The killing of the American ambassador to Libya reverberated around the world on Wednesday, challenging perceptions of the Arab Spring and weighing on the U.S. presidential race.

Tuesday’s storming of the Benghazi consulate followed a violent protest at the U.S. embassy in Cairo over an amateurish anti-Islamic film made in the United States and reportedly promoted by a group of renegade Egyptian Copts.

Initial reports said 52-year-old Ambassador Chris Stevens, a fervent supporter of the revolt that overthrew Moammar Gadhafi, and three other Americans were killed by an angry mob as they tried to flee in a car.

But Stevens is now believed to have died from smoke inhalation after becoming trapped in the compound after suspected Islamic militants fired on the building with rocket-propelled grenades and set it ablaze.

U.S. officials are investigating the possibility that the assault was a plot by al-Qaida affiliates or sympathizers, using the protests as a diversion to carry out a coordinated revenge attack on the 11th anniversary of 9/11.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the killings should “shock the consciences” of people of all faiths but vowed that the actions of “a savage and small group” would not make Washington turn its back on Libya.

The U.S. dispatched two destroyers to Libya and deployed a 50-member Marine team to bolster security at its Tripoli embassy.

“Two destroyers are going to be in the vicinity of Libya but only as a precautionary measure,” a senior U.S. official said.

Pentagon spokesman George Little, while declining to comment on specific ship movements, said precautionary steps taken by the U.S. military were “not only logical in certain circumstances” but also “the prudent thing to do.”

President Barack Obama quickly ordered increased security at U.S. diplomatic posts around the world, while denouncing the Benghazi assault, which coincided with the 11th anniversary of the Sept 11 attacks.

“The Marines are sending a FAST (Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Team) team to Libya,” an official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.

U.S. Marines and private contractors are charged with safeguarding diplomatic posts abroad and it was unclear how the attackers managed to breach security.

The Fleet Anti-terrorism Security Teams, under the authority of the U.S. Navy’s chief of operations, were formed in 1987 to provide a fast response to security threats after a series of terror attacks in the 1970s and 1980s.

“These companies are called on to protect forces and installations when a heightened security threat requires it,” states the unit’s website.

There was no immediate conflagration around the Muslim world but CNN showed trouble brewing again on Wednesday night in front of the U.S. embassy in Cairo as anti-U.S. protesters clashed with security officers in riot gear.

New protests against the film were held on Wednesday outside U.S. missions in Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia in addition to those in Egypt. In Tunis, police fired tear gas to disperse a crowd of several hundred.

Meanwhile, Obama laid into Mitt Romney after the Republican White House hopeful criticized the initial response to the attacks on the Cairo embassy and Benghazi consulate as sympathizing too much with the perpetrators instead of defending American values.

“Governor Romney seems to have a tendency to shoot first and aim later,” Obama said in an interview with CBS News, seeking to paint his opponent in November as a diplomatic liability who is unfit for the Oval Office.

“As president, one of the things I’ve learned is you can’t do that—it’s important for you to make sure that the statements that you make are backed up by the facts and that you’ve thought through the ramifications before you make them.”

Obama’s riposte to Romney served as a preview of a high-stakes foreign policy debate in which Romney and Obama will duel next month, one of three encounters that could be decisive before voters decide if Obama deserves a second term.

In a press conference in Florida, Romney denied he had jumped the gun with his statement on Tuesday, saying “an apology for America’s values is never the right course.”

Romney was angry the U.S. embassy in Cairo stood by a statement issued before its walls were breached in which it condemned a movie by a U.S. director deemed insulting to Islam as an attempt to “hurt the religious feelings of Muslims.”

Obama’s latest swipe at Romney came a week after he used the Democratic National Convention in North Carolina to portray his rival as a foreign policy neophyte who would usher in a new “era of blustering and blundering” abroad.

The president’s ally, Senator John Kerry—a possible pick for secretary of state if Obama wins a second term—also fired off a scathing assault on Romney’s credentials to serve as commander-in-chief.

“President Mitt Romney—three hypothetical words that mystified and alienated our allies this summer,” Kerry said, referring to Romney’s wobbly visit to Europe and Israel.

“For Mitt Romney, an overseas trip is what you call it when you trip all over yourself overseas. It wasn’t a goodwill mission—it was a blooper reel.”

Democrats also seized on Romney’s failure to mention an Afghan war strategy in his speech accepting the Republican nomination at his own convention in Tampa, Florida last month, as evidence he is unfit to be commander-in-chief.

Obama, by contrast, repeatedly touts his ending of the Iraq war, the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, and the fearsome operation to hound al-Qaida and claims that he has repaired the U.S. image abroad as proof of “tested and proven” leadership.

Meanwhile, the mystery deepened over the identity of the director whose film sparked the protests.

An American-Israeli calling himself Sam Bacile was quoted in the U.S. media as saying he made the film on a $5 million budget with the help of 100 Jews, but no record of such a person has been found.

Steve Klein, a consultant on the movie, denied that Israelis were involved in the film, and said Bacile—which he acknowledged was a pseudonym—was mortified to hear of the death of Stevens.

“He’s very upset that the ambassador got murdered,” he said.

The top U.S. military officer, General Martin Dempsey, called controversial Christian pastor Terry Jones, who has ignited deadly riots in the Muslim world before, to urge him to disavow the film.

Jones, who showed the film on his website on Tuesday, issued a statement confirming that he had been contacted by the producer of the film, “Innocence of Muslims,” to help distribute it and made no mention of Dempsey’s plea.

The video-sharing website YouTube said it was restricting access in Libya and Egypt to the film.

The violence in Benghazi was strongly condemned by Libya’s General National Congress, which went ahead Wednesday with the election of technocrat Mustafa Abu Shagur as the country’s new prime minister in a close vote.

The first task for the new premier will be to bring order to the myriad of militias born out of last year’s uprising, as fears grow that unrest could spread and derail democratic progress following the Arab Spring uprisings.

The Benghazi assault came after thousands of Egyptian demonstrators tore down the Stars and Stripes at the US embassy in Cairo and replaced it with a black Islamic flag, similar to one adopted by several militant groups.

Nearly 3,000 demonstrators, most of them hardline Islamist supporters of the Salafist movement, had gathered at the embassy in a protest over the film.

Worryingly for the United States, the first reaction of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi was to condemn not the attack on the US embassy but the film that provoked it.

“The presidency condemns in the strongest terms the attempt of a group to insult the place of the Messenger, the Prophet Mohammed and condemns the people who have produced this radical work,” the president said in a statement posted on his Facebook page.

“The Egyptian people, both Muslims and Christians, refuse such insults on sanctities.”

The Muslim Brotherhood has called for protests outside mosques across Egypt on Friday.

kheart: and when ll u people (xtians) stick ur insults to jesus alone (whom u claim to be ur god).

There have been several of such movies denigrating the person of Jesus.. But have you seen any protest from any Christian fold? Hope you are happy about davincicode and the other version of the passion of the Christ( can't remember the name) but these fabbles will pass away with the wind and the Church of Christ ll continue moving on... They that know their God shall be like mount Zion that can never be moved... Why are your brothers panicking over a movie on their fate? Is it worth killing for.. In as much as I hate people making mockery of prophets or pe ople's beliefs, I also abhor senseless killings... Let God fight his battles

For all the christians getting all sanctimonious on their high horse to condemn Islam, your religion displays the same bigotry and has an even darker history than Islam. Don't be decieved into thinking you're on a superior moral plain than some misguided, jobless, illiterate muslims.

The day the world discards the delusional bigotry espoused by organised Abrahamic religion is the day the world takes a huge leap to achieving peace

Let me start by saying that this movie (if you can even call it that) is really very SAD. From the SAD twisted human being that sat down and wasted his time and energy to put pen to paper, the sad twisted people that invested in him to the poor actors that were involved (and according to cnn duped and redubbed). What kind of irresponsible human being would incite 1.5 billion people to entertain his sick fantasies and evidently sick mind.

@ lafuria - I know it is not a good thing to insult the faith of others however the world is filled of a lot of people that may look sane outwardly but are not in their right frame of mind, knowing this I ve learnt to be selective in my reaction to people's actions. Killing people on the account of someone else's offence to u (worst even when they are not related to the person or even aware of the reason y u are killing them) is only a level lower in sanity than those insulting the religion in the first place.

Y kill someone on duty in libya for a film produced by a hatetist thousands of miles away? It doesn't make sense.

Some years back a prominent artist draw a picture of Jesus and his disciples depicting them as gays and am sure a lot of people didn't notice because no one raised any air about it.

We should learn to overlook some actions else we will be termed 'mad' reacting to every annoying actions.

My the soul of the dead rest in peace.

both written and unwritten existing historical evidence prove that every culture has had its gods & goddess sent from the sky. as times went, the stronger cultures stampeded the weaker. the result is what we have today.

Dis muslims sef. They luv killing more dan any oda tin. Anyway, i trust d americans and know wot they are capable of doing. Now d muslim world are killing innocent americans, let dem not cry and shout as usual wen dose americans start their own o.

HOW I WISH I CAN LAY MY HAND ON ONE XTIAN HE OR SHE WILL BE DEAD IN TEN SECONDS FOOLS

Shaw007: And very sOon. . .some muslims will start coming 2 Nairaland 2 say islam is not a religion of war and sh*t. . .are you more islamic than Arabs??

But then again,i dont think it was right for that producer 2 do what he did knowing fully well the sensitivity of muslims 2 their religion,he shud just pray he doesnt get caught,or else. . .hehe!

The producer of the film is a business man, he needs money like anyone else, he wants to be rich and successful as the arab and senior muslim leaders. You have no right to blame a man that is working hard for his money.1979 Pope John Paul 2nd was shot at Vatican by a Turkish muslim, did the heaven fall? Is muhamed more valued than the Pope? Can this happen to a senior muslim cleric without many innocent people being killed? Da Vinci recently produced a film that ridiculed Jesus Christ to the extent that it shook some Christians, many would have lost faith in Jesus Christ. Did heaven fall? Why is it that any thing about this dead man muhamed always raise storm? What has muslims contributed positively to this world since the coming of their religion? Only terror, crisis. As if it is only them that have the monopoly of violence. Never you blame a man that is looking for bread for his family. He is far better than the muslim clerics and rich men who sponsor terrorism to colonize the blind poor and illiterate Africans for their selfish interests.

Religious people are the most wicked people in the world.They think that by being wicked they are trying to please God. True or false?

Why on earth would a producer portray our leader as gay and u expect us to keep quiet maybe the other religion will because they are not sure of their religion if it ever exist.

la furia:
arent the people behind d movies americans? They reside in america. They america govt sees nothing wrong in what these american islamaphobias are doing.
The fact is the actions of these guys was going to put d lives of american citizen in d middle east at risk as well as america muslims in the u.s.a. They knew wat the reaction was goin to be but ofcourse the didnt care.
It is much easier 2 insult people in your comfort zone. These guys had an agenda and they got exactly what they wanted. The american embasy is payin the price for the stupidi.ty one of its citizen same way innocent muslims pay d price for the actions of d jihadist group

and how many times have the Christians attack the Muslims for depicting Jesus Christ in an ugly many?
they(Muslims) have called Jesus Christ all sort of names,yet,they have never been attack once by Christians,because we know for sure that,THE BATTLE BELONG TO OUR GOD TO FIGHT FOR HIMSELF.
you can't fight for our God,because He created man and all the chariots,including the weapons to be used by man to fight battle,therefore He knows how to fight His battle for Himself and we His children.
so,if the muslim god be God,let him fight for himself.

la furia:
arent the people behind d movies americans? They reside in america. They america govt sees nothing wrong in what these american islamaphobias are doing.
The fact is the actions of these guys was going to put d lives of american citizen in d middle east at risk as well as america muslims in the u.s.a. They knew wat the reaction was goin to be but ofcourse the didnt care.
It is much easier 2 insult people in your comfort zone. These guys had an agenda and they got exactly what they wanted. The american embasy is payin the price for the stupidi.ty one of its citizen same way innocent muslims pay d price for the actions of d jihadist group

and how many times have the Christians attack the Muslims for depicting Jesus Christ in an ugly many?
they(Muslims) have called Jesus Christ all sort of names,yet,they have never been attack once by Christians,because we know for sure that,THE BATTLE BELONG TO OUR GOD TO FIGHT FOR HIMSELF.
you can't fight for our God,because He created man and all the chariots,including the weapons to be used by man to fight battle,therefore He knows how to fight His battle for Himself and we His children.
so,if the muslim god be God,let him fight for himself.

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Prince saha: Dis muslims sef. They luv killing more dan any oda tin. Anyway, i trust d americans and know wot they are capable of doing. Now d muslim world are killing innocent americans, let dem not cry and shout as usual wen dose americans start their own o.

hhhh so u mean d afghans, and iraqi people aint innocent?

kunle.t.ade:
Why on earth would a producer portray our leader as gay and u expect us to keep quiet maybe the other religion will because they are not sure of their religion if it ever exist.

i guess because your god doesn't have his own hands,so there is the need for you to fight for him.
our ALMIGHTY GOD does not need anyone to fight for HIM,because you can't even define the way HE HIS going to fight his battle,because HIS ways are not men's ways.

Why should muslims always prove d fact dat the religion is voilent by falling 2 every provovcation. or responding 2 every provocation wit aggression??

Jewish film makers produced Da vinci code and Corpus christi, 2 blasphemous films portraying our lord Jesus christ (who is God) as gay, and all sorts of unspeakable character, Christians didn't raise dust nor kill anybody, infact pope prayed for the producers that God should forgive them, now another Jewish producer produced a film about muhamed (a man nt God, not allah) and muslims left the jews and killed a christian American ambassador and 3 other christians for crime they neither supported nor know nothing about, pls NLers tell me who is at fault? If USA vex begin nuke them, they will cry religious victims, y didn't they target israeli embassy?

WASHINGTON: The US has dispatched two warships loaded with missiles and a Marine team to beef up the security at its missions in Libya after American ambassador was killed in aviolent attack on its Consulate in Benghazi.

profola2be:
and how many times have the Christians attack the Muslims for depicting Jesus Christ in an ugly many?
they(Muslims) have called Jesus Christ all sort of names,yet,they have never been attack once by Christians,because we know for sure that,THE BATTLE BELONG TO OUR GOD TO FIGHT FOR HIMSELF.
you can't fight for our God,because He created man and all the chariots,including the weapons to be used by man to fight battle,therefore He knows how to fight His battle for Himself and we His children.
so,if the muslim god be God,let him fight for himself.

guy are u for real? A muslim dat insult prophet isah a.s (pbuh) is nt a true muslim.

You'd think the west would have learnt not to antagonize the Muslim world by banning such videos. But nope.

I pity al shallow minded individuals who dnt see beyound their nose. But i believe among d christians nd d jews are stil some righteous ones who would reason deeply before dropin blind comments on this issue. Come oh! Ye who drop silly commnts how many times as it ever been heard that muslim produced films painting bad of prophet jesus(puh) cause we know d severity of the punishmnt.as that muslims even believe more in jesus as d messenger nd prophet of God and perhrbs i say no muslim is yet a bliver if not that he or she blives in d prophets of God. So tell me y must dey always act films dat r contrary to purpose of islam to the generality of mankind nt only muslims.islam is peace nd if dey the producer cum whoeva is involved in d productn d film had luved peace dey wuldnt av done so.so woteva d consequence of dre hypocritic actions fetches dem dey must al face it! Me no pity u at all awon oloshi!

the greztest problem d world has.......''RELIGION''.......pple shuld spent more tym on doin wats ryt and makin demselves ryt dan fightin god's battles.......in all, dey believe dere is just one DEVIL,perhaps,he's winnin......

sdiq: HOW I WISH I CAN LAY MY HAND ON ONE XTIAN HE OR SHE WILL BE DEAD IN TEN SECONDS FOOLS

OUR GOD KNOWS HOW TO HANDLE YOUR LIKES.
OUR GOD WINS BATTLES FOR US,NOT BECAUSE WE CAN'T FIGHT,BUT BECAUSE HE WANTS TO PROVE TO US THAT HE IS THE ALMIGHTY AND HE IS A LIVING GOD,unlike your god whom you win battle for.if your god be god,let him fight for you.

