The assassination of the US ambassador in Benghazi: the father of the Libyan revolution died due to a fatal accident. The mystery of the death of Ambassador Stevens American Ambassador to Libya

MOSCOW, September 12 - RIA Novosti. The American diplomatic missions in Benghazi and Cairo were attacked on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the victims of one of the attacks were the US ambassador to Libya and three other consular employees. This state of emergency was preceded by the appearance on the Internet of fragments of the film "The Innocence of Muslims" created in the USA, in which the Prophet Muhammad is presented in an extremely unsightly form.

The US authorities are strengthening the security of their diplomatic missions around the world, and they are sending an anti-terrorist unit of the Marines to Libya. Meanwhile, according to experts, attacks on diplomatic missions are a direct consequence of the "Arab Spring", which ended with the coming of Islamists to power in the countries of this region.

Ambassador assassination

US diplomatic missions were attacked on Tuesday.

First, in Cairo, after evening prayers, several thousand people surrounded the embassy complex in a mass protest. The crowd chanted anti-American slogans, demonstrators threw firecrackers on the territory of the diplomatic mission. The protesters burned the US flag in front of the embassy, and a black flag was hoisted on one of the pillars near the diplomatic mission with the words: "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet." And several people broke into the territory of the diplomatic mission and lowered the American flag on the building.

The indignation of the audience was caused by the information that the film "The Innocence of Muslims" is being prepared for release in the United States, in which the Prophet Muhammad is presented in an extremely unattractive form. Fragments of this film can now be found in the public domain on the Internet. The dissatisfaction of Muslims could have been caused by the very fact of the image of the Prophet Muhammad, which was forbidden according to the norms of Islam. However, the film, in addition, presents some episodes from the biography of the prophet in an unsightly light. An American pastor from Florida, Terry Jones, who became infamous after several public actions of burning the Koran, took an active part in the creation of the film.

A few hours after the incident in Cairo, it became known about the Libyan Benghazi, which a year ago was a stronghold of the rebels who fought against the regime of Muammar Gaddafi. Unknown people fired at the building of the diplomatic mission with grenade launchers. Presumably, the shelling was carried out from the territory of a nearby farm. Initially, it was reported that only one person died (his name was not called) and another was wounded in the arm. However, on Wednesday afternoon it became known that four people became victims of the incident. And among the dead -.

Libya's Deputy Interior Minister, Wanis Al-Sharif, said two diplomats, including the head of the diplomatic mission, were killed in the attack, Reuters reported. Two more died during an attempt to evacuate them from Benghazi. After a grenade attack, the surviving diplomats were transported to a safe house. They were followed by a special flight from Tripoli, which was supposed to take out diplomatic workers from the territory of Benghazi. However, when the Americans were leaving the safe house, unknown persons opened fire on them, killing two people.

US diplomatic missions in Egypt and Libya have come under attack for the first time since the regimes of Hosni Mubarak and Muammar Gaddafi were overthrown in 2011.

Strengthening security

Following the news of the attack on the US consulate in Libya, US President Barack Obama issued orders around the world.

"I have directed that all necessary resources and support be provided to ensure the safety of personnel in Libya, as well as to strengthen the security of our diplomatic institutions around the world," Obama said in a statement released by the White House press service.

A unit of American marines specializing in anti-terrorist activities will be sent to Libya, according to Agence France-Presse, citing a source in the Pentagon.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement Wednesday that Ambassador Chris Stevens has been in the diplomatic service for 21 years. He was sworn in as ambassador to Libya a few months ago and became the first US official to visit Benghazi since the ouster of a Libyan president last year.

"The shelling also killed an embassy officer in charge of information matters, Sean Smith," Clinton said in a statement.

Smith, according to Clinton, served in the State Department for about 10 years. Previously, he worked in embassies in Baghdad, Pretoria and The Hague.

"We condemn these horrific attacks that took the lives of diplomats who helped Libyans build a better future," the Secretary of State said.

Allegations of provocation

The attack on the American consulate in Benghazi was condemned by the UN Security Council,. Thus, the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance said that "this kind of violence has no justification," and the head of EU diplomacy, Catherine Ashton, called on Libya to "immediately take measures to protect the lives of all diplomats and foreign employees."

