美国大使遇袭身亡 因涉嫌侮辱穆罕默德

美国驻利比亚大使遇袭身亡

　　The US ambassador to Libya is among four Americans killed in an attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, President Barack Obama has confirmed. Unidentified armed men stormed the grounds overnight amid uproar

　　among Muslims over a film produced in the US said to insult the Prophet Muhammad. They shot at buildings and threw handmade bombs into the compound. It has not been confirmed how the ambassador, J Christopher Stevens, and the others died。

　　'Asphyxiated'

　　Speaking in the Rose Garden at the White House, President Obama told reporters the attack would not break the bonds between the US and the new Libyan government. The US is deploying a marine anti-terrorism team to Libya to bolster security after the attack, a US defence source told reporters in Washington。

　　Libya's interim leader, Mohammed Magarief, apologised to the US over the killings, which he called "cowardly criminal acts"。

　　Reports suggest that Ambassador Stevens and his staff went to the consulate in an attempt to evacuate

　　the site after it was attacked. They were reportedly trying to leave the consulate building for a safer location when gunmen launched an intense attack, apparently forcing back security guards。

　　"The American ambassador and three staff members were killed when gunmen fired rockets in their direction," a Libyan official in Benghazi told Reuters news agency. The Libyan doctor who treated Mr Stevens in hospital said he had died of severe asphyxiation, apparently from smoke inhalation, with no other injuries, and that he had tried for 90 minutes to revive him。

　　A second US man killed in the attack was named as Sean Smith, a father of two who was employed as an information management officer.  The names of the remaining two victims have not yet been released。

　　Speaking to reporters later, Mrs Clinton said many Americans were asking how such an attack could have happened in a country America had helped to liberate. "This was an attack by a small and savage group, not the people and government of Libya," she said. The attack was condemned by UK Foreign Secretary William Hague as "brutal and senseless"。

　　Safety concerns Our correspondent says many people in Libya are still armed following the conflict that overthrew Gaddafi.  A demonstration in Cairo on Tuesday saw protesters breach the US embassy and tear down the US flag, which was flying at half-mast to mark the 9/11 attacks。

　　Analysts say the attack will raise serious new concerns about stability in the country and the ability of the new Libyan administration to maintain security。

　　Correspondents say the film at the heart of the row, which appeared on Youtube translated into Arabic, is highly provocative and insulting to Muslims. An Islamic tenet bans the portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad。

　　On Wednesday, the Afghan government gave orders for Youtube to be closed to the public until the offending film was removed but the site was still visible to internet users in the capital, Kabul。

　　美国驻利比亚大使克里斯托弗·史蒂文森于11日晚在利比亚第二大城市班加西的反美抗议活动中被炸身亡，美国使馆另外3名工作人员也同时遇袭身亡。

　　美国总统奥巴马12日发表声明证实此消息，并对袭击事件进行谴责。事后，利比亚副总理穆斯塔法·阿布·沙古尔就此事向美方道歉，并通过社交网站推特发表声明，谴责武装分子袭击美国领事馆并炸死美国大使事件是“懦弱行径”。

　　一名当地官员介绍说，史蒂文森是在领事馆遭到攻击后向外疏散时遇袭的。当时他正乘坐汽车赶往安全地点的路上，武装分子发射的火箭弹击中了史蒂文森等人乘坐的汽车。抢救史蒂文森的利比亚医生表示，他死于吸入烟尘导致的严重窒息，抢救90分钟无效后死亡。另一名受害者是史密斯，剩余两名遇袭身亡人员的身份尚未公布。

　　美国总统奥巴马下令美国驻外机构加强安全保障，保障美国在利比亚人员的安全，并在全球范围内加强对美国外交机构的保护。

　　引起争端的是一部叫做《穆斯林的无知》的电影，由曾呼吁烧毁古兰经的美国牧师特里·琼斯制作。影片的视频片断说，默罕默德是个骗子，并号召屠杀。埃及抗议者表示这是对伊斯兰先知的侮辱。