US ambassador to Libya killed in rocket attack

Posted by aminjan35 on September 13th, 2012

BENGHAZI (AFP/Reuters) - Washington?s envoy to Libya and three other Americans were killed when a mob outraged over a blasphemous movie stormed the US consulate in Benghazi, Libyan and US officials said on Wednesday.

President Barack Obama quickly ordered increased security at US diplomatic posts around the world, while slamming Tuesday?s deadly assault in Benghazi.

?I strongly condemn the outrageous attack on our diplomatic facility in Benghazi, which took the lives of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens,? Obama said, in a White House statement.

?I have directed my Administration to provide all necessary resources to support the security of our personnel in Libya, and to increase security at our diplomatic posts around the globe,? he added.

Obama vowed to bring to justice the killers of the US ambassador and three other diplomats in Libya as he sought to avoid election-year fallout from an attack that cast a spotlight on his administration?s handling of ?Arab Spring? unrest.

Standing in the White House Rose Garden, Obama insisted it would not threaten relations with Libya?s new elected government. Obama, apparently seeking to seize the initiative in the aftermath of the attack, pledged to work with the Libyan government to ?see that justice is done for this terrible act.?

Stevens, a career officer with the US foreign service, had been in the country for less than four months after taking up his post in the capital Tripoli in May.

Witnesses said he was killed when angry mob late Tuesday attacked the consulate with rocket-propelled grenades before looting it and torching the building. A picture taken by an AFP photographer shows an injured Stevens being aided by Libyans inside the premises of the consulate.

The Benghazi attack came just hours after people had stormed the US embassy in Cairo in a similar protest against the amateur American-made Internet video.

Clips of the film at the centre of the controversy have been posted on the Internet and private satellite channels have been showing segments.

The film was produced by Israeli-American Sam Bacile, according to the Wall Street Journal, but Egyptian media say that some Egyptian Copts living in the US were involved in the production.

The film is being promoted by controversial Florida pastor Terry Jones, who has drawn protests in the past for burning the copies of holy Quran and vehemently opposing the construction of a mosque near Ground Zero in New York.

Libyan leader Mohammed Magarief apologised to the United States on Wednesday over an attack on its consulate in Benghazi in which the ambassador and three other staff members were killed.

?We apologise to the United States, the people and to the whole world for what happened,? Magarief, president of Libya?s national assembly, told a news conference broadcast live on Al Jazeera television.

Abdelmonoem al-Horr, spokesman for the Libyan interior ministry?s security commission, had on Tuesday said rocket-propelled grenades were fired at the consulate from a nearby farm.

Witnesses said the attackers ripped up a US flag, then looted the consulate before setting it on fire on the eleventh anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

?Dozens of demonstrators attacked the consulate and set fire to it,? said a Benghazi resident, who only gave his name as Omar, adding that he had seen the flames and heard shots in the vicinity.

The violent protest was strongly condemned by Libya?s General National Congress, which in a statement expressed ?outrage at the unfortunate attack against the American consulate in Benghazi.?

The Libyan incident came after thousands of Egyptian demonstrators Tuesday tore down the Stars and Stripes at the US embassy in Cairo and replaced it with a black flag.

An Egyptian security official said on Wednesday that security has been stepped up in the area around the US embassy in Cairo following the protests.

Coptic activists said they would stage a vigil on Wednesday in protest against the film.

Meanwhile, the United States is deploying a US Marine anti-terrorism team to Libya to bolster security after a deadly attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, a US defence official said Wednesday.

?The Marines are sending a FAST (Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team) team to Libya,? the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.

US Marines and private contractors are charged with safeguarding diplomatic posts abroad and it was unclear how the attackers managed to breach security.

?These companies are called on to protect forces and installations when a heightened security threat requires it,? states the unit?s website.

US ambassador to Libya killed in rocket attackBENGHAZI (AFP/Reuters) - Washington?s envoy to Libya and three other Americans were killed when a mob outraged over a blasphemous movie stormed the US consulate in Benghazi, Libyan and US officials said on Wednesday.

President Barack Obama quickly ordered increased security at US diplomatic posts around the world, while slamming Tuesday?s deadly assault in Benghazi.

?I strongly condemn the outrageous attack on our diplomatic facility in Benghazi, which took the lives of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens,? Obama said, in a White House statement.

?I have directed my Administration to provide all necessary resources to support the security of our personnel in Libya, and to increase security at our diplomatic posts around the globe,? he added.

Obama vowed to bring to justice the killers of the US ambassador and three other diplomats in Libya as he sought to avoid election-year fallout from an attack that cast a spotlight on his administration?s handling of ?Arab Spring? unrest.

Standing in the White House Rose Garden, Obama insisted it would not threaten relations with Libya?s new elected government. Obama, apparently seeking to seize the initiative in the aftermath of the attack, pledged to work with the Libyan government to ?see that justice is done for this terrible act.?

Stevens, a career officer with the US foreign service, had been in the country for less than four months after taking up his post in the capital Tripoli in May.

Witnesses said he was killed when angry mob late Tuesday attacked the consulate with rocket-propelled grenades before looting it and torching the building. A picture taken by an AFP photographer shows an injured Stevens being aided by Libyans inside the premises of the consulate.

The Benghazi attack came just hours after people had stormed the US embassy in Cairo in a similar protest against the amateur American-made Internet video.

Clips of the film at the centre of the controversy have been posted on the Internet and private satellite channels have been showing segments.

The film was produced by Israeli-American Sam Bacile, according to the Wall Street Journal, but Egyptian media say that some Egyptian Copts living in the US were involved in the production.

The film is being promoted by controversial Florida pastor Terry Jones, who has drawn protests in the past for burning the copies of holy Quran and vehemently opposing the construction of a mosque near Ground Zero in New York.

Libyan leader Mohammed Magarief apologised to the United States on Wednesday over an attack on its consulate in Benghazi in which the ambassador and three other staff members were killed.

?We apologise to the United States, the people and to the whole world for what happened,? Magarief, president of Libya?s national assembly, told a news conference broadcast live on Al Jazeera television.

Abdelmonoem al-Horr, spokesman for the Libyan interior ministry?s security commission, had on Tuesday said rocket-propelled grenades were fired at the consulate from a nearby farm.

Witnesses said the attackers ripped up a US flag, then looted the consulate before setting it on fire on the eleventh anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

?Dozens of demonstrators attacked the consulate and set fire to it,? said a Benghazi resident, who only gave his name as Omar, adding that he had seen the flames and heard shots in the vicinity.

The violent protest was strongly condemned by Libya?s General National Congress, which in a statement expressed ?outrage at the unfortunate attack against the American consulate in Benghazi.?

The Libyan incident came after thousands of Egyptian demonstrators Tuesday tore down the Stars and Stripes at the US embassy in Cairo and replaced it with a black flag.

An Egyptian security official said on Wednesday that security has been stepped up in the area around the US embassy in Cairo following the protests.

Coptic activists said they would stage a vigil on Wednesday in protest against the film.

Meanwhile, the United States is deploying a US Marine anti-terrorism team to Libya to bolster security after a deadly attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, a US defence official said Wednesday.

?The Marines are sending a FAST (Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team) team to Libya,? the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.

US Marines and private contractors are charged with safeguarding diplomatic posts abroad and it was unclear how the attackers managed to breach security.

?These companies are called on to protect forces and installations when a heightened security threat requires it,? states the unit?s website.