Showing posts with label Glen Doherty. Show all posts

11 October 2012

NAVY SEAL SAW MITT ROMNEY AS INSINCERE AND STALE & Mitt Romney Won't Mention Glen Doherty, Slain Former Navy SEAL, After Mother's Complaint 10OKT12

SLAM!!!! Not only does Glen Doherty's mother, Kate Quigley, tell mitt romney to stop using her son's name for political gain, she states flat out she DOES NOT TRUST HIM!!!! And we get Glen Doherty's opinion (as related by a friend) of mitt romney after meeting him at the Christmas party romney mentions as being someone who is insincere and stale. A good description of mitt robme romney.

This undated photo provided by Mark and Kate Quigley shows Glen Doherty, a former Navy SEAL who was killed in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya on Sept. 11. (AP Photo/Quigley Family Photo)

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will no longer bring up Glen Doherty, a former Navy SEAL killed in the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya, the campaign said Wednesday in response to a complaint from Doherty's mother.
"Governor Romney was inspired by the memory of meeting Glen Doherty and shared his story and that memory. We respect the wishes of Mrs. Doherty though," campaign aide Kevin Madden told BuzzFeed.
On Tuesday, Romney spoke to supporters in Iowa, recalling a chance encounter with a former Navy SEAL while mistakenly attending a Christmas party in San Diego a few years ago.
“I met some remarkable people, one of whom was a former Navy SEAL," Romney said. "I just learned a few days ago that he was one of the two former Navy SEALs killed in Benghazi. It broke my heart.”
Romney didn't directly provide Doherty's name, but his campaign later confirmed his identity. He was one of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, killed during a violent assault on the consulate in Benghazi last month.
Boston's WHDH later reached out to Doherty's mother, Barbara, to get her reaction to Romney's campaign trail anecdote.
"I don't trust Romney. He shouldn't make my son's death part of his political agenda," she told WHDH. "It's wrong to use these brave young men, who wanted freedom for all, to degrade Obama.”
Doherty similarly decried the politicization of her son's death in an interview with the Boston Herald last month.
Glen Doherty's friend, Elf Ellefsen, also spoke with Seattle's KIRO, expressing similar disagreement with Romney's mention of his friend's death.
According to Ellefsen, Doherty found his exchange with Romney to be "insincere and stale."
"Mitt Romney approached him ultimately four times, using this private gathering as a political venture to further his image," Ellefsen told KIRO. "He kept introducing himself as Mitt Romney, a political figure. The same introduction, the same opening line ... [Doherty] said it was pathetic and comical to have the same person come up to you within only a half hour, have this person reintroduce himself to you, having absolutely no idea whatsoever that he just did this 20 minutes ago, and did not even recognize Glen's face."
Romney had again made mention of his meeting with Doherty in the wake of these reports on Wednesday during a town hall event in Ohio.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/10/mitt-romney-glen-doherty_n_1954925.html

Ex-SEAL’s mom: ‘It’s sad’ death politicized

25SEP12

By O’Ryan Johnson

The mother of a former Navy SEAL from Winchester killed in Libya said it is “very sad” that her son’s death was being used as political theater yesterday — and she agreed with President Obama’s controversial assessment that the latest round of deadly troubles in the region constitute “bumps in the road.”
She said every day, men like her son are making a difference for those who live in that region.
http://bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1061162876&position=1

Romney agrees to stop sharing story about Glen Doherty

10OKT12

BOSTON (WHDH) -- Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has agreed to stop sharing a story about his encounter with Winchester Navy SEAL Glen Doherty who was killed in the attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya after Doherty’s mother said she was upset Romney was using the story for his political agenda.
Glen Doherty was one of four Americans killed in the September 11 attack on the U.S. consulate.
“I met some remarkable people, one of whom was a former navy seal. I just learned a few days ago that he was one of the two former navy seals killed in Benghazi. It broke my heart,” Romney said to a crowd on the campaign trail.
Romney met Doherty at a Christmas party.
During a radio show interview, Doherty’s friend recounted a different version of Romney’s meeting with Doherty.
“He actually approached him, using this private gathering as basically a political venture to further his image. And Glen just believed it to be very insincere and stale,” said Elf Ellefsen, Doherty’s friend.
"I don't trust Romney. He shouldn't make my son's death part of his political agenda. It's wrong to use these brave young men, who wanted freedom for all, to degrade Obama,” said Barbara Doherty, Glen’s mother.
http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/boston/12008755850115/mother-of-navy-seal-killed-in-libya-speaks-out/

