US ambassador amongst three US dead in Libya

12 Sep 2012, 8:48 pm   -   Source: Agencies and SBS
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The American ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens, and three officials were killed when a mob attacked the US consulate in the eastern city of Benghazi, the interior ministry said Wednesday.

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The American ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens, and three officials were killed when a mob attacked the US consulate in the eastern city of Benghazi, the interior ministry said Wednesday.
  
"The ambassador was killed along with three other officials," said Wanis al-Sharif, the deputy minister of the interior. Stevens' death in Tuesday's attack was confirmed in a tweet by Mustafa Abu Shagur, the deputy prime minister.

"The Libyan ambassador and three staff members were killed when gunmen fired rockets at them," the official i told Reuters from Benghazi, although it was unclear if the ambassador was in the consulate or his car at the time of the attack.

Earlier, protesters angered over a film that ridiculed Islam's Prophet Mohammed have fired gunshots and burned down the US consulate in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, killing one American, AFP reported.

In Egypt, protesters scaled the walls of the US embassy in Cairo, and tore and replaced the American flag with an Islamic banner.

Tuesday's attacks were the first such assaults on US diplomatic facilities in either country, at a time when both Libya and Egypt are struggling to overcome the turmoil following the ouster of their longtime leaders, Muammar Gaddafi and Hosni Mubarak, in
uprisings last year.

The protests in both countries were sparked by outrage over a film ridiculing Mohammed produced by an Israeli filmmaker living in California and being promoted by an extreme anti-Muslim Egyptian Christian campaigner in the United States. Excerpts from the film dubbed into Arabic were posted on YouTube.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confirmed that a State Department officer had been killed in the protest at the US consulate in Benghazi.

She strongly condemned the attack and said she had called Libyan President Mohammed el-Megarif "to coordinate additional support to protect Americans in Libya".

Clinton expressed concern that the protests might spread to other countries. She said the US is working with "partner countries around the world to protect our personnel, our missions, and American citizens worldwide".

In Benghazi, a large mob stormed the US consulate, with gunmen firing their weapons, said Wanis al-Sharef, an interior ministry official in Benghazi. A witness said attackers fired automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades at the consulate as they clashed with Libyans hired to guard the facility.

Outnumbered by the crowd, Libyan security forces did little to stop them, al-Sharef said.

The crowd overwhelmed the facility and set fire to it, burning most of it and looting the contents, witnesses said.

One American was shot to death and a second was wounded in the hand, al-Sharef said. He did not give further details.

The violence at the consulate lasted for about three hours, but the situation has now quieted down, said another witness.

Hours before the Benghazi attack, hundreds of mainly ultraconservative Islamist protesters in Egypt marched to the US embassy in downtown Cairo, gathering outside its walls and chanting against the movie and the US. Most of the embassy staff had left the compound earlier because of warnings of the upcoming demonstration.

"Say it, don't fear: their ambassador must leave," the crowd chanted.

Dozens of protesters then scaled the embassy walls, and several went into the courtyard and took down the American flag from a pole. They brought it back to the crowd outside, which tried to burn it, but failing that tore it apart.

 

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Your Comments

Why help

Jayden - from Canberra, 8 months ago

Yeah just like if you were walking down a street and you see someone being attacked you wouldn't help because it's there problem and it would be rude to intervene

vain hope

phw - from canberra, 8 months ago

I'd like to share Youssef's hope that the Americans will mind their own business in the future, but ever since the cruzades of the dark ages christians have used the cross to commit the most atrocious robberies around the world; and with an American deficit out of control I don't expect them to stop now.

The West can do no right.....

Tim - from Brissy, 9 months ago

Youssef, if the West doesn't intervene, and civilians in those countries were being slaughtered, you'd blame the US, not the Middle Eastern authoritarian govt. It's oh so easy to US/West bash, but I didn't read any actual solutions of your own to problems in the MEAO. Your complete lack of compassion over these deaths is a disgrace. Take a good hard look at Youseef in the mirror mate!

A world without religion

Mohammed the atheist - from Sydney, 9 months ago

At least four dead over a short film? Yeah, that really makes sense. Ridiculous. Grow up. Take the same criticism everyone else takes. Are you adults or little children throwing hissy fits over anything you don't like? If that's the case, then we should treat you like children and tell you what to do and how to act. RIDICULOUS BEHAVIOUR. CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR should no longer be tolerated by the West. I could have been born in Egypt, but I'm so glad I was born here.

Really sad.

Sima - from Brisbane, 9 months ago

Muslims NEVER disrespect another religion ever but why do some people have the audacity to ridicule Islam and provoke the Muslims all around the world to start protests which lead to many innocent lives being lost. Clearly here the victims are going to be blamed as the offenders. Why doesn't anyone focus more on what started this? A coward, who is hiding now, made a movie to mock our beloved prophet which we love dearly more than our lives just to make a few bucks.

After u helped them, they will return their head and bite you

Youssef Takla - from perth , 9 months ago

hope that the US will learn from its mistakes and never ever get engaged in any other conflicts in the middle east !! maybe they should mind their own business from now on. after supporting the Islamist current in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia, the same current they supported will rebel against them as you see here.

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