An American State Department employee has died in Benghazi, Libya after militants stormed the U.S. consulate, angry about an American made film that depicts Prophet Mohammad as a fraud and womanizer.
Anger over the film that some believe insults the Prophet Muhammad also provoked protests in Cairo Tuesday, where demonstrators climbed the walls of the U.S. embassy, took down the American flag and replaced it with a black flag.
A senior U.S. senior official told ABC News they are on alert throughout the region and fear there is more to come. The American State Department employee likely died of smoke inhalation Tuesday from the fire at the consulate, according to the U.S official. One of the buildings was completely destroyed by fire set by the militants.
There were about 20 attackers with small arms who stormed the consulate. There was a firefight with Libyan security officers guarding the consulate, according to the U.S. official.
The group that attacked the consulate is called Ansar al Sharia, according to Libyan sources. The group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but did not mention the movie as motivation. The group is close to al Qaeda ideology and exists in east Libya.
"I condemn in the strongest terms the attack on our mission in Benghazi today," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement released Tuesday night. "As we work to secure our personnel and facilities, we have confirmed that one of our State Department officers was killed. We are heartbroken by this terrible loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and those who have suffered in this attack."
Mohammed Abu Zaid/AP Photo
Protesters destroy an American flag pulled... View Full Size
Protest Over Koran Burning Turns Deadly Watch Video
Terry Jones on U.N. Staffers' Deaths Watch Video
Interview With Pastor Terry Jones: Part 1 Watch Video
Libyan President Mohammed Yussef Magariaf promised to coordinate additional support to protect Americans in the country, condemned the assault on the embassy and pledged his government's full cooperation, Clinton said.
In Cairo, dozens of protesters scaled the embassy walls and took down the flag from a pole in the courtyard. After trying unsuccessfully to burn it, they ripped it apart and replaced it with a black flag bearing Arabic writing. Reports that the black flag was from al Qaeda were not confirmed.
Victoria Nuland, a State Department spokeswoman, said today the United States was working with Egyptian security to restore order.
"This came up pretty quickly," she said. "[It was a] relatively modest group of people and the Egyptian security was caught off guard."
David Linfield, an embassy spokesman, said that no guns were involved.
"No one fired," he said.
According to The Atlantic and Egyptian media, the movie is called "Mohammed, Prophet of the Muslims" and has been promoted by Terry Jones, the controversial Florida preacher whose Koran burning in March 2010 led to the deadly violence in Afghanistan.
Jones said Tuesday in a statement that the film was actually titled "Innocence of Muslims" and was intended not to attack Muslims but to show the "destructive ideology of Islam."
"The movie further reveals in a satirical fashion the life of Muhammad," he said.
Egyptian media also reported that two Egyptians from the Christian minority Coptic group had helped with the movie. Clips in Arabic and English have been released on YouTube.
In a statement Tuesday, the U.S. embassy said it condemned "the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims."
Anger over the film that some believe insults the Prophet Muhammad also provoked protests in Cairo Tuesday, where demonstrators climbed the walls of the U.S. embassy, took down the American flag and replaced it with a black flag.
A senior U.S. senior official told ABC News they are on alert throughout the region and fear there is more to come. The American State Department employee likely died of smoke inhalation Tuesday from the fire at the consulate, according to the U.S official. One of the buildings was completely destroyed by fire set by the militants.
There were about 20 attackers with small arms who stormed the consulate. There was a firefight with Libyan security officers guarding the consulate, according to the U.S. official.
The group that attacked the consulate is called Ansar al Sharia, according to Libyan sources. The group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but did not mention the movie as motivation. The group is close to al Qaeda ideology and exists in east Libya.
"I condemn in the strongest terms the attack on our mission in Benghazi today," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement released Tuesday night. "As we work to secure our personnel and facilities, we have confirmed that one of our State Department officers was killed. We are heartbroken by this terrible loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and those who have suffered in this attack."
Mohammed Abu Zaid/AP Photo
Protesters destroy an American flag pulled... View Full Size
Protest Over Koran Burning Turns Deadly Watch Video
Terry Jones on U.N. Staffers' Deaths Watch Video
Interview With Pastor Terry Jones: Part 1 Watch Video
Libyan President Mohammed Yussef Magariaf promised to coordinate additional support to protect Americans in the country, condemned the assault on the embassy and pledged his government's full cooperation, Clinton said.
In Cairo, dozens of protesters scaled the embassy walls and took down the flag from a pole in the courtyard. After trying unsuccessfully to burn it, they ripped it apart and replaced it with a black flag bearing Arabic writing. Reports that the black flag was from al Qaeda were not confirmed.
Victoria Nuland, a State Department spokeswoman, said today the United States was working with Egyptian security to restore order.
"This came up pretty quickly," she said. "[It was a] relatively modest group of people and the Egyptian security was caught off guard."
David Linfield, an embassy spokesman, said that no guns were involved.
"No one fired," he said.
According to The Atlantic and Egyptian media, the movie is called "Mohammed, Prophet of the Muslims" and has been promoted by Terry Jones, the controversial Florida preacher whose Koran burning in March 2010 led to the deadly violence in Afghanistan.
Jones said Tuesday in a statement that the film was actually titled "Innocence of Muslims" and was intended not to attack Muslims but to show the "destructive ideology of Islam."
"The movie further reveals in a satirical fashion the life of Muhammad," he said.
Egyptian media also reported that two Egyptians from the Christian minority Coptic group had helped with the movie. Clips in Arabic and English have been released on YouTube.
In a statement Tuesday, the U.S. embassy said it condemned "the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims."