Cousin: Ambassador Stevens died 'doing what he loved doing'
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SEATTLE -- Family members are mourning the death of U.S. ambassador Christopher Stevens, who was killed with three other Americans in an attack on the consulate in Benghazi.
Stevens has family ties to Western Washington. His sister is a doctor at Seattle Children's Hospital and his cousin lives in the Puget Sound region.
"Chris was a great guy, very smart, funny, dedicated, respected and he was just a class act; all around good guy," said Joe Brown, Stevens' cousin. "He just felt like he should be over there in the Middle East. He was drawn to it and he was doing what he wanted to do and what he loved doing."
Stevens, 52, and three other Americans were killed when he and a group of embassy employees went to the consulate to try to evacuate staff as the building came under attack by a mob armed with guns and rocket propelled grenades.
Brown said Stevens really cared about the people there and was there to try to help.
"It's a sad day for his whole family," Brown said. "There's shock and sadness and a lot of tears. There's been an outpouring of support and prayers and we're all very thankful for that."
Stevens is the first U.S. ambassador to be killed in an attack since 1979, when Ambassador Adolph Dubs was killed in Afghanistan.
Stevens was a career diplomat who spoke Arabic and French and had already served two tours in Libya, including running the office in Benghazi during the revolt against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. He was confirmed as ambassador to Libya by the Senate earlier this year.
Stevens joined the Foreign Service in 1991 and spent his early State Department career at posts in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria and Israel. After working for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff for Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., Stevens was posted to Libya as deputy chief of mission.
His State Department biography, posted on the website of the U.S. Embassy to Libya, says he "considers himself fortunate to participate in this incredible period of change and hope for Libya."
Children's Hospital released a statement Wednesday on behalf of Stevens' sister:
"Dr. Anne Stevens is deeply saddened by the tragic death of her brother U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens. She and her family request that you respect their privacy at this time."
Brown was asked how Dr. Stevens was doing:
"She's upset but she knows that he was doing what he loved and knew what at the risks were but that's what he wanted to be doing."
Stevens has family ties to Western Washington. His sister is a doctor at Seattle Children's Hospital and his cousin lives in the Puget Sound region.
"Chris was a great guy, very smart, funny, dedicated, respected and he was just a class act; all around good guy," said Joe Brown, Stevens' cousin. "He just felt like he should be over there in the Middle East. He was drawn to it and he was doing what he wanted to do and what he loved doing."
Stevens, 52, and three other Americans were killed when he and a group of embassy employees went to the consulate to try to evacuate staff as the building came under attack by a mob armed with guns and rocket propelled grenades.
Brown said Stevens really cared about the people there and was there to try to help.
"It's a sad day for his whole family," Brown said. "There's shock and sadness and a lot of tears. There's been an outpouring of support and prayers and we're all very thankful for that."
Stevens is the first U.S. ambassador to be killed in an attack since 1979, when Ambassador Adolph Dubs was killed in Afghanistan.
Stevens was a career diplomat who spoke Arabic and French and had already served two tours in Libya, including running the office in Benghazi during the revolt against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. He was confirmed as ambassador to Libya by the Senate earlier this year.
Stevens joined the Foreign Service in 1991 and spent his early State Department career at posts in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria and Israel. After working for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff for Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., Stevens was posted to Libya as deputy chief of mission.
His State Department biography, posted on the website of the U.S. Embassy to Libya, says he "considers himself fortunate to participate in this incredible period of change and hope for Libya."
Children's Hospital released a statement Wednesday on behalf of Stevens' sister:
"Dr. Anne Stevens is deeply saddened by the tragic death of her brother U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens. She and her family request that you respect their privacy at this time."
Brown was asked how Dr. Stevens was doing:
"She's upset but she knows that he was doing what he loved and knew what at the risks were but that's what he wanted to be doing."
