US Consulate in Libya Stormed

In the early hours of this morning four US embassy staff were killed in the American consulate in Benghazi, the second city of Libya. Libya is one of the real success stories of the Arab Spring, a country that had experienced 40 years of the same dictator rose up and ousted him from power in a bloody revolution. Things have been looking increasingly sour in the fledgling democracy, already British war graves have been vandalised and Westerners have been the targets of attacks. The attack of the American consulate is by far the most serious.

Amongst the four dead was the US ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens who only took up the post since the downfall of Gaddafi. As of yet we do not know who perpetrated the attacks and why they did so. Currently most people believe that the attack was in reaction to an American made video that was uploaded to YouTube that many Muslims have found insulting. Already there have been protests in Egypt over the video and the American embassy in Cairo was stormed! The only other explanation put forward is that the attack was meant to coincide with the anniversary of 9/11. The problem with that theory is that the attack took place on the 12^th (local time), although it would still have been the 11^th across the United States. 

The attack has also caused political issues in America, Republican Presidential nominee, Mitt Romney initially criticised Obama for not taking a hardline approach to the initial protests in Cairo. This has not gone down well with the Obama camp who feel that Mitt Romney is trying to make political hay over a very tragic case.

Regardless of the motive, it is not a good sign for the future stability of Libya. We already know that the central government is very weak, most police work being carried out by armed militias. Disarming them will prove a difficult task.