united states
We have all watched with horror the recent events in Libya, which took the life of Ambassador Chris Stevens, our envoy in Tripoli. Americans across our country have shaken their heads in disbelief that a man who devoted his life to helping Libyans achieve their freedom should have been viciously murdered in the very city he helped protect.
American efforts to counter the threat of terrorism have spawned their own literary genre. Some of the books are little more than partisan tirades, some give credence to far-fetched conspiracy theories, but others are solidly researched and impart important lessons about fighting evil without demolishing essential national values.
After days of anti-American violence across the Muslim world, the White House is girding itself for an extended period of turmoil that will test the security of American diplomatic missions and President Obama’s ability to shape the forces of change in the Arab world.
The last time I saw Chris Stevens was in May, at his swearing-in ceremony for his first post as ambassador, in Libya. We'd been friends since he was a junior diplomat on the Iran desk, when we used to gab for hours about Tehran's cryptic politics. We later met up in Mideast hot spots, from Syria and Saudi Arabia to the Palestinian territories. He always had funny tales about diplomatic mischief.
In one of his last acts as U.S. ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens put together a group of Libyan journalists and sent them to the U.S. on a tour of media outlets. A day after receiving news that their friend Stevens was killed by protesters at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, the group of seven Libyan reporters and other media professionals visited this newspaper to exchange ideas about journalism in the U.S.
Ten years ago, the Innocence of Muslims controversy would not have happened. YouTube did not exist, and without this means of reaching a global audience the offensive snippets of the “film” would never have been seen.
United States’ Cultural Ambassador and visual artist Mary Mattingly will be in the Philippines from September 15 to October 31, 2012. The visit is part of the U.S. Department of State’s cultural diplomacy program, smART Power and the U.S. Embassy.
As part of its ground breaking cultural diplomacy initiative, the United States has invited popular Pakistani singer-songwriter duo Zeb and Haniya for a series of public performances in cities across the country.