WASHINGTON (WKOW) -- President Barack Obama is condemning attacks on a U.S. consulate in eastern Libya that killed the U.S.
ambassador and three American members of his staff. He ordered increased
security at U.S. diplomatic posts around the world.
In a White House statement,
Obama says he had ordered "all necessary resources to support the
security of our personnel in Libya, and to increase security at our
diplomatic posts around the globe."
The attacks occurred Tuesday
night in the eastern city of Benghazi by protesters angry over a film
that ridiculed Islam's Prophet Muhammad, according to Libya officials.
Ambassador Chris Stevens, 52, was killed when he and a group of embassy
employees went to the consulate to try to evacuate staff as the building
came under attack by a mob guns and rocket propelled grenades. Three
other Americans were also killed.
Stevens is the first U.S.
ambassador to be killed in an attack since 1979, when Ambassador Adolph
Dubs was killed in Afghanistan.
The State Department identified
one of the other Americans killed Tuesday as Sean Smith, a foreign
service information management officer. The identities of the others
were being withheld pending notification of family members.
President Obama will make a public statement in the
White House Rose Garden Wednesday morning at 9:35 a.m. Watch his speech live on www.wkow.com/live.
********
WASHINGTON (WKOW) -- The United States ambassador to Libya was reportedly killed in Tuesday's attack in Benghazi.
President Barack Obama appointed J. Christopher Stevens to the position in May.
A Greek contractor with the U.S. Mission identified Stevens' body Wednesday morning.
The State Department confirmed one of its officials was killed Tuesday, but didn't say who.
Protesters attacked U.S. diplomatic compounds in Egypt and Libya the same day. They were upset over an online film that is considered offensive to Islam.