In turn, representatives of Islamic countries, although they call on people to restraint, still react extremely negatively to the film "The Innocence of Muslims."

"This film offends the prophet and is immoral," the Egyptian government said in a statement.

The Afghan authorities, according to AFP, blocked access to the YouTube portal, which published excerpts of the film, for an hour and a half.

The backlash also came from the Vatican. Holy See spokesman Father Federico Lombardi called the film "a provocation for Muslims."

Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that Terry Jones, an American pastor from Florida, odious to Muslims, had a hand in creating the tape. He acted as a producer of "Innocence of Muslims" and promised to show a fragment of the picture to the parishioners of his church.

Jones gained notoriety worldwide after several public actions of burning the Koran. After the first such action in March 2011, riots broke out in Afghanistan, during which more than 100 people were killed. The actions and statements of Terry Jones are strongly condemned all over the world, especially in Muslim countries.

"After all, the 'Arab spring' turned into the coming to power of political groups of Islamist orientation, individual representatives of these groups, in accordance with their ideas, are spinning the 'wheel of fortune'," Margelov said.

(1960-04-18 ) Place of Birth: Citizenship:

USA USA

Date of death:

Stevens was concerned about the level of security in Benghazi, and the ambassador also considered himself on the "hit list" of al-Qaeda.

The attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, in which the US ambassador was killed, was not preceded by protests against the movie The Innocence of Muslims. About this on the eve of the hearings in Congress on the incident, said an employee of the State Department. This contradicts earlier versions of what happened.

Reaction to death

After this statement received a wide response, Gennady Zyuganov said that his words were distorted, and the meaning was that due to US interference in the affairs of other countries, the world was on the verge of a big war.

The September 20 White House for the first time called the attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, which led to the death of the ambassador, a terrorist attack. The US presidential administration noted that militants of Al-Qaeda in the countries of the Islamic Maghreb may have taken part in the attack.

The message that Stevens was concerned about his safety became the basis for criticism from Congress against the administration of Barack Obama: she was accused of not providing proper protection to American diplomats in Benghazi.

US Senator Rand Paul said that the US ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, not only oversaw the supply of weapons to the Syrian opposition, but also recruited jihadists for it. At the same time, according to the senator, the Syrian militants consist mostly of members of the Jabat al-Nusra terrorist organization, which is related to Al-Qaeda. Referring to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the senator added that a week before the assassination of the American ambassador in Libya, a ship with a large cargo of weapons was sent from the country, and the United States knew about it. And also that the US representatives met with the captain of the ship and he informed them about the skirmishes between the militants who did not share weapons among themselves.

Killed on 9/11 with him, Sean Smith, a US consular officer in Benghazi, Libya, turned out to be a well-known gamer in the multiplayer role-playing game Eve Online. The victim, known by the nickname Vile Rat ("Mean Rat"), has been playing this MMORPG since 2006.

Supporters of the sacralization of the death of Christopher Stevenson refer to the famous photo of the diplomat, where he poses with pleasure against the backdrop of the corpse of Muammar Gaddafi [ ] . However, this famous photo does not actually show him, but Daily Mail journalist Andrew Malone (Andrew Malone)

