The ambassador of the United States to Libya, Christopher Stevens was killed during an armed mob attack in Benghazi on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, raising fresh questions about the merits of Washington’s policy of “regime change” in West Asia that followed these strikes.
Mr. Stevens is the second U.S. ambassador who has been killed during an outstation posting since the death of Adolph Dubs in 1979 during his tenure in Afghanistan.
Reuters is reporting that three other members of embassy staff were killed on Tuesday night, as a result of a rocket attack in Benghazi.
Details about the circumstances of the envoy’s killing are still hazy.
Reuters quoted an official as saying that the ambassador was being driven to a safer location from the consulate building in Benghazi when the gunmen struck. But, a separate account of the incident by Wanis al Sharif, the Libyan Deputy Minister differed in detail with the agency’s report.
Mr. Sharif said that the attackers had struck on Tuesday night in two separate waves. The angry mob, protesting against a U.S.-made film that ridicules Prophet Mohammed first torched the consulate building which had already been peppered with gunfire. Consequently, the ambassador and other officials were moved to a second building in the consulate compound, which was considered safer. However, that building also came under attack after members of the Libyan security team signalled to the protesters the relocation of the officials.
A Libyan doctor who attended on Mr. Stevens after he had been brought to hospital told Associated Press that for 90 minutes, he had tried to revive the envoy, who had suffered severe asphyxiation, resulting in stomach bleeding. The doctor, Ziad Abu Zeid said that no other Americans had been brought to Benghazi Medical Centre, and no one, initially recognised the envoy.
The American amateur film Innocence of Muslims, has also triggered a similar, but less violent attack in Cairo, the Egyptian capital. Those involved in making the film include Terry Jones, a Christian pastor, who was responsible for triggering mass protests in Afghanistan, following a Quran-burning scandal.
In Kabul, Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the "inhuman and abusive act" of the filmmakers, which he said, "has caused enmity and confrontation between the religions and cultures of the world," according to the Wall Street Journal.
Al-Jazeera is reporting that two U.S. marines were also among the four people who had died during the cascading assault. The bodies of the dead have been transported to Benghazi international airport and are being flown to Tripoli, en route Germany, where a major U.S. airbase is located.
U.S. President Barack Obama has “strongly" condemned the "outrageous" killing of four Americans, and paid tribute to the slain ambassador and his colleagues.
Jolted by the shocking incident, Libyan officials were on the defensive on Wednesday. Mr. Sharif said that the Libyan Interior Ministry lacked “necessary equipment and weaponry," and the guards had been withdrawn as the massive assault on the consulate escalated. "If the premises are attacked by a large number of heavily armed people, it is almost a suicidal attack". "It was imperative to withdraw the guards."
The Deputy Interior Minister also pinned blame on the “remnants of the former (Qadhafi) regime” for the attack.
Some analysts see Tuesday’s strike as blowback to the U.S. policy of “regime change” that resulted in the toppling of iron-fisted but secular leaders in the region, who had kept a lid on Islamic extremism, including former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and slain Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi.
Libya Herald, citing local witnesses, is reporting that the members of the hardline Islamist group Ansar Al-Sharia were among the attackers.
Following the lethal strike, President Obama has ordered enhanced security for U.S. diplomatic personnel around the world, AP reported. A Marine Corps team is heading to Libya to beef up security at the U.S. embassy in Tripoli.
Keywords: Libyan unrest, Benghazi attack, U.S. Ambassador killing, U.S. Consulate attack, Libya political crisis
This peobably would never have happened under Gadhafi, how ironic that is. The Americans, British and French helped in dis-lodging Gadhafi. There was no Al-Qaeda in Libya, but after the turmoil, they seem to have taken root. The same is happening in Syria, so be careful of what you want.
US is reaping what it sow. Unnecessary intervention of internal affairs of ME countries. Well done, US richly deserved it.
@ Kafantaris: Right to offend can never be the constituent of unalienable human right in general and right to freedom in particular. This becomes more true when the range of ramification of the offended is well known. This act, in reality, is conscious transgression of the periphery which the unalienable right to live with dignity delineates. In fact, the very purpose of the birth of the govt and the power of censure granted to it, is to protect the dignified life. The conspiracy of hegemons to use the art forms is well obvious. The recent manifestation of this conspiracy is the innocence of muslims. what the conspirators missed this time is fact that the people are alert now.
Certainly, the violent form of protest is deplorable and cannot be justified by the rationality and logic of any creative mind. There are innumerable other weapons to handle such hegemonic conspiracy. Taking lives is definitely not an answer to the insult.
Killing of the american ambassador is justified considering the nation
from he came constantly ridicule our beloved Prophet and Messenger of
God Muhammad Peace be upon Him. He is the best of humanity and any
ridicule of the Prophet is unbearable for any Muslim be him a layman,
educated, or a sophisticated Muslim.
These bad-ill-mouthed americans ought to be taught a lesson like this
which will make them shut their bloody mouths.
