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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Libyan militant accused of masterminding the deadly Benghazi attacks that have become a flashpoint in U.S. politics awaited his first court appearance Saturday amid heightened security at the federal courthouse.

Ahmed Abu Khattala was scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge, according to the U.S. attorney's office. He is charged in connection with the assaults on the U.S. diplomatic compound in the eastern Libyan city on Sept. 11, 2012, that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans.

U.S. special forces captured Abu Khattala in Libya two weeks ago, marking the first breakthrough in the investigation. Officials had been questioning Abu Khattala aboard a Navy ship that transported him to the United States.

Abu Khattala was flown early Saturday by military helicopter from the ship to a National Park Service landing pad in the city's Anacostia neighborhood, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss the transfer publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The prosecution reflects the Obama administration's stated position of trying suspected terrorists in the American criminal justice system even as Republicans call for Abu Khattala and others to be held at the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Critics say suspected terrorists don't deserve the legal protections afforded by the American court. The administration considers the civilian justice system fairer and more efficient.

A criminal complaint filed last year and unsealed after Abu Khattala's capture charges him with terror-related crimes. They include killing a person during an attack on a federal facility; that crime can be punishable by death.

At the initial hearing, the government was expected to outline the charges against him. He almost certainly will remain in detention while the Justice Department seeks a federal grand jury indictment against him.

The violence in Libya on the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon quickly became a political controversy at home.

Republicans accused the White House, as the 2012 presidential election neared, of intentionally misleading the public about what prompted the attacks. The White House said Republicans were politicizing a national tragedy.

Abu Khattala was a prominent figure in Benghazi's circles of extremists. He was popular among young radicals and lived openly in the eastern Libyan city, spotted at cafes and other public places, even after the Obama administration publicly named him as a suspect.

He is accused of being a member of the Ansar al-Shariah group, the powerful Islamic militia that the U.S. believes was behind the attack.

He acknowledged in an interview with The Associated Press in January that he was present during the storming of the U.S. mission in Benghazi. But he denied involvement in the attack, saying he was trying to organize a rescue of trapped people.

In the attack, gunmen fired rocket-propelled grenades and stormed the mission, with many waving the black banners of Ansar al-Shariah.

The compound's main building was set ablaze. Ambassador Chris Stevens suffocated to death inside and another American was shot dead.

At the time, several witnesses said they saw Abu Khattala directing fighters at the site.

Later in the evening, gunmen attacked and shelled a safe house, killing two more Americans. No evidence has emerged that Abu Khattala was involved in the later attack.

Abu Khattala is one of just a few cases in which the administration has captured a suspected terrorist overseas and interrogated him for intelligence purposes before bringing him to federal court to face charges.

Those cases include Osama bin Laden's son-in-law, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, who was arrested in Jordan in March 2013 and turned over to U.S. agents. A jury in New York City convicted him in March of conspiring to kill Americans.

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AP National Security Writer Robert Burns contributed to this report.

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Online:

U.S. attorney's office: http://tinyurl.com/pdakxfv

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (AP) — Brazil advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday with a 3-2 shootout win over Chile following an intense and dramatic match that ended 1-1 after extra time.

Neymar, David Luiz and Marcelo scored in the shootout, and Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar saved two penalties before watching Gonzalo Jara's final attempt hit the post.

"My teammates are giving me a lot of strength on the field so I give my best," Julio Cesar said. "We're just three steps away and I hope to give another interview with Brazil partying."

Brazil will next face either Colombia or Uruguay in the quarterfinals.

Neither team managed to score at the Mineirao Stadium after first-half goals from Luiz and Sanchez, but Brazil came close to an early exit when Mauricio Pinilla's shot hit the crossbar in the final moments of extra time.

Chile also had the best chance in the second half, when Julio Cesar's spectacular save on Charles Aranguiz's shot kept the score even.

Brazil has reached the quarterfinals of each World Cup since Argentina eliminated it in the second round in 1990. Getting knocked out at that stage in its own World Cup would have been a disaster.

But the Brazilians overcame their nerves in the shootout, with Neymar scoring the final penalty after Julio Cesar stopped spot kicks from Pinilla and Sanchez.

When Jara hit the post, some of Brazil's players celebrated wildly while others fell to the ground, exhausted and emotionally drained. Willian, who missed a penalty for Brazil, sobbed uncontrollably, as Fred helped him to his feet.

As the crowd roared, the Brazilian players joined hands in a human chain. The Chileans stood still, wiping the sweat off their faces.

Brazil went ahead in the 18th minute after Thiago Silva deflected Neymar's corner kick toward the far post. Luiz was given the goal but replays showed Chile defender Gonzalo Jara may have touched the ball before it went in.

Brazil lost the lead when it failed to cope with Chile's aggressive pressure in a throw-in situation deep inside Brazil's half of the field. Eduardo Vargas intercepted Hulk's pass and found Sanchez on the right side of the area. The Barcelona striker scored easily with a shot toward the far post.

Neymar, Fred and Dani Alves had chances in the first half while a second-half goal from Hulk was disallowed when referee Howard Webb ruled he handled the ball.

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NEW DELHI (AP) — Rescuers using gas cutters and shovels were searching in construction rubble Sunday for more than a dozen workers feared trapped in the second of two building collapses in India that together have killed at least 16 people.

The 12-story structure the workers were building collapsed late Saturday while heavy rains were pounding the outskirts of Chennai, the capital of southern Tamil Nadu state. Police said 26 construction workers had been pulled out so far and the search was continuing for more than a dozen others.

Two of the workers died on the spot and another three succumbed to injuries later in a hospital, said police officer George Fernandes.

Fifteen injured workers have been hospitalized, while six others were allowed to go home after medical attention on Saturday night, Fernandes said.

Nearly 300 policemen and fire service workers worked overnight, scouring the debris for survivors. They used gas cutters, iron rods and shovels to reach those trapped in the rubble.

Earlier Saturday, a four-story, 50-year-old structure toppled in an area of New Delhi inhabited by the poor. At least 11 people died and one survivor was being treated in a hospital, said fire service officer Praveer Haldiar.

Most homes in that part of the capital were built without permission and using substandard materials, police officer Madhur Verma said.

The Press Trust of India news agency said the New Delhi collapse was triggered by construction work on an adjacent plot.

Building collapses are common in India, where high demand for housing and lax regulations have encouraged some builders to cut corners, use substandard materials or add unauthorized extra floors.

In April last year, 74 people were killed when an eight-story building being constructed illegally in the Mumbai suburb of Thane in western Maharashtra state caved in. It was the worst building collapse in the country in decades.