Romney's emotional story remembered very differently by friend of fallen SEAL

listen Listen: Romney's emotional story remembered very differently by friend of fallen SEAL

On the stump in Iowa Tuesday, Mitt Romney got emotional when he revealed that he met former Navy SEAL Glen Doherty at a holiday party some years ago. Doherty is one of the four Americans who were killed during the September 11th attack on the American consulate in Benghazi. But Glen Doherty's good friend Elf Ellefsen said that Doherty recalled Romney as "robotic," and the meeting went much differently from what Romney retold in Iowa.

On the stump in Iowa, Mitt Romney revealed that he met former Navy SEAL Glen Doherty at a holiday party some years ago. Doherty's friend, Elf Ellefsen, says Doherty wouldn't want Mitt using him for the campaign.

By Libby Denkmann

On the stump in Iowa Tuesday, Mitt Romney revealed that he met former Navy SEAL Glen Doherty at a holiday party some years ago. Doherty is one of four Americans killed during the September 11th attack on the American consulate in Benghazi.
Romney's story started out lighthearted, as he recounted how he and Ann mistook a holiday gathering across the street for their neighborhood party, and he ended up talking to Doherty. "He skied in some of the places I had. We had a lot of things in common," Romney said of Doherty. Both men are from Massachusetts.
"He told me that he keeps going back to the Middle East. He cares very deeply about the people there. He served in the military there, went back from time to time to offer security services and so forth to people there. You can imagine how I felt when I found out that he was one of the two former Navy SEALS killed in Benghazi on September 11th."

Romney was visibly emotional during the story, and the video of the speech was repeated throughout the day on network and cable news.
But one of Glen Doherty's best friends remembered Doherty's impression of this meeting much differently.
Elf Ellefsen met Glen Doherty skiing in Utah when he was 19, and the two men remained friends for more than 20 years.
"A guy living life wise beyond his years. Always trying to be progressive as well as do the right thing. Always challenging himself to his greatest ability," Ellefsen remembered.
He last saw Doherty a week before the final mission to Libya. "I stayed in his house (in California), we paddled out in the ocean together, spent some good quality time."
Ellefsen said Doherty recalled meeting Mitt Romney years ago, but the account was much different from what the Presidential candidate retold in Iowa.
According to Ellefsen, Romney introduced himself to Doherty four separate times during the gathering.
"He said it was very comical," Ellefsen said, "Mitt Romney approached him ultimately four times, using this private gathering as a political venture to further his image. He kept introducing himself as Mitt Romney, a political figure. The same introduction, the same opening line. Glen believed it to be very insincere and stale."
Ellefsen said Doherty remembered Romney as robotic.
"He said it was pathetic and comical to have the same person come up to you within only a half hour, have this person reintroduce himself to you, having absolutely no idea whatsoever that he just did this 20 minutes ago, and did not even recognize Glen's face."
Ellefsen described Glen Doherty as a humble, non-political guy, and said it was ironic for him to be used during a presidential campaign.
"Whether it be Republican, Democrat, Green Party, Libertarian, it doesn't make a difference. Because this guy is using our great friend, our humble, and honorable great friend...who is truly larger than life...He has become part of the soapbox routine for politics in a presidential race."
Ellefsen said he understands why people would want to link themselves with Doherty. "Of all people to tie yourself to for advancement in life, it's not surprising that Romney or anybody else would want to tie themselves to Glen Doherty. Because he was incredible. And I can honestly say beyond a shadow of a doubt, he was the greatest person I have ever met in my life."
I asked Ellefsen what he thought of his friend's story being used on the political stump:
"Honestly it does make me sick. Glen would definitely not approve of it. He probably wouldn't do much about it. He probably wouldn't say a whole lot about it. I think Glen would feel, more than anything, almost embarrassed for Romney. I think he would feel pity for him."
Editor's note: While it's unclear just what political, if any, motivations Ellefsen has, it is clear on his Facebook page that he's upset about the U.S. government's role in security overseas.
Ellefsen isn't the only one perturbed by Romney's speech. According to WHDH-TV in Boston, Doherty's mother Barbara says Romney is using her son's death for his political agenda.
http://mynorthwest.com/108/1353861/Romney-story-doesnt-jibe-with-fallen-SEALs-account

15 September 2012

Obama: Sacrifice will not be forgotten 14SEP12

GOD bless the families and friends of these men....