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Notes

Excerpt characterizing Stevens, Christopher

This letter had not yet been submitted to the sovereign, when Barclay conveyed to Bolkonsky at dinner that the sovereign personally wanted to see Prince Andrei in order to ask him about Turkey, and that Prince Andrei had to appear at Benigsen's apartment at six o'clock in the evening.
On the same day, news was received in the sovereign's apartment about Napoleon's new movement, which could be dangerous for the army - news that later turned out to be unfair. And on the same morning, Colonel Michaud, driving around the Dris fortifications with the sovereign, proved to the sovereign that this fortified camp, arranged by Pfuel and considered until now the chef d "?uvr" of tactics, supposed to destroy Napoleon - that this camp is nonsense and death Russian army.
Prince Andrei arrived at the apartment of General Benigsen, who occupied a small landowner's house on the very bank of the river. Neither Bennigsen nor the sovereign was there, but Chernyshev, the sovereign's adjutant wing, received Bolkonsky and announced to him that the sovereign had gone with General Benigsen and with Marquis Pauluchi another time that day to bypass the fortifications of the Drissa camp, the convenience of which was beginning to be strongly doubted.
Chernyshev was sitting with a book of a French novel by the window of the first room. This room was probably formerly a hall; there was still an organ in it, on which some kind of carpets were piled, and in one corner stood the folding bed of adjutant Benigsen. This adjutant was here. He, apparently worn out by a feast or business, sat on a folded bed and dozed off. Two doors led from the hall: one directly into the former living room, the other to the right into the office. From the first door came voices speaking German and occasionally French. There, in the former living room, at the request of the sovereign, not a military council was gathered (the sovereign loved uncertainty), but some persons whose opinion about the upcoming difficulties he wanted to know. It was not a military council, but, as it were, a council of the elect to clarify certain issues personally for the sovereign. The following were invited to this half-council: the Swedish general Armfeld, adjutant general Wolzogen, Winzingerode, whom Napoleon called a fugitive French subject, Michaud, Tol, not a military man at all - Count Stein and, finally, Pfuel himself, who, as Prince Andrei heard, was la cheville ouvriere [the basis] of the whole business. Prince Andrei had the opportunity to examine him well, since Pfuel arrived shortly after him and went into the drawing room, stopping for a minute to talk with Chernyshev.
Pfuel at first glance, in his Russian general's badly tailored uniform, which sat awkwardly, as if dressed up, seemed familiar to Prince Andrei, although he had never seen him. It included Weyrother, and Mack, and Schmidt, and many other German theorists of generals, whom Prince Andrei managed to see in 1805; but he was more typical than all of them. Prince Andrey had never seen such a German theoretician, who united in himself everything that was in those Germans.
Pful was short, very thin, but broad-boned, coarse, healthy build, with a wide pelvis and bony shoulder blades. His face was very wrinkled, with deep-set eyes. His hair in front at the temples, obviously, was hastily smoothed with a brush, behind it naively stuck out tassels. He, looking around uneasily and angrily, entered the room, as if he were afraid of everything in the large room into which he had entered. Holding his sword with an awkward movement, he turned to Chernyshev, asking in German where the sovereign was. He evidently wanted to go through the rooms as soon as possible, complete the bows and salutations, and sit down to work in front of the map, where he felt himself in the right place. He hurriedly nodded his head at Chernyshev's words and smiled ironically, listening to his words that the sovereign was inspecting the fortifications that he, Pfuel himself, had laid according to his theory. He was bassist and cool, as self-confident Germans say, muttered to himself: Dummkopf ... or: zu Grunde die ganze Geschichte ... or: s "wird was gescheites d" raus werden ... [nonsense ... to hell with the whole thing ... (German) ] Prince Andrei did not hear and wanted to pass, but Chernyshev introduced Prince Andrei to Pful, noting that Prince Andrei had come from Turkey, where the war had ended so happily. Pfuel almost glanced not so much at Prince Andrei as through him, and said with a laugh: "Da muss ein schoner taktischcr Krieg gewesen sein." ["That must have been the correct tactical war." (German)] - And, laughing contemptuously, he went into the room from which voices were heard.
Evidently, Pfuel, who was always ready for ironic irritation, was especially agitated today by the fact that they dared to inspect his camp without him and judge him. Prince Andrei, from this one short meeting with Pfuel, thanks to his memories of Austerlitz, made up a clear characterization of this man. Pfuel was one of those hopelessly, invariably, to the point of martyrdom, self-confident people that only Germans are, and precisely because only Germans are self-confident on the basis of an abstract idea - science, that is, an imaginary knowledge of perfect truth. The Frenchman is self-confident because he considers himself personally, both in mind and in body, irresistibly charming to both men and women. An Englishman is self-confident on the grounds that he is a citizen of the most comfortable state in the world, and therefore, as an Englishman, he always knows what he needs to do, and knows that everything he does as an Englishman is undoubtedly good. The Italian is self-confident because he is agitated and easily forgets himself and others. The Russian is self-confident precisely because he knows nothing and does not want to know, because he does not believe that it is possible to fully know anything. The German is self-confident worse than anyone, and harder than everyone, and more repulsive than everyone, because he imagines that he knows the truth, a science that he himself invented, but which for him is absolute truth. Such, obviously, was Pfuel. He had a science - the theory of oblique movement, which he derived from the history of the wars of Frederick the Great, and everything that he encountered in the recent history of the wars of Frederick the Great, and everything that he encountered in the latest military history, seemed to him nonsense, barbarism, an ugly clash, in which so many mistakes were made on both sides that these wars could not be called wars: they did not fit the theory and could not serve as the subject of science.
In 1806, Pfuel was one of the drafters of the plan for the war that ended in Jena and Auerstet; but in the outcome of this war, he did not see the slightest evidence of the incorrectness of his theory. On the contrary, the deviations made from his theory, according to his concepts, were the only reason for all the failure, and he said with his characteristic joyful irony: "Ich sagte ja, daji die ganze Geschichte zum Teufel gehen wird." [After all, I said that the whole thing would go to hell (German)] Pfuel was one of those theoreticians who love their theory so much that they forget the purpose of theory - its application to practice; in love with theory, he hated all practice and did not want to know it. He even rejoiced in his failure, because failure, which came from the deviation in practice from theory, proved to him only the validity of his theory.

