Hillary Clinton walks back US Embassy's statement, confirms fatality in Benghazi violence

Politico is reporting tonight that a senior administration official has disavowed a statement issued earlier today by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, saying it “does not reflect the views of the United States government.”

http://twitter.com/ByronTau/statuses/245706640832208896

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton nonetheless released the following statement, which sounds very much like the original statement released by the embassy. It’s only after the very Obama-like “let me be clear” transition that the tone becomes assertive.

Some have sought to justify this vicious behavior as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet. The United States deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. Our commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation. But let me be clear:  There is never any justification for violent acts of this kind.

The embassy was ridiculed widely earlier today for its statement, which seemed to place the feelings of Egyptian Muslims above the American value of free expression.

Who the hell is running this damn unicorn circus?! RT @politico: White House disavows Cairo apology http://t.co/PHuwrWDp

— ¡El Sooopèrr! ن c137 (@SooperMexican) September 12, 2012

It's YOUR State Department, jackass. RT @politico White House disavows Cairo apology http://t.co/57cczN0B

— jon gabriel (@exjon) September 12, 2012

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Grateful Calvin

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Obama says Cairo apology was a mistake. He meant to bow.

— Burn, Democrat-Run Cities, Burn! (@NolteNC) September 12, 2012

Hey, @USEmbassyCairo… How crowded is it under that bus @BarackObama just threw u under? http://t.co/vxcWRt7F cc @michellemalkin

— (((Aaron “Worthing” Walker))) (@AaronWorthing) September 12, 2012

http://twitter.com/mcmoynihan/statuses/245707245948637184

http://twitter.com/SonnyBunch/statuses/245707527797489664

Clinton also confirmed that a State Department official was killed in Benghazi, Libya, during an attack on the U.S. consulate there.

Secretary of State Clinton confirms at
mission in Benghazi, Libya "one of our State Department officers was killed."

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) September 12, 2012

Hillary Clinton confirms foreign service officer killed in attack on US consulate in Benghazi, #Libya.US "heartbroken by this terrible loss"

— Elise Labott (@EliseLabott) September 12, 2012