The American ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens, and three other State Department officials were killed when protesters set fire to the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, due to an American-made anti-Muslim film that ridiculed the Prophet Muhammad.

This morning at the White House, President Obama condemned the attacks, and ordered increased security at U.S. diplomatic posts around the world. President Obama also noted that the attacks were carried out on the anniversary of the September 11th attacks, and said the Ambassador was a central figure in repairing frayed relations between the U.S. and Muslim world.

Stevens was a career diplomat who served throughout the Middle East. When appointed to his post as Libyan Ambassador, Stevens expressed gratitude for the opportunity, "I had the honor to serve as the US envoy to the Libyan opposition during the revolution. And I was thrilled to watch the Libyan people stand up for their rights. Now I'm excited to return to Libya to continue the great work we've started. Building a solid partnership between the US and Libya to help you, the Libyan people, achieve your goals."

Guests:

Kristen Chick, Cairo correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor

Steve Clemons, Washington editor at large for The Atlantic, and Middle East expert at the New America Foundation.