By David Nakamura

Bodies of 4 Americans killed in Libya returned to the U.S.

The bodies of U.S. Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans killed in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi were returned to the United States on Friday in a ceremony at which President Obama declared that the United States “will never retreat from the world.”

Sept. 14, 2012

U.S. Marines carry a casket during a ceremony at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland transferring the remains of the four Americans killed in an attack this week in Benghazi, Libya.

Jewel Samad / AFP/Getty Images

Their deaths, far from home, had become a flash point of politics in Washington, grist in the ongoing election-year debate about President Obama’s leadership at a time of uncertainty abroad. Yet on Friday afternoon, the bodies of the four Americans who perished in Libya arrived back on U.S. soil, and for a moment these men could be remembered for who they were in life, not what they had become in death.
Their coffins, each draped in an American flag, arrived at Andrews Air Force Base aboard a gray military aircraft and were carried down the ramp by seven Marines in dress blue uniforms. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three State Department employees — Sean Smith, an information management officer, and security personnel Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods — were killed Tuesday when militants overran the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi.
Now, the men, as Obama would say during the formal Transfer of Remains ceremony, had come “home.” The coffins were placed in front of four black hearses inside a vast hangar, a giant flag hanging from the rafters. After a benediction was read, Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, dressed in dark colors, took turns putting a face on the fallen before dozens of family, friends and State Department employees.
“Four Americans, four patriots,” said Obama, who had met privately with family members. “They had a mission, and they believed in it. They knew the danger, and they accepted it. They didn’t simply embrace the American ideal, they lived it, they embodied it: the courage, the hope and, yes, the idealism. That fundamental American belief that we can leave this world a little better than before.”
Welcoming home the remains of the dead is a grim duty for a president. And it is one that Obama has done several times for troops from Afghanistan. But it was never like this — in the middle of an election, in a fight for his political life.
Here they were: There was Smith, the technology wizard who Clinton said was mourned as widely by “gamers” online as he was in the halls of federal Washington. There was Doherty, known as “Bub,” and Woods, known as “ ’Rone,” both former Navy SEALs who did tours in Iraq and Afghanistan before protecting America’s diplomats.
And there was Stevens, 52, who had worked closely with the Libyan people during their overthrow of strongman Moammar Gaddafi last year, then stayed on to help the new government rebuild. He became the first U.S. ambassador killed in the line of duty since 1979, but Clinton wanted her listeners to remember a man who was beloved not just by his co-workers but by the citizens of the foreign countries in which he served.
She told the audience that she had received a letter this week from the president of the Palestinian Authority, who had worked closely with Stevens in Jerusalem and remembered his “energy and integrity.”
“What a wonderful gift you gave us,” Clinton said, addressing Stevens’s family. The statesman was known “not only for his courage but for his smile — goofy but contagious. For his sense of fun, and that California cool.”
The mood was solemn and dignified. An Air Force band played “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and Obama put his left arm around Clinton briefly as they returned to their front-row seats next to Vice President Biden and other dignitaries. The coffins were moved into the hearses as the band played “America the Beautiful.”
It was a scene far removed from the chaos and violence of the streets in Benghazi and the noisy, discourteous debate on the presidential campaign trail, where the latest turn of the Arab Spring demonstrations had suddenly become Topic A.
In the wake of the deaths, Republican nominee Mitt Romney blasted Obama’s foreign policy and what Romney said was the administration’s eagerness, before denouncing the attack on Americans, to apologize for an anti-Muslim film that was blamed for sparking anger across the Middle East. Obama and his allies, along with some GOP leaders, quickly condemned Romney for politicizing the tragedy and inaccurately characterizing the White House’s response.
On Friday, Romney, campaigning in Painesville, Ohio, paused to lead a moment of silence for the slain Americans and delayed his stump speech until the ceremony at Andrews had concluded. He instructed his supporters to place their hands over their hearts “in recognition of the blood shed for freedom.”
Even amid the show of respect, however, politics loomed: Were the deaths related directly to fallout from the White House’s handling of the Arab unrest, a miscalculation of the anti-American anger still simmering in a part of the world shunted aside during a presidential campaign centered on domestic concerns?
That question will continue to be asked. But on Friday, Obama and Clinton used the memories of Stevens and his colleagues to reaffirm America’s commitment to lead, even in troubled times.
Obama recalled the image of a man in Benghazi holding a sign that read in English: “Chris Stevens was a friend to all Libyans.”
“That’s the message these four patriots sent,” Obama said. “That even as the voices of suspicion and mistrust seek to divide countries and cultures from one another, the United States of America will never retreat from the world.”
The Marines closed the rear doors of the hearses and saluted as the vehicles rolled out of the hangar to a plane that would carry the remains to another military base in Dover, Del.
The journey for the four men was almost over. The debate over their deaths has only begun.

