Aftermath of attack on US Consulate in Benghazi

(13 Sep 2012) The US Consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi lay empty on Thursday, its buildings blackened with smoke and covered in graffiti, after the attack on Tuesday in which four Americans were killed. US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Embassy staff died when a crowd with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades stormed the compound. What appeared to be bloodstains could be seen on a concrete pillar close to the main gate. There were no security officials to be seen in the compound, which appeared to have been ransacked. A pile of broken furniture lay in an interior courtyard next to a blackened vehicle. Inside one of the burned-out buildings was charred office furniture and what appeared to be a badly damaged kitchen. The crowd of attackers were thought to have been provoked by an anti-Muslim film made in the US that denigrates Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. However, US officials suspect the assault may have been a planned militant operation rather than a spontaneous mob attack. US Attorney General Eric Holder said on Thursday that the FBI had opened an investigation into the deaths of the four Americans. Find out more about AP Archive: Twitter: Facebook: ​​ Instagram: You can license this story through AP Archive: