Senator John McCain tells reporters that US Ambassador Christopher Stevens, who was killed along with three other American staff members in the embassy attacks in Benghazi, Libya on Tuesday, that Stevens was "one of the finest people I've ever known in my life," as reported by Yahoo News.
"He loved the Libyan people. They loved him. He and I were down there on election night and people were saying, 'Thank You America,'" said the former Republican presidential candidate. Watch the interview here.
McCain, however, refrained from criticizing President Obama's foreign policy in the country. "I guarantee you the one thing Chris Stevens did not want is for us to abandon Libya." And then went to say, "I think it was fine. By the way, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton gave a marvelous statement today," as reported by Yahoo News.
Tuesday evening, a mob angered by a film offensive to Islam attacked attack the U.S. embassy in Benghazi killing the U.S. ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens and three other embassy staff members.
The gunmen were Islamist fundamentalists who were angered over an American film called "Innocence of Muslims," that was posted on the Internet. The film derided the prophet Mohammad. The film was endorsed by a U.S. pastor, Terry Jones, showed the prophet to be a child molester, and killer. The film was posted on Youtube. Jones has become infamous in US for the burning of Quran incident.
President Obama delivered a speech on Wednesday alongside with Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. Obama said, "condemns in the strongest terms these outrageous attacks," as reported by NBC.
"Chris was a courageous and exemplary representative of the United States," Obama told CNN reporters.
Clinton said the attacks were carried out by a "small and savage group," according to Reuters. Clinton said the attacks should "Shock the conscious of people of all faiths," as reported on NBC.
Stevens severed as the US ambassador to Libya since June 2012. He was 52. Sean Smithhas been identified as one of the other three staff members who were killed in the attack. Smith was Foreign Service information management officer and worked with the state department for over a decade. The other two victims have yet to be identified.
The attacks have raised questions about America's involvement in the crisis stricken Libya. Libya has been under violent turmoil due to the civil war, which erupted in 2011 marked by the over-throwing of dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
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