Philip Rucker in Painesville, Ohio, and William Branigin in Washington contributed to this report.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/decision2012/obama-to-attend-ceremony-marking-return-of-bodies-of-us-personnel-killed-in-libya/2012/09/14/5a62e16c-fe8b-11e1-b153-218509a954e1_print.html

13 September 2012

Libya Attack: Libyan Leader Mohammed Magarief Apologizes For Assault On U.S. Consulate & LIVE BLOG ON EVENTS IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD 12&13SEP12

This is a blog feed via HuffPost with a lot of good information on multiple stories taking shape in the Islamic world. Contributors include the AP, CNN, BBC, Reuters, AFP, The Nation, al Jazeera and others. We also learn the identity of the other two Americans killed in the terrorist attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya. They are Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods. Pray for their families and friends....

DUBAI, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Libyan leader Mohammed Magarief apologised to the United States on Wednesday over an attack on its consulate in Benghazi in which the ambassador and three other staff members were killed.

"We apologise to the United States, the people and to the whole world for what happened," Magarief, president of Libya's national assembly, told a news conference broadcast live on Al Jazeera television.

live blog

Oldest Newest

6:20 PM – Today

White House Calls Yemen President: Reuters

The White House announced that President Obama spoke to the Yemeni president and stressed the need to protect U.S. diplomats in the country.

@ Reuters : White House: Obama called Yemen's president, thanked him for condemnation of embassy attack, stressed need to protect U.S. diplomats

6:00 PM – Today

'We Have The Deepest Respect For Everything Doherty Did'

Mark Divine, head of the fitness company SEALFIT where former SEAL Glen Doherty worked, issued a statement:
"In light of the recent attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya and the death of former Navy SEAL Glen Doherty, all SEALFIT staff, members and friends give their utmost respect and condolences to the Doherty family.
We have the deepest respect for everything Doherty did for America and while overseas to further our overseas foreign policy. He was a great Coach and Mentor to many, including our SEALFIT family.
In regard to the Doherty family, at this time we are refraining from further comment or involvement in any media relative to this situation.
Thank you for your understanding."
-- Andrea Stone

5:52 PM – Today

Twitter Spat Erupts Between U.S. Embassy In Cairo And Muslim Brotherhood

In the wake of the attacks on U.S. offices in Egypt and Libya, a bizarre twitter spat has erupted between the U.S. embassy in Cairo and the twitter page of the Muslim Brotherhood, Ikhwanweb.
The Associated Press reports:

The embassy's tweets implied that the Brotherhood, whose longtime member Mohammed Morsi is Egypt's new president, has been sending mixed messages, fueling public anger over the movie. It started when Ikhwanweb, the Twitter page of the Muslim Brotherhood, retweeted a message in English from the group's deputy head, Khairat el-Shater.