American lawyer, diplomat, former US Ambassador to Libya (Libya) from June to September 2012. On September 11, 2012, Stevens was one of four people killed in an attack by Libyan Islamists on the American consulate in Benghazi.

John Christopher "Chris" Stevens was born in 1960 in Grass Valley, California (Grass Valley, California). He was the eldest of three children of Jan S. Stevens and his wife Mary J. Floris. Chris's parents divorced in 1975, and both subsequently started new families.

In the summer of 1977, Stevens was an exchange student (AFS Intercultural Programs) in Spain (Spain), and in 1978 he graduated from Piedmont High School. In 1982, Chris graduated from the University of California at Berkeley (University of California, Berkeley), receiving a bachelor's degree in history. In 1989, he received his J.D. from the Hastings College of Law at the University of California (University of California, Hastings College of the Law). Stevens received a master's degree from the National War College in 2010. It is known that he was fluent in Arabic and French.

Prior to his appointment to the Foreign Office, Stevens worked for several

some American offices in Israel (Israel), Syria (Syria), Egypt (Egypt) and several other countries. In addition, he has worked as a lawyer, being a member of the State Bar of California (State Bar of California), and also taught English in Morocco (Morocco), as a volunteer.

Chris Stevens joined the Foreign Office in 1991. Stevens visited Libya in 2007 and 2009 as a career diplomat, and in May 2012 he arrived in Libya as an ambassador.

When a wave of protests broke out in Benghazi on September 11, 2012, sparked by the provocative film "Innocence of Muslims" posted on the Internet, and angry radical Islamists rushed to storm the US embassies, Stevens, along with colleagues, attempted to take refuge in a safe place, however, the consulate building was already under siege. A fire broke out in the grenade-strewn main building of the consulate, and Stevens was only discovered by security personnel after the smoke cleared a little.

I. In addition to Stevens, three other American nationals were killed in the attack - foreign intelligence officer Sean Smith, security guard Glen Doherty, and former Marine Tyrone Woods. Several more people were injured.

According to existing official information, the death of Chris Stevens was the result of asphyxiation. According to the doctor of the hospital in Benghazi, where Stevens was taken, his body was filled with smoke. For an hour and a half, attempts were made to revive the diplomat, which, alas, were unsuccessful.

Chris Stevens is the first US ambassador to die in the line of duty since Arnold Lewis Raphel died in Pakistan in 1988. Statistically, Stevens became the 8th U.S. Ambassador to be killed in the line of duty.

US President Barack Obama issued a statement at the White House promising to work with the Libyan authorities to bring those responsible for the murder of US diplomats to justice.

The fanatics who killed the American ambassador to Libya yesterday, Christopher Stevens, are not just criminals, but idiots.

This young man, a brilliant and courageous diplomat, was one of Libya's best friends and one of the secret architects of her liberation.

