On Aug. 13 2012 the U.S Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, was killed by a pro- Al Qaeda group in Benghazi. Stevens helped free the rebel capital city of Benghazi and President Obama is calling Steven’s death in Benghazi, “An especially tragic place to die.”
Libyan security forces fought alongside the U.S forces and to help save the lives of other Americans within the embassy. President Obama offered praise for the Libyan government, Libyan security forces helped carry Steven’s body to the hospital “This attack will not break bonds between the United States and Libya.”
President Obama is calling the attack planned; the attackers were armed with RPG’s and mortars. There is also suspicion that the protests outside the U.S consulate were simply a diversion set in motion by this group to scout the area and plan the attack. “It is still not possible to determine if the protests were simply a diversion created by one group in Libya or not. We must realize that there are protests taking place in several locations (Libya, Egypt and Yemen) all at the same time”. William Rosenberg, a political science professor at Drexel seems to think that “Reports seemed to indicate that the attacks were not random in Libya since they involved mortar rounds placed strategically” said Rosenberg. However he does not think this mean’s all the protesters in Libya were involved.
While the attacks seem to be planned they were definitely provoked, by a YouTube video made by Terry Jones. Jones is a pastor in Florida and posted a controversial video that desecrated the Islamic world by making false accusations about the Prophet Muhammad. “At a certain point freedom of speech starts to hurt people, and this horrible video caused this tragic event” AP European history teacher Hank Houseman’s thoughts on the attack on the U.S embassy.
Immediately after news of this attack reached U.S official a rapid deployment unit of 50 marines were sent to the embassy. President Obama assures that “Justice will be done.” Stevens is the first U.S Ambassador to be killed in the line of duty since 1979 and the sixth to die in the line of duty, two others have died in plane crashes.
The second man killed was Sean Smith, an information management officer who joined the Foreign Service 10 years ago; the other two bodies are unidentified. All around the world security is being increased around U.S government buildings due to this attack.