@ Ikhwanweb : .@khairatAlshater:We r relieved none of @USEmbassyCairo staff were harmed & hope US-Eg relations will sustain turbulence of Tuesday's events

And this followed:

@ USEmbassyCairo : .@ikhwanweb Thanks. By the way, have you checked out your own Arabic feeds? I hope you know we read those too.

@ Ikhwanweb : .@usembassycairo we understand you're under a lot of stress, but it will be more helpful if you point out exactly the Arabic feed of concern

5:50 PM – Today

Two Former Navy Seals Among Victims Of U.S. Consulate Attack: Fox, 'Union Tribune'

Fox News and the San Diego Union Tribune are reporting that another Navy SEAL is among those killed in the attacks on the U.S. Consulate in Libya.
According to Fox, a "source" confirmed Thursday that one of the victims was Tyrone Woods, a former SEAL.
The Union Tribune reported that two of the four Americans killed -- Woods, and Glen Doherty -- have been identified Thursday as former SEALs from San Diego County. The article quotes Patricia Ann So, identified as Woods' wife.
From the Tribune:

Woods was a SEAL for 20 years and had two sons, ages 15 and 18, said his former wife, Patricia Ann So. She described him as talented, highly skilled and dedicated to the SEALS. “He was balls to the wall,” So said. “He loved life, loved adrenalin.”
He went through Hell Week, the grueling 5½ day SEAL training course, twice, she said.
“You could not find a more skilled SEAL than him,” So said.

Read the full Tribune story here.

4:55 PM – Today

Newly Elected Libyan Prime Minister On U.S. Consulate Attacks

CNN International's Christiane Amanpour speaks with the newly elected Libyan prime minister about arrests of Libyans in connection with protests at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.

4:35 PM – Today

Amanpour: One Libyan Arrested In Connection With Attack On U.S. Consulate

Christiane Amanpour tweets that the Libyan prime minister said at least one Libyan has been arrested in connection with the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi.

@ camanpour : VIDEO: Libya’s prime minister tell me at least one Libyan has been arrested in killings of Americans in #Libya http://t.co/F4UWdfJp

3:56 PM – Today

A Look At The Victims

The Associated Press takes a look at the American victims of the attack in Benghazi:

—Chris Stevens: The career diplomat spoke Arabic and French and had served two tours in Libya, including running the office in Benghazi during the revolt against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. He also brokered tribal disputes and conducted U.S. outreach efforts in Jerusalem, Cairo, Damascus and Riyadh. Stevens is survived by his parents and sister, Ann. He is the sixth U.S. ambassador to be killed on duty. —Sean Smith: An Air Force veteran who worked as an information management specialist for the State Department for 10 years in posts including Brussels, Baghdad and Pretoria. He is survived by his wife, Heather and two children, Samantha and Nathan.
—Glen Doherty: A former Navy SEAL who worked for a private security firm and was protecting the consulate in Benghazi. A trained pilot, Doherty co-authored a book about the modern challenges of being a military sniper.
Doherty and one other American killed have not yet been identified by the State Department.

3:42 PM – Today

Security At Libya Consulate Scrutinized In Wake Of Attack

Following the death of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens in an attack on Tuesday, a New York Times report brings into question the security at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.

"[A] Libyan politician who had breakfast with Mr. Stevens at the mission the morning before he was killed described security, mainly four video cameras and as few as four Libyan guards, as sorely inadequate for an American ambassador in such a tumultuous environment. “This country is still in transition, and everybody knows the extremists are out there,” said Fathi Baja, the Libyan politician."

Time reported more of the politician's comments to Stevens: "I told him the security was not enough. Chris, this is a U.S. consulate. You have to add to the number of people, bring Americans here to guard it, because the Libyans are not trained.”
Despite working in dangerous places, Stevens reportedly rebuffed excessive security restrictions. Obama has since ordered U.S. embassies worldwide to increase their security arrangements.
-- Clare Richardson