He is in our prays.
http://seattle.citysearch.com/profile/36602381/kenmore_wa/eastside_exterminators.html
To: The Family of Ambassador Chris Stevens.Â
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From: Sergeant U.S.M.C. (Retired)Â
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I want to pass on information to the family that I believe will be beneficial in the investigation of the Ambassador's death. Â I am a concerned American and I believe that the Families those Americans that lost their lives in Bengazhi, Libya are being lied to. Â Just from watching and observing the hearings it is in my professional opinion that those Americans could have been saved but somebody high up the chain of command failed to save them. Â First of all The United States Marine Corps Security Forces Regiment in Norfolk, VA. on Norfolk Naval Base has a Unit called Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team Company. Â Also know as or called F.A.S.T. Company. Â One of their Main Missions are to Support, Reinforce Security, Rescue, and evacuate any and all personnel that are station at any American Embassy or American Consulate. Â Especially if there is a valid threat or if the Ambassador request additional support or Security. Â Ambassador Chris Stevens requested that help well in advance. Â
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Secondly, Â I believe you will find out that the President Obama Administration is covering up the truth and should be impeached. Â F.A.S.T. Company Marines were ready and waiting to go into Bengazhi, Libya and were in Sigonella, Italy Naval Air Station waiting and standing by since July 2012. Â Those U.S. Marines and the Commanders of the Unit were ready to go at anytime. Â The day or night of the Attack those U.S. Marines were on helicopters and only two hours away when they were ordered to land. Â After that they never got the call or authorization to move in and save those four Americans. Â Why? Â There were also other ground assets already close by that could have went there and helped them. Â F.A.S.T. Company Marines are very heavily armed and more then mission capable to handle the situation in Bengazhi, Libya. Â They are highly trained in... Counter Terrorism, Anti-Terrorism, and Terrorist Hostage Rescue! Â They were there in place and waiting, ready, and standing by to take off and fly in. Â They never got the call Why! Â The F.A.S.T. Company Marines could have been inserted in by helicopter or married up with the other ground forces that were already there. Â I know this to be true because I use to be one of those Marines.Â
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Lastly, I hope this information finds the family members and this helps them demand the truth because they are being lied to. Â Never in history have I ever seen a cover up like this. Â In my opinion It is impeachable! Â I am sorry and don't mean to open your wounds of the heart but it has to be told and investigated. Â I have contacted the following Senators with this information by e-mail, and phone calls. Â I spoke to the secretaries or their aides by phone ... Senator John McCain, Senator Lindsey Graham, Senator Carl Levin, and Senator Rand Paul. Â I told each of them who I was and why I was e-mailing them or calling them. Â Wether they took me seriously or not I don't know. Â I hope they did. If they didn't then now I hope this information finds the families. Â
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Sincerely and respectfully submitted: Â U.S.M.C. Sergeant (Retired) / Deputy Sheriff (Retired)Â
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To Dr. Stevens, her family, and the entire country. I am a Muslim, but very liberal. From the time that Ambassador Stevens got killed, by the hate mongers, I have been weeping off and on. It is a shame that a good person like him, and three other Americans were mercilessly burned to death. Our entire community is ashamed of those men who killed the four Americans. We are all very sorry. May God keep them in heaven, and give solace to their near and dear once. Justice will be done. The devils will be punished to the fullest extent. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you. We are all children of the same God. No one is infidel. Terrorists who killed 3000 Americans, and now four more, are infidels in my eyes. Â Â
Please except my apologies for thefact that your cousin, brother was doing what he loved but the fact is he was hung out to dry especially on 911 by state dept, Hillary Clinton and most of all Presidetn obama who thinks he know muslims since he was raised for 4 yrs in his youth in Indonesia and went to mosque with his muslim step father..Obama studied the highes degree of the koran and he states in "audicity of hope" that the most beautiful sounf in the world is the muslim call to prayer... I am sorry Chris will never hear that again and I am sorry Chris and his ambassy ,which was not even protected by a securty fence was so un protected and I am sorry to see the horrible way he died..I am glad he is at peace and I have been praying for his eternal life....
You bet! Â I wouldn't have agreed to the job! Â Being in the middle of those crazy Muslims? Â Forget it! Â It's like a suicide mission! Â
 @Drunken Fists If that photo is what I think it is supposed to be, those "crazy Muslims" would laugh you right off the beach...is that what passes for "macho" these days?
https://fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com/2012/09/12/muslims-tortured-killed-dragged-u-s-ambassadors-body-through-streets/ The pictures are graphic on this site of the Ambassador. The American media is lying. (notice this is in Arabic) Or rather, the state department is lying about what happened. This should outrage all Americans.
