“I ask myself, how could this happen? How could this happen in a country we helped liberate, in a city we helped save from destruction?” Clinton said. “This question reflects just how complicated and, at times, how confounding the world can be.”
U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton
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Our thoughts go first to the families of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and the three other U.S. diplomats killed yesterday in Benghazi. We share their grief and express our sincere condolences. Ambassador Stevens had not only served his country, but helped bring about the victory of Libya’s revolution against tyranny. He had the esteem of all libyans who had met him or who knew of his vital role in helping their struggle.
A thought, also, for the great American People who has, always, opened its arms to millions of Arabs and Muslims, providing them with shelter and citizenship, as no arab or muslim nation has done. In this terrible moment of 9/11, which gained a new tragic significance yesterday, we can only remember the title of France’s great daily, Le Monde, on the day after 9/11, 2001: “Nous sommes tous Américans” (“We are all Americans”).
No words can express indignation, condemnation and anger at the crime committed yesterday in Benghazi. A premeditated act by isolated takfiri extremists, certainly linked to what remains of al Qaeda. Their message is simple: terrorism goes on even after the death of Bin Laden and Aby Yahya al-Libi.
Before attacking the US consulate in Benghazi, the same takfiri elements had destroyed holy muslim shrines in Libya’s (and Mali’s) cities, attacked coffee shops and women’s accessories shops, kidnapped intellectuals and assassinated thirty libyan army officers (out of a rumored list of 600 officers to be targeted with the aim of preventing any attempt at building a national libyan army).
This tiny minority cannot turn Libya into a new “taliban” state. A majority of Libyans, including a vast majority of libyan women, had voted in favor of a pro-democracy coalition in last July elections. The Libyans shall defeat their own demons. But they do need the help of the civilised and free world, now even more than during the months of revolutionary struggle.
The NY Times editorial today warned that “the worst thing now would be for the United States to turn away from its commitments to work with Libya and Egypt as they try to build stable new societies”. We agree.
Nor should U.S. public opinion start having second thoughts about its support for the Arab Spring and, especially, for Syria’s ongoing revolution. Arab societies were late. But they are, now, in the throes of real revolutions for Human Rights and democracy. Radicals shall not welcome the struggle for liberal and democratic societies which would put them “out of business”. But the Cold War is behind us, and it is becoming for the United States to be on the side of progress and Human Righs.
We condemn the terrible crime committed by misguided libyan radicals who should be brought to justice sooner rather than later. We salute the memory of honorable diplomats who gave their support to Libya’s people struggle for dignity. And, we keep our faith in the perspectives of the Arab Spring which, hopefully, shall bring stagnant Arab societies (and Iran) into the orbit of the modern liberal world.