News
US Ambassador, 3 Embassy Employees Killed In Lydia
Libyan protesters attacked the US Embassy in Benghazi late Tuesday with guns and rocket propelled grenades, killing four consulate workers as they tried to flee the area. The White House identified two of the dead as J. Christopher Stevens, the ambassador to Lybia, and Sean Smith, a foreign service information management officer. The other two Americans have not been identified.
The protests erupted Tuesday over an American film by Sam Bacile that ridicules Islam's prophet Mohammed. Some Libyans attempted to defend the embassy along with security staff, but protesters only became more incensed, according to Deputy Interior Minister Wanis al-Sharif.
"This led to more anger and this is when the consulate was stormed," he said. "Criminals managed to get in and they burned and ransacked the consulate.”
Stevens and several embassy employees were attacked while trying to help evacuate the consulate. Libyans attempting to stop the protesters reportedly rushed Stevens to a nearby hospital where he died of asphyxiation from smoke inhalation. The three other embassy employees died of gunshot wounds. Protesters looted the embassy on Wednesday.
Libya Prime Minister Abdurrahim el-Keib condemned the attack as a “cowardly criminal act” while Deputy Prime Minister Mustafa Abushagur said he “condemns these barbaric acts in the strongest possible terms.” “This is an attack on America, Libya and free people everywhere," Abushagur Tweeted.
President Barack Obama vowed to “bring justice to killers who attack our people.”
“I strongly condemn the outrageous attack on our diplomatic facility in Benghazi, which took the lives of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. Right now, the American people have the families of those we lost in our thoughts and prayers. They exemplified America's commitment to freedom, justice, and partnership with nations and people around the globe, and stand in stark contrast to those who callously took their lives,” the president said in a 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. While the United States rejects efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others, we must all unequivocally oppose the kind of senseless violence that took the lives of these public servants,” he continued.
“On a personal note, Chris was a courageous and exemplary representative of the United States. Throughout the Libyan revolution, he selflessly served our country and the Libyan people at our mission in Benghazi. As Ambassador in Tripoli, he has supported Libya's transition to democracy. His legacy will endure wherever human beings reach for liberty and justice. I am profoundly grateful for his service to my Administration, and deeply saddened by this loss,” President Obama added.
Similar protests broke out at the US Embassy in Cairo, Egypt on Tuesday, but no consulate personnel were injured or killed.
###
Click here for more World News
More News
US Measles Count Surpasses 25 Year Old Record As Numbers Close In On 1,000 Cases for 2019
US Measles Count Surpasses 25 Year Old Record As Numbers Close In On 1,000 Cases for 2019
Released On: 5/31/2019
Views: 2756
Tourist Boat Sinks After Colliding with Luxury Passenger Boat On The Danube
Tourist Boat Sinks After Colliding with Luxury Passenger Boat On The Danube
Released On: 5/30/2019
Views: 3033
Mount Everest Death Toll Rises To 11 People With Growing Overcrowding Concerns
Mount Everest Death Toll Rises To 11 People With Growing Overcrowding Concerns
Released On: 5/29/2019
Views: 2975
Facebook Unveils Two New Major Features To The Social Platform
Released On: 10/3/2016
Views: 6600
Yahoo Experiences Largest Hack In History, 500 Million Accounts Breached
Released On: 9/23/2016
Views: 5489
New Techniques Could Allow Skin Cells To Produce Embryos
Released On: 9/13/2016
Views: 7691
AI Advancement Has Lead To Both Progress And Worry
Released On: 9/13/2016
Views: 6209
Strong Earthquake Hits Northwest China, Dozens Killed And Hundreds Injured
Dozens of people are dead and hundreds of others are injured following Monday morning’s 6.6 magnitude earthquake in northwest China. Rescue and relief efforts are underway. The Chinese Red Cross has already gathered 200 tents, 1,000 sets of house ...
Released On: 7/22/2013
Views: 9099
Zetas Leader Miguel Angel Treviño Morale Captured
One of Mexico’s most ruthless drug lords was captured early Monday as he was traveling outside the border city of Nuevo Laredo. Authorities identified the man as Zetas cartel boss Miguel Angel Treviño Morale. Morale, who is facing numerous charge ...
Released On: 7/17/2013
Views: 13989
Riot At Boxing Match In Indonesia Leads To Deadly Stampede
Over a dozen people died late Sunday night in a stampede at an overcrowded boxing match in eastern Indonesia. On Monday morning, authorities put the death toll at 18. At least 32 other people were injured.
Released On: 7/16/2013
Views: 12227
9 Foreigners Climbing In Himalayas Killed By Taliban Militants
Taliban militants in Pakistan killed 9 foreign tourists and one local guide preparing to climb in the Himalayas over the weekend. The dead included one Chinese-American, one Nepali, one Lithuanian, two Chinese, two Slovakians and three Ukranians.
Released On: 6/25/2013
Views: 6504
2 Children Beheaded By Taliban Militants For Taking Food From Police
Authorities in southern Afghanistan have blamed Taliban militants for a horrific attack on two young boys in Kandahar province. According to the provincial governor’s office, the militants abducted and beheaded the children on Sunday because they ...
Released On: 6/11/2013
Views: 5972
Mexican Soldiers Free Over 150 Migrants From Kidnappers
Mexican authorities rescued more than 150 migrants that were being held for ransom in Tamaulipas, a northeast state that borders the United States, after receiving an anonymous tip about their location. The migrants were kidnapped last month as t ...
Released On: 6/7/2013
Views: 5486
China Plant Fire Kills 119 Workers
More than 100 people died early Monday in a large fire at a poultry processing plant in China’s Jilin province.
Released On: 6/4/2013
Views: 5283
French Fugitive Redoine Faid Captured
France’s most wanted fugitive, Redoine Faid, was captured Wednesday outside Paris six weeks after his brazen jail break in Lille. Authorities say Faid and an accomplice were taken into custody at a hotel in Pontault-Combault, an area about 12 mil ...
Released On: 5/30/2013
Views: 5622
US Pilot Forced To Eject From Fighter Jet Over Pacific Ocean, Incident Under Investigation
Military officials say investigators will look in to what caused a pilot to have to eject from his F-15 jet over the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday around 9 a.m. The pilot has not been identified, but the U.S. Air Force has confirmed he was not harmed ...
Released On: 5/29/2013
Views: 5306
South Korean Man Kills Girl By Landing On Her In Suicide Plunge
A 38-year-old man inadvertently took the life of a young girl Wednesday when he jumped to his death from his apartment in Busan, South Korea.
Released On: 5/24/2013
Views: 5395