Luke, thank you for your post. I find it funny that so many of the comments are nasty if you mention Christianity. Yet, they will defend any other religion and stick up for the muslims that murdered an innocent man.  Â
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 @Luke0walton Are you proud to be posting a link like that? You should not be.
@Luke0walton I usually don't view sites by folks who comment here but this time I did and now I know why I don't. A web site from the far right fringe group whom claim to be christian and yet have no problem spewing hate. Hate is not the business of christians nor is the hate of true islam.
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I don't know what you mean by the state department is lying, noth in the photos is different from the accounts of how they died. Poeple like you who want  perpetuate the hate that may have started this in the first is whatshould outrage Americans.
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My faith for action is with the military, Obama and the drone program.
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So why don't you grow a pair and act like a real American!
You are a desfunctional left wing nut if you can not see what is going on in that one picture...
 @snoopy84  @Luke0walton "but this time I did and now I know why I don't."
And I just made that mistake as well...
BUT, seeing the 2 photos don't seem to back up the claim made by these "christians". In the first photo he is being carried, apparently unconscious. In the second, he is also apparently unconscious and being held by a man...and except for some scratches that could easily have been caused when he passed out, I see no physical evidence of a "beating" or "torture". Not only that, but these images may actually show those people who pulled him out of the burning building and are reported to have carried him to a local hospital, where he appear to have died from smoke inhalation.
When not even FOX is making the claim, you gotta KNOW it's shaky as a dog's tail when inspecting his latest toilet product...
It's interesting - yet not surprising - that some posters are unable to separate the acts of a few extremists from the government of a nation. Acts that are INTENDED to generate the exact response that those posters are voicing. The elements that committed this act do NOT represent the governments of Egypt & Libya OR the majority of the people of those nations - but if we react and punish those peoples, we will create a fertile environment for the extremists to sow anger and reap the hate they want and need to survive.
Should our nation be judged only by the acts of OUR extremists, both on the right and left?
We sometimes seem to forget that a truly democratic society HAS to have it's extreme factions in order to survive as a democracy.
Yes they do represent the gov of Egypt and iy is time people wake up..They will soon be on our shores as Obama can not and will not protect infidels He says when it comes dow to it in his fluff book that he will be on the side of the muslims..Why is president of the USA anyway? Because morons like you voted for him?
 @cjard Thi ounds like a job for http://www.stopbuggingmenow.com/?gclid=CJL68M6gwrICFYeDQgodaBYAmw
 @OrcasThunder "It's interesting - yet not surprising -that some posters are unable to separate the acts of a few extremists from the government of a nation."
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It is not interesting, and no it is not surprising. These people have an narrative that they want to live by, and usually it is super simplistic, and they will live in an echo chamber to keep that narrative going. Â
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"Should our nation be judged only by the acts of OUR extremists, both on the right and left?"
Sure, If these people are going to damned all muslims because of a crazy few, then our nation should be equally judged by the actions of the WBC, Glenn Beck, and Sarah Palin.Â
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and if that doesn't make you proud to be an American, then stop doing it to other people, and stop justifying the crazies like WBC, Beck, and Palin.
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BTW, how you been stranger. Breathing better? Still walking the doggiesÂ
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-donkjen
 @Star Shooter Not breathing too bad, thanks - but I suspect some of the smoke from the fires is starting to filter into the west of the Cascades, I was downtown today and a lot of folks seem to be coughing.Â
I've finally gotten through 90% of the wilderness hiding my yard due to 2 years of neglect.
The 12 year old dog had a cyst in her rectum - which caused a LOT of pain and severe constipation! They removed the cyst, she is on pain meds and lots of stool softeners...so the constipation seems to be a non issue now.
So, I'm hoping she makes it another 3Â or 4 years in fairly good health...
This part of the world is a very dangerous place. U.S. ambassador Christopher Stevens knew exactly what the dangers were for him and his staff. Also, this was not the whole country but a group of fringe radicals, radicals that are no better than Pastor Terry Jones of Gainesville, Fla. who offered to promote the movie that led to this violence, the same Pastor Terry Jones that US generals angry with when he burned Qurans on the ninth anniversary of 9/11 and put US troopps in danger. Our free speech does have results in that part of the world.