3:26 PM – Today

Pentagon Briefing Says Little

WASHINGTON -- With expectations rising that the Obama administration might order a retaliatory strike against the Islamist extremists who attacked and killed four Americans in Libya Tuesday, the U.S. military is taking a decidedly cool stand, at least in public.
As previously reported, a 50-man Marine Corps Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team (FAST) element was deployed Wednesday to Libya, Pentagon spokesman George Little confirmed. In addition, "sufficient numbers" of Marines have been sent into the region to reinforce embassy security, he said.
But Little declined to detail U.S. movements in the Mediterranean or to confirm that two destroyers had been sent into the region. The United States maintains a fleet of warships in the Mediterranean, but Little said none have been assigned any specific mission related to the Libya attack.
In a Pentagon briefing, Little declined to say whether additional military assets were being moved into the region. He also declined to say whether the FAST detachment had been sent to Benghazi, where the U.S. consulate was overrun Tuesday and U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed. No Marines had been assigned to protect the consulate in Benghazi despite the known presence of al Qaeda-linked groups there, he confirmed.
U.S. Marines are protecting the American embassy in Sana, Yemen, which was stormed by mobs that tore down and burned the American flag during a pitched battle Thursday. Little said he could not say what part the U.S. Marine security detail at the embassy played in repelling the attackers.
Little said the Defense Department continues to have strong bilateral relationships with the governments of Libya and Egypt, where anti-U.S. protest continued for the third day.
-- David Wood

2:48 PM – Today

The Guardian Visits U.S. Consulate

The Guardian's Chris Stephens reports from the U.S. consulate compound in Benghazi:

Inside, he showed the result of the fighting. A projectile, possibly a rocket-propelled grenade, had clipped the outside wall and smashed into the main building, blowing out a chunk of masonry. Immediately below it, flecks of brownish blood were spattered on the garden wall, where the fourth American was killed.

Read the full story here.

2:24 PM – Today

Chris Stevens' College Roommate, Alma Mater Remember 'A Perfect Diplomat'

The Huffington Post reports on Chris Stevens' law school and college roommate remembering the Libyan ambassador:
University of California Hastings College of the Law is mourning their alumnus, Libyan Ambassador Chris Stevens, who died from "severe asphyxiation" when gunmen and others set fire to the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi. Stevens was 52 years old.
Former professors and colleagues remember a "bright" student who always wanted to join the Foreign Service.
"This is a tragedy. We mourn this loss." the dean of the law school, Frank H. Wu, said in a statement.
Austin Tichenor, his college roommate at UC Berkeley, told the Reporter "He was one of the smartest men I knew, and one of the least judgmental."
"He could always see the other guy's point of view. It's what made him such a perfect diplomat."
Read the full story here.

1:50 PM – Today

White House: Embassy Personnel Safe In Yemen

White House says all embassy personnel in Yemen are safe.

@ Reuters : White House says it's doing everything possible to protect U.S. diplomats in Yemen, says all embassy personnel are safe

1:18 PM – Today

Navy SEAL Killed In Libya Fought Religious Proselytizing In Military, Opposed Intolerance

Glen Doherty, the security officer who was one four Americans killed in Tuesday's attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, was an active member of an advocacy group that guards the wall of separation between religion and the military.
"He confirmed for me how deeply entrenched fundamentalist Christianity is in the DoD Spec Ops [Department of Defense Special Operations] world of the SEALs, Green Berets, Delta Force, Army Rangers USAF ... and DoD security contractors like the former Blackwater," said Mikey Weinstein, a retired Air Force lawyer and founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.
Doherty was on the group's advisory board and had a history of opposing religious intolerance of the kind dramatized in an anti-Islam Internet video that has sparked demonstrations across the Middle East. According to reports, the video may have given cover to the demonstrations that brought an end to his life.
Read more here.
-- Andrea Stone

12:57 PM – Today

'He Didn't Take Himself Too Seriously, But He Took His Job Very Seriously'

The New York Times profiles U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens:

The thing that struck me was that he had a level of candor that was unusual for a diplomat,” said Sidney Kwiram, who conducted research for Human Rights Watch in Libya during the revolution and afterward and often met with him. She last spoke with him two weeks ago after her own visit to Benghazi, spending two hours on the telephone discussing Libya’s new political forces. “There was no formality to his rank,” she said. “He didn’t take himself too seriously, but he took his job very seriously.

Read the full story here.

