US Ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens (photo: usembassy.gov)

.

A Libyan official has told the Reuters news agency, ”The American ambassador and three staff members were killed when gunmen fired rockets at them.”

When asked about the report, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told Fox News that they have no information at this time about the report.

The U.S. ambassador to Libya is J. Christopher Stevens, and he became ambassador to Libya in May 2012.

His duties as Ambassador – according to his biography on USEmbassy.gov – were defined as: “As the President’s representative, his job is to develop a strong, mutually beneficial relationship between the United States and Libya.”

——

Libyan Interim President Mohammed el-Megarif

UPDATE: Libyan Interim President Apologizes To U.S., and American People

Libya’s interim president, Mohammed el-Megarif, has issued an apology to the United States, and the American people, for the attacks on the US Consulate that resulted in the death of US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other US Embassy staff.

“We extend our apology to America, the American people and the whole world,” he said.

El-Megarif called the attack “cowardly” and sent condolences to the families of those who has been killed.

The Interim President told reporters that he vows to bring to justice those responsible for the attack and murders, and that he wants relations between Libya and the US to remain close.

—–

President Barack Obama

UPDATE: PRESIDENT OBAMA RELEASES STATEMENT:

Statement by the President on the Attack in Benghazi

I strongly condemn the outrageous attack on our diplomatic facility in Benghazi, which took the lives of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. Right now, the American people have the families of those we lost in our thoughts and prayers. They exemplified America’s commitment to freedom, justice, and partnership with nations and people around the globe, and stand in stark contrast to those who callously took their lives.

I have directed my Administration to provide all necessary resources to support the security of our personnel in Libya, and to increase security at our diplomatic posts around the globe. While the United States rejects efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others, we must all unequivocally oppose the kind of senseless violence that took the lives of these public servants.

On a personal note, Chris was a courageous and exemplary representative of the United States. Throughout the Libyan revolution, he selflessly served our country and the Libyan people at our mission in Benghazi. 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.

The brave Americans we lost represent the extraordinary service and sacrifices that our civilians make every day around the globe. As we stand united with their families, let us now redouble our own efforts to carry their work forward.

This Post will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.

———

UPDATE: Statement by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Benghazi attack

It is with profound sadness that I share the news of the death of four American personnel in Benghazi, Libya yesterday. Among them were United States Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and Foreign Service Information Management Officer, Sean Smith. We are still making next of kin notifications for the other two individuals. Our hearts go out to all their families and colleagues.

A 21 year veteran of the Foreign Service, Ambassador Stevens died last night from injuries he sustained in the attack on our office in Benghazi.

I had the privilege of swearing in Chris for his post in Libya only a few months ago. He spoke eloquently about his passion for service, for diplomacy and for the Libyan people. This assignment was only the latest in his more than two decades of dedication to advancing closer ties with the people of the Middle East and North Africa which began as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco. As the conflict in Libya unfolded, Chris was one of the first Americans on the ground in Benghazi. He risked his own life to lend the Libyan people a helping hand to build the foundation for a new, free nation. He spent every day since helping to finish the work that he started. Chris was committed to advancing America’s values and interests, even when that meant putting himself in danger.

Sean Smith was a husband and a father of two, who joined the Department ten years ago. Like Chris, Sean was one of our best. Prior to arriving in Benghazi, he served in Baghdad, Pretoria, Montreal, and most recently The Hague.

All the Americans we lost in yesterday’s attacks made the ultimate sacrifice. We condemn this vicious and violent attack that took their lives, which they had committed to helping the Libyan people reach for a better future.

America’s diplomats and development experts stand on the front lines every day for our country. We are honored by the service of each and every one of them.

This Post will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.

———

UPDATE: ROMNEY RELEASES STATEMENT

2012 Republican Candidate for President Mitt Romney (AP)

GOP Presidential nominee Mitt Romney has released a statement about the Libyan Embassy attack:

“I’m outraged by the attacks on American diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt and by the death of an American consulate worker in Benghazi.  It’s disgraceful that the Obama Administration’s first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks.”

—–

UPDATE:

Here is the film that sparked the riots and outrage in the Islamic world:

http://youtu.be/4sQPRtS2h7k

This Post will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.

___

The Carnival Cruise line has pledged to reimburse the victims and has suspended this particular “tour.” The Mexican tourism industry had already been hard hit by the constant violence, extremely high murder rate, and overall lawlessness that plagues Mexico, with the U.S. State Dept. going so far as to issue a  travel advisory  for any Americans thinking of going to Mexico earlier this month.

MSNBC, in an act of utter malfeasance and complete denial of truth, parroted an announcement from Latitude Intl, the public relations firm representing the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board, as they tried to downplay this dangerous incident as “very rare.”

On Saturday, Latitude Intl, the public relations firm representing the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board, called Thursday’s robbery an “extremely rare incident.” A statement on Latitude’s Facebook page said, “minutes after we learned of the incident representatives from the local and state government, tourism leaders and tour operators [moved] to provide assistance to those involved and police and the district’s attorney office started their investigation.”

Yes, the violence and utter lawlessness in Mexico is so “rare” that even the politically correct political operatives in the U.S. State department have issued a warning about traveling to Mexico. After reviewing the State Department’s CYA  announcement telling Americans about the dangers of being robbed or killed when traveling in Mexico today, the politically correct puppets follow the lead of MSNBC… in saying no it’s not really dangerous to travel to Mexico these days:  ( emphasis added)

Millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year for study, tourism, and business, including more than 150,000 who cross the border every day.  The Mexican government makes a considerable effort to protect U.S. citizens and other visitors to major tourist destinations, and there is no evidence that Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) have targeted U.S. visitors and residents based on their nationality.  Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico generally do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime reported in the border region and in areas along major trafficking routes.

The above paragraph from the U.S. State department pretty much sums up this travesty. While warning Americans about the dangers of traveling to Mexico today, those same politically correct incompetents try to tell Americans that the Mexican drug cartels and assorted criminal Mexican Banditos do not target tourists. 

Try telling that irresponsible fairy tale to the people who just got robbed at gunpoint, while on a Cruise tour bus… while in Mexico.

He said: “If the Russian presidential election were held next week, Prime Minster Vladimir Putin would likely win with 52-58% of the popular vote-some 20 points fewer than the result he achieved in 2004, but still representing broad popular support in line with Western standards of electoral success. If his position were to slip between then and March 4th, and he were to receive less than 50% of the vote, he would find himself in a run-off, most likely with Communist party leader Gennady Zyuganov, over whom he would certainly prevail.

“So says Valery Fyodorov, general director of VTsIOM, one of Russia’s leading public opinion research organizations. He recently presented detailed polling results to an international conference organized by the Mitteleuropa Initiative in Vienna.

“He said a greater danger for Putin than Zyuganov would be the inevitable efforts of opposition forces to de-legitimize his election-which they will do even if the process is conducted freely and fairly.

“US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton provoked Moscow’s ire when she labeled the Russian State Duma elections of last December 4th “neither free nor fair,” demanding that each and every instance of fraud be investigated.

“Fyodorov contradicted this narrative. He told your correspondent that while vote fraud certainly did take place, it did not do so on such a scale as to alter the results, which corresponded broadly to exit and pre-election polling nationwide. Nevertheless, the opposition-i.e., the disaffected members of the urban middle class, the liberal intelligentsia, Communists and Russian nationalists who took to the streets to protest electoral chicanery- as well as much of the Western media and some leading Western politicians, have sought to de-legitimize the Duma elections, and, thereby, the Russian government.

“More of the same can be expected in the aftermath of the presidential vote on March 4th.

“Some opposition forces will surely seek to portray any decline in Putin’s percentage of the vote since the last time he ran (certain to happen), a lower rate of voter participation (as those who feel there is no acceptable alternative to Putin stay home), and an upsurge in support for the parties of the left, including the Communist Party (likely in view of their strong showing in the State Duma elections of last December, although as of this writing, Putin is rising in the polls) as popular disavowal of Putin. For good measure, they will allege voter fraud-whether or not it took place-in an effort to discredit and de-legitimize Putin and the Russian system generally.

“Secretary Clinton and her merry band of humanitarian interventionists at Foggy Bottom will be only too happy to egg them on. They will be aided and abetted by the Republican foreign policy establishment, which shares Mrs. Clinton’s antipathy to Putin-not because, in their view, he is not a democrat (they could not care less about that), but because he dares to resist Washington’s efforts to turn Russia into a nominally independent satellite by standing up for Russia’s legitimate national interests.”

Note that Perry states in his answer that Turkey is “being ruled by what many would perceive to be Islamic terrorists.” He didn’t call them terrorists or identify any certain individuals as terrorists, but instead stated that many people would perceive the rulers of Turkey to be Islamic terrorists. So does Governor Perry’s statement carry any weight? Yes it does, and there are plenty of facts to back it up, which may be found by doing some very basic research on the subject of Turkey.

While the U.S. State dept, which is currently run by Hillary Clinton, has distanced itself from Perry’s statement, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs came out with a very U.S. DNC-type statement in which they attacked Perry’s credibility, as opposed to putting up any facts to denounce his statement. “Those individuals who are candidates for positions requiring responsibility such as the U.S. presidency are expected to be more knowledgeable on global affairs and more careful in their statements,” the ministry said in a statement. “Turkey became a member of NATO when the governor was just 2 years old. … The U.S. has no time to lose with such candidates who do not even know America’s allies.” So just because Governor Perry was two years old when Turkey joined NATO., we are led to believe that he could not possibly know anything about the country of Turkey, and their eligibility for NATO admittance. With the Muslim brotherhood surging into power within Egypt due to the recent uprisings across the region, we see the political climate changing at a rapid pace today. The anti-American, anti-Israeli sentiment is at a dangerous level throughout the Middle East and North Africa today. Governor Perry obviously wasn’t referring to the Turkey of 50 years ago when he made his statement.

For some factual history of the examples of historic Turkish genocide, mainly aimed at wiping out Christians in the region, see this article. Millions of people were murdered or fled religious persecution by the Young Turks of the Ottoman Empire, and Turkey’s government has shown the propensity to deny those facts, even today. And recently, William Dalrymple penned “Christians Fleeing the Middle East’ in which he wrote, that Christianity is suffering “a devastating decline in the land of its birth.” While today’s Turkey proclaims itself to be a Republic, it appears to be anything but a free Republic when we read about the Turkish-Muslim Persecution of Christians.

Fast forward to today. In this Fox News article, we see that recently the Turkish government has expelled the Israeli Ambassador, that Turkey’s [lack of] freedom of the press currently resembles that of Russia, and that Turkish authorities have recently met with Hamas leaders. Add to that information the reports that violence against women are up some 1400%, (2002-2009) and that the director of the Turkish Research Program, Mr. Capaptay, wrote an essay that stated that the Turkish government has “neutered domestic checks and balances” since 2002, a “consolidation of power” that could have consequences for its relationship with the U.S. He noted that Turkish officials have demonized Western nations, and polls show the Turkish people mostly do not view the U.S. Favorably. To Governor Perry’s credit, he stands by his statements, as he recently stated, “When you see the number of actions against your citizens that we would consider to be terrorist acts, I stand by my statement,” Perry said. “You need to be putting protections in place for your citizens if you’re seeing those types of attacks against, particularly, well, particularly females. That is particularly heinous from my perspective.”

Finally, some pundits and assorted academics have falsely argued that Turkey does not currently receive and U.S. Foreign aid, in another attempt to discredit Perry’s statements. Apparently, the very same government-paid propagandist who wrote the essay mentioned above, Mr. Capaptay of the “Turkish Research Program” are incapable of telling the truth and doing proper research to back up statements, such as the following: “First, Turkey does not receive U.S. foreign aid. Some time in the 1980s it was phased out, so this is not your mother’s Turkey,” U.S. Aid to Turkey has been “phased out” since 1980? Not according to the U.S. Government it hasn’t, as seen here. That shows Turkey receiving $5.4 million from the U.S. In 2011 and another $5.6 million slated to be given to them in 2012. Keep in mind that those figures are only for “base appropriations.” For instance, in FY 2009, the U.S. Government gave Turkey $7 million tax dollars for.. “economic development.” Mr. Capaptay would be advised to be careful with his own “inaccurate statements” as per his condescending statement to governor Perry concerning U.S. cash being given to Turkey today.

In conclusion, Governor Perry is 100% correct in demanding that the U.S. reset all foreign aid back to zero, reevaluate each case, and then reestablish the programs based on protecting American interests and preventing U.S. tax dollars from funding anti-American regimes. And yes, that should include Islamic-terrorist supporting governments and anyone else caught promoting and/or aiding them. Why in the world does the United States government continue to dole out billions of taxpayer dollars to hostile countries out to destroy America?