Muslims get angry just like christians who attack muslims in this country or use the system to discriminate against muslims.
So when FOX news,who lacks knowledge in this area and wants to fire up the base-remember, we are a global society and it does not take much to put our fellow Americans in real danger.
The fact that a U.S. ambassador was murdered and his body dragged through the street, on 9/11, doesn't make me sad; it makes me angry.
Yes it makes me very angry at our gov who left him virtually unprotected..
 @Gimmer "his body dragged through the street"
I've read several comments here that this took place, but can find no reports on the major news channels confirming this. Can you or someone provide a link to such a report?
One thing that I DID hear on the ABC news was that he had been found in the burning/burned building and rushed to a Libyan hospital - where he apparently died of smoke inhalation.
So some kind of verification of your version would be useful...
 @OrcasThunder I think the problem is that the picture which was initially released was done so without much context. And, to me, it looked exploitative, and disrespectful.  However, more sources now seem to be splitting toward that it was people trying to actually help him. Doesn't make my any less angry.Unfortunately, other things may have gone on...http://www.tayyar.org/Tayyar/News/PoliticalNews/ar-LB/usa-killed-lybia-zek-970.htm Â
No they were not tryin to help him..I understand arabic and believe me the way it was interruped is totally a lie..The sad part is that his was the second group of animals to find his body which was just barely alive.... The Posts all over and do helpers pose a body and take pictures to post to the rest of the heathen? No they do not..They rush an injured person to the hospital which it is clear thes animals did not and you can tell in the one picture he is being sodomized with his belt wide opena nd his pants down below his naval and his pants are twisted ...The animal behind him is taking pic's of himself sodomizing amb Stevens ..All you nits better wake up as Obama does not want to protect the Usa ..He goes around the world apologizing and showing that he is more of a muslim than an american..$ congress man have addressed what Amb stevens went through on the house floor.. I believe them and I believe what I see..For you who will excuse this horrendus act to support the appeasor -in -chief may God forgive you!
 @Gimmer " However, more sources now seem to be splitting toward that it was people trying to actually help him."
And the problem is that the Reactionary Right did what they do best - reacted without thinking, or in many cases probably didn't actually even SEE them, and just followed the Dear Leaders off the cliff...
What is really troubling is that their reactions are EXACTLY what the people who planned this attack wanted to generate in Americans. And, if there had not been a rational majority speaking out, these drones would have gleefully led us into a general way in the Middle East.
And now it seems that the creep who made the "movie" is a criminal scam artist Egyptian...who is a Coptic Christian...
 @OrcasThunder I don't think you should hold your breath waiting for verification, Gimmer is just regurgitating the language used by some people who want to inflame others who aren't smart enough to think for themselves.
 @justmyopinion I stopped holding my breath years ago, when I developed chronic bronchitis. Each breath is far to valuable to waste on dunderheads...
Can one Libyan or Egyptian tell me why we should help them and their country wehn they murder us for our beliefs? We spent millions in missiles to kill Ghadafi, we've sent billions to help Egypt and it's people.
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This is what we get for helping these savages. F*$K THEM. Leave them to die at the hands of their own leaders.
 @Ihateupeople We should defund that 1.5 billion that was just voted to be given to Egypt immediately !!
Libya after Gaddafi is a desparate country
No they are a country that is just being taken over by another dictactor just as bad as the last..They are animals!
The F'ing retards on Fox News are posting a picture of him at the top of thier home page - showing him beat up badly and still in the hands of the attackers and the caption says 'it is unknown if he is dead or alive in this picture'.
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HOW CRASS, TASTELESS AND OUT OF TOUCH IS FOX NEWS?
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and they've had this picture up for at least a couple of hours at the time I post this.
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First they reveal the real name of the seal team 6Â guy who wrote the book on the Bin Laden raid, and now this???
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ARE THEY TRULY ANTI-AMERICAN AFTER ALL?  If any other media company did these two things, FOX News would be on a jihad of thier own about it. Yet, here they are......
