U.S. Ambassador to Libya Killed in Rocket Attack By Protesters

U.S. Ambassador to Libya Killed in Rocket Attack By Protesters

Chris Stevens, U.S. ambassador to Libya, killed along with three others in a rocket attack outside the American Consulate in Benghazi, was "a courageous and exemplary representative of the United States," President Barack Obama said in his statement as he condemned the attack.

Initial reports said the slain embassy staffers–who also included foreign service information management officer Sean Smith–were trying to flee the consulate building when they were fired upon by protesters apparently angry over a film they say insults Prophet Muhammad.

However, U.S. officials told the New York Times and CNN on Wednesday that the attack may have been planned by a group that "had either been waiting for an opportunity to exploit like the protests over the video or perhaps even generated the protests as a cover for their attack."

According to the Associated Press, Libyan doctor who treated Stevens said the diplomat died of severe asphyxiation from smoke inhalation and that he tried for 90 minutes to revive him.

Stevens, 52, was the first U.S. ambassador killed in the line of duty since 1979, when Adolph Dubs, U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, was gunned down in a kidnapping attempt.

"Throughout the Libyan revolution, [Stevens] selflessly served our country and the Libyan people at our mission in Benghazi," Obama said. "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."

In response to the attack, the United States is "deploying elite Marine counterterrorism teams to Libya," Foreign Policy reports. The Pentagon is sending Fleet Anti-Terrorism Teams, or FAST teams, a U.S. defense official told the magazine.

"It's especially tragic because Chris Stevens died in Benghazi because it is a city he fought to save," Obama said later Wednesday morning in hastily arranged public remarks in the Rose Garden of the White House.

Posted by James Fried on Thursday September 13 2012, 2:26 AM EST. Ref: CNN. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0