Bleep NL, Bleep SEUN THE OWNER, AND ALL THE STUPID PEOPLE WHO CONDEM ISLAM. AS FOR U SEUN I DONT CARE IF U BAN ME IF U CAN BAN GARRI STUFF AND U CANT BAN DOES SAYING RUBBISH ABOUT ISLAM THEN U ARE A FOOL LIKE THEM

ronnyfam: I don't get why every little thing said about Islam always cause trouble in the world? So many things have been said about Jesus ( davicin code film) but no single violence anywhere, the so call producer of the film knew the trouble this film will cause(Terry Jones).why going ahead with the production? The man is a trouble maker and need to face the law.
Religion is all about tolerance and love.
The battle is for the Lord, the God fight his battle.
May God let his peace reign in the world,Amen

Yes so many movies has filmed about Jesus...bt lets think of it, who r those behind d filmed (Davicin Code) the so called Illuminati.... they do that just to confuse peoples mind about God and The Lord Jesus.... but e islam r really funny... But only God knows,

kunle.t.ade:
Why on earth would a producer portray our leader as gay and u expect us to keep quiet maybe the other religion will because they are not sure of their religion if it ever exist.

Which leader? Which religion? My friend shut up your mouth; it is only the deads that fight for the dead. A living man fights for a living man. True God fights for himself, while dead gods is the one very weak to fight for himself. And that is why it asks the living dead men to fight for it. Go to the Arab dominated muslim countries and tell them that you are a black muslim. To the arab mulims , all of you the black muslims are not recognized nor regarded. You are a KALUSH, go and ask the arabs about the meaning. To them you are as worthless as KHALUF. Look for a way when the sun is shining, not in the night. muslims you are the problem in this sweet world. Take it or leave it.

kunle.t.ade:
Why on earth would a producer portray our leader as gay and u expect us to keep quiet maybe the other religion will because they are not sure of their religion if it ever exist.

If that is d case, muslims would have been wiped out of the earth because u insult xtians by saying Judas iscariot was crucified in lieu of Jesus, u insult christians by saying Jesus is a mere prophet whereas he is God to us, u insult christians by saying the Holy spirit Jesus promised the disciples is muhamed (blasphemy!!!). If we should mind ur insults do u think there would have been peace on earth?

crusaders are also ur heroes...they wil join adolph hitler in hell, as they do nt value life either. St.u.pid worshipper of d cross

;DLol hope they are ready for DRONE STRIKE in the next few days ;DLol hope they are ready for DRONE STRIKE in the next few days

la furia:
arent the people behind d movies americans? They reside in america. They america govt sees nothing wrong in what these american islamaphobias are doing.
The fact is the actions of these guys was going to put d lives of american citizen in d middle east at risk as well as america muslims in the u.s.a. They knew wat the reaction was goin to be but ofcourse the didnt care.
It is much easier 2 insult people in your comfort zone. These guys had an agenda and they got exactly what they wanted. The american embasy is payin the price for the stupidi.ty one of its citizen same way innocent muslims pay d price for the actions of d jihadist group

Are you categorically saying I should go out and kill any Muslim I see because Boko Haram killed my cousins? Are we that useless that we will not even own up to a pathetic, vicious and barbaric action of assholes thousands of miles away cos we serve the same God? Bleep that!

Also what the Bleep did you say about "Their government did nothing about it?" Are you saying there was a government agent standing behind fat Sam Bacile as he worked? Did the agent get Sam coffee and make some suggestions on what position the Prophet should be shown in? Why the Bleep are you so myopic in admitting truth? Leave that Zeigeist!!!

sdiq: HOW I WISH I CAN LAY MY HAND ON ONE XTIAN HE OR SHE WILL BE DEAD IN TEN SECONDS FOOLS

I hope you are okay? aburo