We should see the truth of what would happen to any infidels and I praise fox for doing this..We need to know what kind of enemy we are facing and how evil they are. Hillary & Obama left a hot spot ambassy virtually unprotected on 911 and that is why this happened..Obama is an appeaser-in -chief who needs to be voted out of fffice
FormerMarineSgt........YOU were never a MARINE..YOU'RE DILLUSIONAL
 @Luke0walton I for one would love to see your proof of that statement.
Or your apology.
 @FormerMarineSgt I'm not defending any news outlets, but my most recent readings (CNN, nytimes) on what happened indicate that a group of Libyans carried the ambassador through the streets to the nearest hospital. I looked at the pictures again in light of that info and then I couldn't tell exactly what was happening in the photos. Is it possible that the pic on fox is showing people trying to get him to the hospital? I hope so, but maybe I'm naive.
 @FormerMarineSgt I saw a pic of the ambassador being dragged through the streets on the front page of nytimes.com.
 @restassured  @FormerMarineSgt Was it at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/13/world/middleeast/us-envoy-to-libya-is-reported-killed.html?_r=1 - if so, which photo?
 @restassured  @FormerMarineSgt also on the New York Post as well and on many other websites
 @Gaikokujin  @restassured  @FormerMarineSgt Was that at http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/american_ambassador_others_killed_uvtJF2mvUd6CzlMsrh169K - if so, which photo?
 @FormerMarineSgt It 's on many websites not just Fox and video's of him being dragged through the streets are on the web also as well as on Islamic Facebook sites..
 @Gaikokujin  @FormerMarineSgt So FOX's excuse is "well, THEY did it!"? Now FOX is taking it's cues of Islamic websites?
 @Gaikokujin  @FormerMarineSgt "The man is obviously dead in the photos"
Interesting, because the story states that:
"A Libyan doctor who treated Stevens said he died of severe asphyxiation, apparently from smoke. In a sign of the chaos of during the attack, Stevens was brought alone by Libyans to the Benghazi Medical Center with no other Americans, and no one at the facility knew who he was, the doctor, Ziad Abu Zeid, told The Associated Press. Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/american_ambassador_others_killed_uvtJF2mvUd6CzlMsrh169K#ixzz26K9IXyKE"
 @OrcasThunder  @Gaikokujin  @FormerMarineSgt Oh please don't be so ridiculous. This didn't stir up any "hotheads". This video was released over 2 months ago. These attacks had nothing to do with the video/movie. They were an attack by Al-Qaeda. The man is obviously dead in the photos. He wasn't being helped. geez Orca. Open your eyes. The only hate stench out there is by those wanting to tear down this country and the freedoms and strengths that it has been been by God. Those trying to destroy it from withing in concert with those from outside. Wake up !!
 @Gaikokujin  @FormerMarineSgt "His and your obvious statements about it being on FOX show both of yours biases."
Bias against FOX? Absolutely!
But that doesn't change the point that a "MAJOR" news network should have KNOWN that such display would have been wrong...and would likely stir up the hotheads...so I have to wonder if that would have been their intent all along...?
But that aside, did you actually SEE the images and video of him "being tortured, beaten, and dragged through the streets"? Or are you simply latching on to the fire-breather's rhetoric and repeating what someone else says they "saw"?
Because...I can't find it on FOX, and the ONLY place that even claimed to show it had two photos - one where he is being carried over the shoulder of a man, the other where he is sitting on the ground being supported by a man. BOTH of which look more likely to be of people trying to help him, not "torture" him. And THAT web site dos have a hint of right wing extreme hate stench to it...
 @OrcasThunder  @FormerMarineSgt ok pay attention and concentrate, where did I say it was ok, I said it was out there everywhere. His and your obvious statements about it being on FOX show both of yours biases.
 @Gaikokujin  @FormerMarineSgt "even on Facebook"
Well, yeah...OK - if it's on !FACEBOOK!
 @OrcasThunder  @FormerMarineSgt I didn't say anything regarding an excuse for Fox, was saying it is all out there every where, even on Facebook
who was this guy again?Â
 @BVU07mazdaguy Please educate your self, if you rely on the government and the media to educate you, you will be another mindless drone.
 @Ihateupeople  @BVU07mazdaguy "you will be another mindless drone."
I doubt there is any "will" involved - more like "remain"...
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