US Ambassador to Libya Killed in Benghazi

The eleventh anniversary of 9/11 passed peacefully in the United States, but religious sentiment fueled by frivolous provocation marked the day with loss of American lives in Libya. US Ambassador to Libya John Christopher Stevens, along with three embassy staff members were killed in the hands of alleged protesters. Stevens’ career centered on guiding Libya through its transition away from dictatorship and revolution toward representative government. A television show in Cairo aired clips of an amateurish video posted online by a California man, and that in turn spurred rumors the film was a major Hollywood production, followed by violent protests in Egypt and Libya. The incident quickly became point of debate in the US presidential campaign. The tragedy suggests that governments must go back to the drawing board on arming rebel groups; managing freedom of expression and religious extremism both online and in the public square; monitoring foreign influences in national elections; and developing connections that promote security and peace. – YaleGlobal