Having won more than 40% of the seats in the incoming parliament, the Brotherhood is getting set to create a new constitution when the body convenes on January 23rd:

Its primary purpose is to appoint a 100-member panel to write a new constitution.

Mohammed Morsi, head of the Brotherhood’s political party, told Burns during the Wednesday meeting that there is a consensus on civic freedoms and rights for the new constitution, according to a statement from Morsi’s office.

Before the visit, State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Burns would talk about US “support for Egypt’s democratic political transition, including an active and independent civil society, and the current economic challenges facing Egypt.”

The Obama administration is attempting to establish a dialog after decades of the U.S. government avoiding the Islamist group.

A crucial tool in the U.S war on terror in Afghanistan, U.S.drones provide critical intelligence and precision airstrike capabilities that have proven to be effective in searching out and killing Taliban insurgents and assorted Al- Qaeda operatives operating near the Afghan-Pakistan border region. Now the Pakistani military says it will shoot down any U.S aircraft invading their airspace, severely limiting the U.S. coalition forces efforts to control the region.

“Any object entering into our airspace, including US drones, will be treated as hostile and be shot down,” a senior Pakistani military official told NBC News. Islamabad has closed the border crossings in Pakistan that the Western military alliance uses to transfer fuel and other supplies for the US-led forces in Afghanistan. Pakistan also called on the United States to vacate the Shamsi Air Base in Balochistan province. Pakistani forces took control of the base on Saturday after most of the US military personnel left. While U.S. military commanders have downplayed the significance of these developments, even of the most casual of observers can see that Pakistan has now become increasingly hostile to the U.S. simply by taking these actions at face value. This hostility actually became evident when U.S Navy Seals killed Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan right near the Pakistani Military Intelligence headquarters, which has also been downplayed by the U.S State department. This has become a very volatile situation that has been completely mishandled by the Obama administration and the State dept. due to the lack of any rebuke when it became evident that the Pakistani government had been harboring the world’s most wanted terrorist for years. Now Pakistan has not only closed down critical supply routes on the Afghan-Pakistan border, they are refusing to allow the U.S. to use drones to enable maximum control of the area. Meanwhile our State dept. and the Obama administration continue to directly fund the very same Pakistani military that are threatening to shoot down any U.S aircraft that gets near the border region.

On Friday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani warned the US and NATO that any future cross-border attack would be met with a “detrimental response”.

Update: Now the Taliban just announced they are in “peace talks” with the Pakastani government.

2012 just can’t get here fast enough!

The George W. Bush administration was accused of being a bully, imposing its will upon the world, while the Obama administration sees the U.S. as part of the world community. That attitude is defined as presidential doctrine, key goals, attitudes, or stances for United States foreign affairs outlined by Presidents.

Well, guess who now, through Hillary Clinton’s State Department, is being a bully. On Tuesday, December 6, 2011, in Geneva, Switzerland, Hillary Clinton gave a speech about “Human Rights,” specifically about lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and trans-gender (LGBT) rights. Whether or not you agree with Hillary Clinton is NOT at issue here. What is at issue is that, through the State Department, the Obama administration is now doing exactly what it accused the Bush administration of doing. Clinton announced in Geneva that the imposition of the gay agenda on foreign governments now forms “a priority of our foreign policy.” President Obama issued a memorandum ordering the U.S. government to use all means necessary, including diplomacy and foreign aid, to promote gay rights worldwide. How ironic.

Hillary Clinton’s goal and Obama’s goal now is to impose LGBT rights upon all the nations of the earth. In her Geneva speech, she highlighted countries that see homosexuality as sinful. “Being gay is not a Western invention; it is a human reality. And protecting the human rights of all people, gay or straight, is not something that only Western governments do…,” she said. “A country’s cultural or religious traditions are no excuse for discrimination.” Clinton did not mention of the fact that Islamic countries throw homosexuals into jail.

But her view of LGBT rights is not enough She wants us taxpayers to foot the bill for her beliefs. We are now on the hook to provide $3 million to fund a “Global Equality Fund” to work on human rights. Further, Clinton has instructed diplomats bring attention to LGBT rights abroad, and to act as gay rights activists. She announced a task force at the State Department to support and coordinate cases and laws, while working with a range of partners to strengthen human rights protections for all. And in the coming months, the State Department will provide every embassy with a toolkit to help improve efforts. And we have created a program that offers emergency support to defenders of human rights for LGBT people.”