11:55 AM – Today

Senior Security Official: Libya Attack Was Organized, 2-Part Operation

Via the Associated Press:

A senior security official says the attack that killed four Americans in Libya, including the U.S. ambassador, was an organized two-part operation by heavily armed militants that included a precisely timed raid on a supposedly secret safe house just as Libyan and U.S. security forces were arriving to rescue evacuated consulate staff.
Wanis al-Sharef, eastern Libya's deputy interior minister, said on Thursday the attacks were suspected to have been timed to mark the 9/11 anniversary and that the militants used civilians protesting an anti-Islam film as cover for their action.

Read the whole story here.

11:52 AM – Today

Militia Threatens U.S. In Iraq

From the Associated Press:

A Shiite militant group threatened U.S. interests in Iraq on Thursday as part of the backlash over an anti-Islam film it described as "heinous." Iranian-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali said the amateurish video that ridicules Prophet Muhammad was unforgiveable. A statement by the militia called on all Muslims to "face our joint enemy."

Read more here.

11:47 AM – Today

Putin Condemns Attack On U.S. Consulate In Benghazi

Russia's President Vladimir Putin condemns the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.

@ Reuters : Russia's Vladimir Putin has condemned the attack that claimed the life of the U.S. ambassador to Libya

11:40 AM – Today

Barack Obama: U.S. Can't Withdraw From The World

President Barack Obama made additional comments on the events in the Middle East during a Wednesday sit-down interview with Telemundo, which will air on the channel Thursday evening.
"The United States doesn't have an option of withdrawing from the world," he said. "We're the one indispensable nation, countries all around the world look to us for leadership, even sometimes countries where sometimes we experience protest. So it's important for us to stay engaged."
Obama emphasized the need to fully investigate before coming to a conclusion about the acts against American personnel, which Libyan leaders condemned on Wednesday.
"Libya in particular is a government that is very friendly towards us," Obama said. "The vast majority of Libyans welcomed the United States involvement. ... Many Libyans came to the defense of our team in Benghazi when they were attacked, but what we have to do now is do a full investigation, find out the facts, find out who perpetrated these terrible acts and bring them to justice."
-- Elise Foley

11:28 AM – Today

Protests Against Anti-Islam Film Spread To Baghdad

Several hundred Shiites protested Thursday against the anti-Islam movie in Sadr City, a Shiite stronghold in Baghdad, according to the Associated Press.
iraq embassy protests

Followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr burn the U.S. flag during a demonstration as part of widespread anger across the Muslim world about a film ridiculing Islam's Prophet Muhammad, in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012. Hundreds of followers of the anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr demanded the closure of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad because of the film. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

11:12 AM – Today

U.S. Consulate In Berlin Evacuated

The U.S. consulate in Berlin was evacuated on Thursday after an employee noticed a strange smell from an envelope.
The Associated Press reports:

The smell came from an envelope containing supporting materials for a visa application that was given to consular employees by the applicant in person, U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Ruth Bennett said. Police experts checked the building to see if any chemical substances or poisonous gases had been released but nothing was found, police spokesman Michael Merkle told n-tv television.
Bennett said she had no immediate information on the status of the person who brought the envelope in, and Merkle would not comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

Workers in protective clothing sit in the courtyard of the U.S. consulate in Berlin, Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012. The U.S. Embassy says its consulate in Berlin has been evacuated as a precaution after an employee reported a strange smell from an envelope. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

11:03 AM – Today

State Dept. Reports Diplomats Injured In Libya 'Are Doing Relatively Well'

The Associated Press reports that three diplomats injured in the attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi are being treated at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, an American military hospital in Germany. According to a State Department status report, all three "are doing relatively well".
Read the full story here.

10:56 AM – Today

Hillary Clinton: Anti-Islam Film 'Disgusting And Reprehensible'

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke out Thursday against the anti-Islam film that has triggered protests in the Middle East, calling it "disgusting and reprehensible."
She also mounted a strong defense of free speech. "'We do not stop individuals from expressing their views, no matter how distasteful they may be," she said.
However, Clinton warned that there "should be no debate about the simple proposition that violence in response to speech is not acceptable."
"We must draw the line at violence," she said. "Any responsible leader should be standing up now and drawing that line."
-- Melissa Jeltsen

10:44 AM – Today

Iranian Police Guard Swiss Embassy In Tehran

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Iranian police officers stand guard in front of the Swiss Embassy in Tehran, which represents U.S. interests in Iran, during a demonstration against a film ridiculing Islam's Prophet Muhammad. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

10:11 AM – Today

WATCH: Live Discussion On The Situation In Yemen

There's a discussion taking place on HuffPost Live right now about the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Yemen. Click here to watch or join in.

