Mr. Ubben was eventually flown to Germany and then taken to Walter Reed National Medical Center outside Washington, where he spent the next 15 months. He decided to try to save his leg and endured “well over 40 surgeries,” including a major operation to open his skull and repair a brain fluid leak. It took extensive rehabilitation to learn how to use his limbs again, he said, praising the hospital staff for “performing miracles.” Mr. Ubben was eventually flown to Germany and then taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington, where he spent the next 15 months. He decided to try to save his leg and endured “well over 40 surgeries,” including a major operation to open his skull and repair a brain fluid leak. It took extensive rehabilitation to learn how to use his limbs again, he said, praising the hospital staff for “performing miracles.”
Earlier, recounting the immediate aftermath of the mortar attack, he said he recalled being determined to live.Earlier, recounting the immediate aftermath of the mortar attack, he said he recalled being determined to live.
“It was extremely painful,” Mr. Ubben said. “But I was committed to surviving. I was going to get out of there. I had made that decision already. I was just working through these things one at a time, trying to get through it.”“It was extremely painful,” Mr. Ubben said. “But I was committed to surviving. I was going to get out of there. I had made that decision already. I was just working through these things one at a time, trying to get through it.”