We seem to be living in a violent society. Unfortunately, religion seems to be in the focus of all this idiotic violence. People of all religions are attacking each other in the name of prophets, stupid religious beliefs in spite of the fact that no religion or prophet supports violence. Ignorance is the root cause of killings. College education does not make a person educated. It is just for getting a job in most of the cases. How do we educate people, make them understand the religious beliefs of others. Violence is not the solution for anything. Making a mockery of other religions, ridiculing their traditions, culture etc should be stopped. Christians were calling non Christians as sinners for centuries. Religious intolerance instigates violence. Innocent people often become victims. Politicians, stupid foreign policies, the ignorant violent religious leaders and their stupid followers are responsible for bloodshed. We all should take a good look at ourselves, be tolerant toward
The problem is that truth has been stifled for too long. Allow truth to come out. Islam never allows to discuss things about Mohammad under the excuse of blasphemy. Had Islam and Mohammad been open to all sorts of examinations/scrutiny to the unbiased mind - such things would not take place.
As one person posting a comment said Ignorance is cancer. Remove the cancer of ignorance. Do not allow things to be kept under wraps. Open out and accept the truth.
Why Hindu is not writing clearly who did it and which film it was. Kudos
to TimesofIndia, Time, CNN who put clear story so that I was able to get
complete picture.
This is absolutely unacceptable! Our hearts go out for the families of
all the Americans killed in these senseless attacks.
@Raman: Idiotic? And what makes you feel that the filmmaker is idiotic?
Have you seen the movie before jumping to such a conclusion? Instead of
condemning mad people for killing an innocent person just due to a
movie, you are blaming it on the filmmaker?
Secretary of State Clinton asked (not reported by the Hindu):"How
could this happen in a country we helped liberate, in a city we helped
save from destruction? This question reflects just how complicated,
and at times how confounding the world can be."
I disagree with her and think the US is paying the price for its
double standards. The US has demonstrated, time and again, that it
has no qualms in siding with extremist movements when it suits its
purpose.
The US chose to ignore all the warning signals about the true nature
of the anti-Ghadaffi movement - and the Taliban in Afghanistan many
years ago - because it suited their purpose. Note the muted response
of the US to the crackdown in Bahrain and deployment of Saudi troops
on the one hand with the strident criticism of Syria or Libya on the
other.
There is nothing complicated or confounding in what is happening, Ms
Clinton. It is plain as daylight, if only you wish to see it.
US Marines are being sent to beef up the security of the US embassy in Libya, more media
coverage about the "attack" on the US embassy or the burning of US flags elswhere, too.
Main question: Who and why would anyone want to make an anti-Islam film to provoke such
reactions ? This remains "unimportant".
Time to scrap all the religions of the past. Religion is just a tag on us with which we move around in the world. It has no practical application in life, it doesn't improve the quality of life, in fact it degrades it. Gods of various religions seems to be completely deaf by now. Prayers are unheard. What happens is a result of circumstances. Nobody gains anything from any sort of worship. It is just a psychological habit we live with. Better to an atheist than a mad theist! Reasoning should prevail over pathetic emotions. Religion is a dead body we carry around on our shoulders every moment. I hate this word most. World would be far better without any religion.
The irony is that Libya elected a liberal Government. Disarmed the US?
In no Islamist strong hold was a US Ambassador killed.
It is very sad. The perpetrators of this heinous act should be awarded
due punishment. This is also a warning to the Arab states that the
Salafists should not be taken lightly. There is a similarity between the
Salafists and the Orthodox Jews.
It is very sad that the embassy was attacked .The need of the hour is
to respect each other's religion and beliefs.The unnecessary intrusion
of US into the functioning of various governments across the world is
backfiring!
RIP,this is a deplorable crime.How the masses are mindwashed and trained to do such a ridiculous crimes...By joint global governance,authiorities might come to a conculsion and a solution.
Its my humble request to Human-Please Respect Humanity(not the religion,caste,creed or citizenship)
It is very tragic that an American ambassador has been done to death in Libya by mindless people. Granted that actions in both Libya and Egypt were instigated by some idiotic individual based in California that posted an amateurish movie on prophet Mohammad. The viral nature of these events when taken together with recent incidences in India on migration of people from Bangalore and Chennai to north east, from morphed images posted from the online (doctored in Pakistan?)suggests an explosive combination of technology and terror like a hand in a glove. Specifically, I worry that a chaotic democracy (like we have in India) along with dysfunctional and disruptive politician can lead to even more chaos if these things were to occur here! Things in India can go out of control with tremendous repercussions.
Islam is not a cancer but ignorance surely is -- with education being the only cure. Many Islamists have been deprived of their basic freedoms for so long they actually do not know or understand what they are.
Freedom of religion forbids the government from interfering with our religious beliefs. Freedom of speech forbids the government from interfering with our expression of any beliefs -- even those that are clearly wrong, offensive, against the government or against the prevalent religion.
If one of us thus decides to make an offensive film against another's religion, he has the freedom to do so. And since the government cannot stop him, it also cannot be blamed for the offending film. This point must sound strange to those whose entire lives have been controlled by their government or their religion. However, tolerating the offensive conduct of others is the cornerstone of all freedom.
To be sure, countries that only recently have espoused democracy have much work ahead of them. First and foremost they need to educate the masses on the workings of individual freedoms. The media should join in this important task because democracy depends on a free media.
Let the blood of our good Ambassador then write the first chapter of the Arab textbook for freedom. And let that chapter again begin with the preamble “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men.”
Death to the cult of violence & its satanic prophet Mohammad. From the deeds of these people it is confirmed that Islam is satanic cult.
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