Reuters, the Associated Press and other media outlets are reporting that Libyan officials say Ambassador Chris Stevens and three staffers died Tuesday after the violent attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.
The officials say Ambassador Chris Stevens was killed Tuesday night when he and a group of embassy employees went to the consulate to try to evacuate staff. The protesters were firing gunshots and rocket propelled grenades.
#CNN confirms that US ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens, killed in a rocket attack on the American consulate in Benghazi.
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) September 12, 2012
Hard to overstate significance if true: Chris Stephens had served as envoy to NTC during #Libya war. Last US Ambassador killed in 1979!
— Jon Williams (@WilliamsJon) September 12, 2012
#Libya's Deputy Interior Minister tells press conference Amb. Chris Stevens died in hospital.
— Jon Williams (@WilliamsJon) September 12, 2012
US Amb. Chris Stevens was open, accessible, knew Libya and was respected by Libyans. US confirms he was killed in yesterday's attack.
— Steve Inskeep (@NPRinskeep) September 12, 2012
Ambassador Killed, Embassy Attacked: A Time of Testing : http://t.co/3E4BHXrx @Commentary
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) September 12, 2012
John Podhoretz reacts at Commentary:
This is awful, calamitous, horrible news in a hundred different ways, not only for his family and for the Foreign Service in which he served so honorably, but when it comes to the most fundamental rule of relations between countries from time immemorial—which is that their emissaries are guaranteed safe passage and safe conduct when they travel on behalf of their own governments.
The US Ambassador in Libya pic.twitter.com/ricz9S50
— Hussam ﮼حسام،الدين. (@Proudlibyandoc) September 12, 2012
R.I.P. John Christopher Stevens (US ambassador to Libya) in photo, shakes hands with Libyan leader Mustafa Abdel pic.twitter.com/b3vEqMYZ
— Patrick O'Sullivan (@patrickuzor) September 12, 2012
@mpoppel Is Christopher Stevens the ambassador to Libya? Here's his pic from the official website. pic.twitter.com/AtCn0L4n
— Brett Rosner (@Brosner85) September 12, 2012
Update:
Ambassador Stevens reportedly died from suffocation.
CBS News: Amb Chris Stevens died of suffocation, while the three other personnel were killed by gunshot wounds http://t.co/goQE9zcX
— Toby Harnden (@tobyharnden) September 12, 2012
tragic TRIPOLI (AP) The Libyan doctor who treated U.S. ambassador Stevens says .. died of severe asphyxiation … tried for 90 mins 2 revive
— Ed Henry (@edhenry) September 12, 2012
Update:
A statement from President Obama:
POTUS: "I strongly condemn the outrageous attack on our diplomatic facility in Benghazi, which took the lives of 4 Americans…"
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) September 12, 2012
POTUS: "On a personal note, (US Ambassador) Chris (Stevens) was a courageous and exemplary representative of the United States. "
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) September 12, 2012
POTUS orders "all necessary resources" to support the security of US personnel in Libya + increase security at diplomatic posts around world
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) September 12, 2012
POTUS says while US "rejects efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others" all must "unequivocally oppose…senseless violence…"
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) September 12, 2012
Read the full statement by President Obama on the embassy attacks http://t.co/EZBYlodm
— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) September 12, 2012
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