Clinton did not mention of God as the source of rights, but said that governments don’t grant rights. From where, then, do these LGBT rights come? They come from the same place where she discovered an international right to abortion. For Clinton the source of rights is not God but the superior wisdom of an international elite whose members see themselves as gods.

Like it or not, ANYTHING said or done by any member of the Obama administration falls at his feet, is his responsibility, is part of his doctrine. As Rush Limbaugh says, “Elections have consequences.”

But that’s just my opinion.

Well, the State Department spent the money to buy copies of Obama’s 1995 Memoir, “Dreams From My Father.” If Obama earned 10% of the purchase, the normal rate, he made $7,000. The State Department is sending out copies as Christmas gratuities, and stocking “key libraries” around the world.

Here are some purchase examples:

• The U.S. Embassy in Egypt spent $28,636 in August 2009 for copies of Obama’s memoir. Six weeks earlier, the embassy had placed a separate order for the same book for more than $9,000.
• The U.S. Embassy in South Korea spent more than $6,000 for copies of “Dreams From My Father.”
• The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, spent more than $3,800 for hardcover copies of the Indonesian version of “The Audacity of Hope.”

A review of a federal database did not reveal any examples of State Department purchases of books by former Presidents George W. Bush or Bill Clinton. The purchases of Obama’s books mostly, but not always, took place in the months after Obama was elected president. BTW, it sure is nice to know what embassies have “key libraries.”   (said sarcastically)

“It’s inappropriate for U.S. taxpayer dollars to be spent on this,” Leslie Paige, the spokesman for Citizens Against Government Waste, said. “This sounds like propaganda.”

There was no indication that the White House knew about the purchases. Noel Clay, a spokesman from the State Department, said book purchases are common and often used “to engage key audiences in discussions of foreign policy.” “We also provide key library collections with books about the United States.”

IMHO, there are two things wrong here. First, WHY does any branch of the U.S. government need to make Barack H. Obama richer? Are we not spending enough on vacations to Martha’s Vineyard, trips to Spain and Hawaii, Canadian busses, and golf balls, just to specifically name a few items? Second, although the amount spent is relatively small, what other spending is the State Department undertaking? And what other surprises await us? BTW, I can find nothing about Obama placing his book earnings in a blind trust. Please let me know if you find something. But I did find this tidbit about Obama’s 2010 income of $1.72 million and about book sales.

But that’s just my opinion.

Mohammad Khazaee, Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations, said late Tuesday that he was “shocked to hear such a big lie.” He continued in a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, accusing the United States’ “warmongering and propaganda machine against Iran,” which he said threatened stability and peace in the Persian Gulf.

Two days later (October 14, 2011), the State Department, headed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, granted 4,453 “Diversity Visa” applications to Iran, a state sponsor of terrorism. The U.S. State Department defines state sponsors of terrorism as follows: “Countries determined by the Secretary of State to have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism ….” Let’s see, does Iran ring a bell?

So you know, “diversity visas” are designed to encourage immigration from countries that do not otherwise send significant numbers of immigrants to the United States, which include the State Sponsors of Terrorism.. The State Department, in 2011, awarded 2,427 Diversity Visas – 1,842 for Iran; 553 for Sudan; and 32 for Syria. In 2012, it plans to award visas to 4,453 applicants from Iran, 292 from Cuba, 757 from Sudan, and 160 from Syria.

In a related move, President Obama froze the 2011 Visa Security Program (VSP) budget, despite the fact that only 14 of the 57 U.S. consulates identified as being at “high risk” for potentially providing visas to terrorists received anything from VSP. VSP, established by the Homeland Security Act of 2002, places Department of Homeland Security officials at U.S. consulates to vet the backgrounds of people applying for U.S. visas.

And I’ll wager that ALL of the diversity visa recipients from Iran, Syria, and Cuba would never spy on us, will not receive any kind of indoctrination, and will always have our best interests at heart, just like the 19 “pilots” to which we were rudely introduced on September 11, 2001. I’ve heard of “compartmentalization,” but this is ridiculous.

But that’s just my opinion.