10:05 AM – Today

The U.S.'s Drone Campaign In Yemen

The Nation's Jeremy Scahill tweets:

@ jeremyscahill : The US embassy in Sanaa wasn't stormed. Those were just Yemenis eager to thank us for the drone strikes.

As Noah Shachtman writes for Wired's Danger Room, the U.S. has put its drone campaign in Yemen into "overdrive," with two separate operations run by the CIA and the military's Joint Special Operations Command killing nearly 200 this year alone. Yemeni officials said a U.S. drone strike killed Saeed al-Shihri, a top Al Qaeda operative in Yemen, on Monday.
-- Clare Richardson

8:58 AM – Today

President Obama Calls Libyan, Egyptian Leaders

President Barack Obama called Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi and Mohamed Magariaf, president of the General National Congress of Libya, early Thursday to discuss the recent protests and violence in their countries in response to an anti-Muslim film.
Both calls took place just before 2:00 a.m., according to the time stamp on the White House readouts of the calls.
Obama's conversation with Magariaf appeared more conciliatory than anything else. The president thanked Magariaf for his cooperation following the deaths of four U.S. officials, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, during Tuesday's violence in Benghazi. He told Magariaf that "we must work together to do whatever is necessary to identify the perpetrators of this attack and bring them to justice." Magariaf concurred and agreed to help with the investigation.
The tone of the call to Morsi seemed more tense. The White House readout says Obama called Morsi to "review the strategic partnership" between the U.S. and Egypt. While nobody was killed in Cairo amid the protests, the halfhearted response by the Egyptian government has been noted by U.S. officials.
To Morsi, Obama "underscored the importance of Egypt following through on its commitment to cooperate with the United States in securing U.S. diplomatic facilities and personnel," the White House readout states.
Obama went on to say that while he rejects any efforts to denigrate Islam, there is never justification for violence against people, including American personnel stationed in Egypt. Morsi responded by saying that Egypt "would honor its obligation to ensure the safety of American personnel."
Both Libya and Egypt are struggling to stand up democratically run governments that arose from the Arab Spring. The direction of the Morsi's new Islamist government has been a cause for concern among U.S. officials.
-- Jennifer Bendery

8:24 AM – Today

Governments Boost Security

AFP reports that governments across Asia have beefed up security following protests at U.S. offices in Libya, Egypt, and Yemen.
In Indonesia, which has the largest Muslim population in the world, authorities reportedly are trying to block public access to the anti-Islam film.
philippines embassy

Philippine policemen stay beside a machine gun as they secure an area in front of the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines, on Thursday Sept. 13, 2012. Manila police tightened security in the area following an attack that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans in Libya. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Click here to read more.

8:15 AM – Today

Yemeni Embassy Apologizes For Attack

From the Yemeni Embassy in Washington, D.C.:

The Honorable Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi, President of the Republic of Yemen, extends his sincere apologies to President Obama and to the people of the United States of America for the attack that occurred earlier today on the U.S. embassy in Sana’a, Yemen. President Hadi ordered the authorities to conduct an expeditious and thorough investigation into today’s events. H.E. ensured the public that the perpetrators of these acts will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. H.E. described the protesters as a “rowdy group” that acted without any knowledge on conspiracies to derail Yemeni-American relations. H.E. also highlighted that the divisions among Yemen’s security and military forces due to the 2011 events have contributed to the amplification of the incident. H.E. warned the public that such acts will reflect negatively on the warm relations between Yemen and the American public.

8:08 AM – Today

Yemeni Police Shoot Protester Outside U.S. Embassy

@ RodrigoEBR : Yemeni police shot dead a protester in renewed confrontations outside the U.S. embassy in Sana'a -AFP

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