Christopher Stevens, the US Ambassador to Libya, and three of his colleagues were brutally killed when a mob of Islamic extremists attacked the US consulate in Benghazi on Tuesday night.
The killings have highlighted a security void in Libya ever since the regime of Muammar Gaddafi was deposed last year. It also raises questions about a number of Islamic militias and extremists – some of them believed to be linked to al-Qaeda – roaming around freely and threatening Libya’s stability and new-found democracy.
It is indeed a sad irony that Mr Stevens should have been killed in Libya, a country he loved and supported so much in its transformation to a democracy.
Mr Stevens had been America’s link to the Libyan National Transitional Council based in Benghazi and to the Libyan interim government, and had been Ambassador to Libya since January. Indeed, considering America’s key role in the overthrow of Gaddafi, it is difficult to understand how such a senseless attack could have taken place.
The assault in Benghazi came after protests outside the US Embassy in Cairo over a little-known American-made film which purportedly insulted the Prophet Mohammed. There have been similar protests against the film throughout the week in a number of Muslim countries.
While there is no doubt that this film was provocative, the US government can in no way be held responsible for its production. Furthermore, violence can never be justified as a means of expressing opposition to such a film.
Many believe the assault in Benghazi was a planned terrorist attack against the US. It is likely the attackers took advantage of the protests outside the consulate to launch their assault with rocket-propelled grenades. Foreign Minister Tonio Borg, speaking at a joint press conference in Malta with Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi, said this was an attempt to destabilise Libya, and called the killing of the US Ambassador an “assassination”, while Terzi referred to it as “an act of terrorism”.
It is possible the attack was carried out to coincide with the 11th anniversary of September 11; it also took place after a call by al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri to avenge the death of his second in command, Abu Yahya al-Libi, a Libyan who was killed in a drone attack in Pakistan in June. While there is no doubt that the overwhelming majority of Libyans do not harbour extremist Islamic views and are not sympathetic to al-Qaeda or its affiliates, the Libyan government urgently needs to address its very fluid security situation. Militias need to be disarmed, law and order restored and the country’s borders must be made secure.
A Libya descending into anarchy is in nobody’s interest and could lead to regional instability. Malta would stand to lose tremendously in such a scenario. It is good that Lawrence Gonzi last week told the new Libyan Prime Minister, Mustafa Abushagur, that Malta will continue to offer its unwavering support for the country’s political transition.
The Benghazi attack has also shown that the threat of terrorism committed by Islamic extremists has not gone away. As a result of last week’s events, foreign policy could now become an important issue in November’s US presidential election.
It is important, however, that the Obama administration continues its engagement with the Muslim world, and not be tempted to withdraw into isolationism. The first signals coming out of Washington – given Mr Obama and Hillary Clinton’s measured reaction – point to a continuing engagement. This is most welcome.