In this common struggle, in Paris, Benghazi and Washington, our paths have crossed more than once. It all started in Paris on March 14, 2011. Gaddafi's troops advanced on Benghazi, promising to shed rivers of blood. It seemed that France was left alone in its support of the Libyan revolutionaries. It seemed that everything was lost when I nevertheless asked the emissary of the Transitional National Council, Mahmoud Jabril, who a few days earlier had already agreed with Sarkozy on the recognition of a free Libya, to urgently return to Paris to meet with Hillary Clinton (she was there on the occasion of the G8 summit) ). Christopher Stevens was present at that conversation. As I learned later, this very young diplomatic adviser was deeply moved by Jabril's words and was one of those who urged Hillary to call Obama immediately and convey this call for help to him. Further events are well known to all of us.

A month later, we met with him again in Benghazi, where he was not yet as ambassador, but as the US High Representative in a free Libya. He got down to business, rolling up his sleeves. He was one of those who advocated the intensification of his country's actions from the air and on the ground by sending the first special forces there. I remember the morning when we both found out with laughter that the meeting with the chairman of the PNS, who was still confused in the protocol, was scheduled for both of us at the same time. I remember our stormy, but frank and friendly discussions about the prospects for the Libyan version of the Dayton Accords, which staked on the division of Libya and the creation of a confederation. I remember his grace, his white-toothed smile, and the day when, on the way from Brega, he began to praise San Francisco beautifully, although out of place.

A year later, we met with him in Washington. The story was coming to an end. I came to speak with Hillary Clinton about this war of liberation in which our two countries fought side by side. Christopher Stevens and I crossed paths in the elevator, hugged, and then had a long conversation in the State Department cafeteria, where he informed me of his appointment as Ambassador Plenipotentiary. He still looked young. And he spoke in the same cheerful voice. He was convinced that a new chapter had begun in the history of US relations with the Arab world, that he finally saw them as friends, not dictators. He wanted to do his best to write this historical chapter in the best possible way.

This country, which he so defended, this city of Benghazi, which he helped to save and loved so much, became fatal for him. Ten years after Daniel Pearl, who also respected the Arab and Muslim peoples and admired the light of Islam, he fell victim to the same fanaticism, the same barbaric and tragic blindness. The Americans have lost an ambassador. The Libyans have lost a comrade-in-arms and a friend. The idiots have won.

Bernard-Henri Lévy, philosopher

A rocket attack on the US embassy in Benghazi killed several members of the diplomatic mission. Among them was the US Ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens.

ON THIS TOPIC

Ambassador and three consular staff, including two Marines, have died in an attack on the American consulate in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi. The bodies of the dead were taken to the airport, from where they will be sent to Tripoli and then to the main US air base in Germany, the website of the Al Jazeera TV channel reports.

At present US evacuates its diplomatic mission in Benghazi. According to local media, the diplomat was poisoned by carbon monoxide during a fire that broke out after a grenade attack on the building by Islamist militants. The representative office was completely burnt out, ITAR-TASS reports.

Meanwhile, Libyan Deputy Interior Minister Wanis al-Sharef confirmed the death of the US ambassador and three employees of the US consulate in Benghazi.

The attack, which began on Wednesday night, was attended by two groups of former rebels - the February 17 Brigade and the Sharia Brigade. On Tuesday, the militants tried to enter the building, but they were prevented by the guards of the embassy, who entered into a fierce firefight. According to eyewitnesses, all the entrances to the diplomatic office were blocked by the attackers.

The reason for the attack on the consulate was the screening of a film on American television, allegedly discrediting the name of the Prophet Muhammad. Islamists claim that in the film the prophet is depicted in a satirical form, which offends the feelings of believers.

Chris Stevens was appointed Ambassador to Libya on May 22 this year. Prior to that, at the height of the armed Libyan uprising from March to November 2011, he was in the country as an emissary of US President Barack Obama to establish ties with the Transitional National Council. Prior to that, from 2007 to 2009, he worked at the embassy in Tripoli as deputy head of the diplomatic mission.

Earlier, on Tuesday, the action associated with the release of the film was held in Egypt. Protesters approached the walls of the American embassy in Cairo, where the US flag was burned. In addition, the flag on a pole near the building of the diplomatic mission was replaced with a banner with the symbol of Islam "There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet." The crowd chanted the slogans "We are all Osama" and "Leave the Prophet Mohammed alone." The protesters demanded a ban on the film and an official apology to Muslims.