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. stevens, had been in benghazi temporarily. he's normally in the capital tripoli. also shawn smith, 10-year veteran, was also there on a temporary assignment. they were inside that consulate. fire breaks out. there are now three people along with one security person into a safe room. that safe room becomes filled with smoke and so at least ambassador stevens, perhaps other people, tried to get to the roof. and then at that point, we are told by one senior u.s. official that he is overcome by smoke, smoke inhalation and he later died. it's not clear precisely where he died or where his body was found. but mr. smith was found in that safe room. so it was a very complex situation. extremely dangerous. you had, again, outside the attack by the militants. inside they are trying to fight the fire. and it was really two fronts. >> thank you very much, jill dougherty. we appreciate that. president obama has this warning for those it responsible for the murders of american diplomats in libya, justice will be done. here's the president. >> acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this it great n
all over the world and beginning in tripoli, the site of the killings. our correspondent is live for us. just tell me right now what the circumstance there is. is there still violence in the streets? has the government cracked down? what's happening in tripoli today? >> reporter: well, tripoli actually does seem to be very calm today. the newses of what happened in benghazi did spread around tripoli and speaking to many libyans today, people on the trea street, shocked and dismayed saying they feel very sorry. apologize for what had happened to the u.s. consulate, the death of the american citizens including ambassador stevens. they say that this is not representative of the sentiments, the libyan people in a whole in general have for the united states and the people. there's gratitude for what the united states did for the libyan people last year. and it's the role it played through nato in supporting the libyan revolution and ousting libyan dictator moammar gadhafi. we are hearing from the top officials of libyan government, holding a news conference earlier condemning the atta
not actually happen in tripoli. are you in tripoli. how are people responding to what has taken place? >> well, the situation here in tripoli does seem to be normal. people are on the streets. there seems to be nothing but the news that -- of what happened in bengazy spreading across tripoli today. most of the people i have token to, people in the capital here, are shocked and saddened by this attack. they say that it does not reflect the way libyans treat their guests. this is not the way libyans feel about the united states, and they do appreciate and do express gratitude for the rule the united states played last year as part of the nato alliance in helping the libyan people in ousting mow har gadhafi during their revolution. we are hearing also from government officials who are condemning this. they're also promising to bring those responsible to justice to have an investigation into what actually happened and who is responsible for this attack. >> i want to play a bit of sound here. this is from a libyan government spokesperson about the attack. the reaction to it. let's listen. >> we apo
marines are headed to libya to protect the embassy in tripoli and two war ships will be off the libyan coast. the impact of the event is not escaping politics. mitt romney called it disgraceful the u.s. embassy in cairo would express reget that an american film would insult muslims. >> having that embassy reiterate a statement effectively apologizing free speech is not the right course for the administration. >> reporter: it was before ambassador steven's killed. romney stood by his position. >> i don't think we ever hesitate when we see something which is a violation of our principles. >> reporter: president obama hinted on "60 minutes" that romney jumped the gun. >> do you think it was irresponsible? >> i'll let the american people judge that. >> reporter: the president said there's no justification for the violence seen in the middle east this week. and the identities of the other two americans killed in benghazi have still not been released. >> susan, thank you so much. president obama has ordered u.s. flags to be flown at half-staff at government and military buildingsle until sep
stevens in benghazi on a short visit from the capital tripoli along with sean smith, a ten-year veteran of the state department in libya on temporary assignment took refuge in a safe room along with a lead security officer. but the room became filled with smoke. the officer left the room they say, when he returned smith was dead. ambassador stevens was missing. one official says stevens and possibly others were trying to escape to the roof. the ambassador, he tells cnn, ultimately succumb to smoke inhalation. in the chaos consulate staff attempted to enter the building to try and find and save the men. secretary of state hillary clinton praised the libyans who she said helped fight off the attackers and carried ambassador stevens' body to the hospital. >> this was an attack by a small and savage group, not the people or government of libya. >> reporter: at this point, state department officials believe the attack was planned in advance but do not believe ambassador stevens was directly targeted. nicholas burns, a former top state department official tells cnn u.s. diplomats are facing a
reinforced our remaining presence in tripoli and why the president has been very clear in libya and throughout the region, we're going to call on the governments first of all, to assume their responsibilities to protect our facilities and personnel. >> but why would we not have marines there in libya? this is an unstable country. why were there not marines there to begin with? >> that depends on the circumstances and the requirements. our presence in tripoli as in benghazi is relatively new, as you'll recall. we have been back post-revolution, only for a matter of months. but, i have visited there myself. both to tripoli and benghazi. i was very grateful to have strong security presence with me. as part of our embassy detachment there. we certainly are aware that libya is a place that there has been increasingly violent incidents. the security personnel that the state department thought were required were in place. we'll see when the investigation unfolds whether what transpired in benghazi might have unfolded differently in different circumstances. but the president has been ve
why the u.s. now reducing diplomatically presence in benghazi as well as in the capital of tripoli. nic robertson, thanks very much. chris lawrence is joining us now. he's got the latest on how the u.s. military is responding to this unfortunate situation in libya. and the potential for a whole lot more trouble. what are you learning, chris? >> reporter: wolf, we can now confirm that that u.s. marine quick reaction force has landed in libya. and they are now on the ground in tripoli. also, the pentagon has notified some american troops around the world that in the coming days, they may be moved also to american embassies in different parts of the world to try to beef up security for the american diplomats working abroad. the u.s. is in a fast reaction force of 50 marines to libya to "help with security and possible evacuations if needed." insurgents attacked the same u.s. mission in benghazi back in june. and now a former u.s. counter terrorism official says new countermeasures will have to be put in place. >> the location where the diplomatic facility was was not your normal embas
.s. consulate attack. we have reports from tripoli and washington. >> gregg: plus why one school system ban add time honored event between fathers and daughters. our legal panel weighs in on the controversial decision. >> heather: and hundreds of firefighters are battling massive wildfires in washington state. we will tell you if the weather will work for them or against them. >> gregg: but we begin with the race for the white house. governor mitt romney is on his way to colorado after doing some time, fund-raising in southern california. now, the first step in what his advisors are calling, quote, an intense battleground state schedule. tonight he will have the space to himself in the state that will help decide who wins the presidential contest. chief political correspondenterm l.a. how is this debate here in california or at least the contest important? >> reporter: for california and mitt romney it's important about the money. he has raised in the last few days around los angeles and san san francisco some $9 million. no one expects him to be competitive in the general election. tomorrow he
wasn't there better security at the compound in benghazi? why weren't there u.s. marines in tripoli? >> first of all, we had substantial presence with our -- >> not substantial enough -- >> with our personnel at our consulate in benghazi. tragically, two of the four americans who were killed were there providing security. that was their function. it obviously didn't prove sufficient to the nature of the attack and sufficient in that moment. and that's why, obviously, we have reinforced our remaining presence in tripoli and why the president has been very clear in libya and throughout the region, we're going to call on the governments first of all, to assume their responsibilities to protect our facilities and our personnel. we're reinforcing our personnel where needed. >> but why would we not have marines there in libya? this is an unstable country. an area where american interests have been attacked. why were there not marines there to begin with? >> that depends on the circumstances and that depends on the requirements. our presence in tripoli as in benghazi is relatively new, as
on in this hour as developments warrant. >>> also to libya, reporting to us tonight from tripoli, the libyan capital, and also jill dougherty at the state department. what's the latest you're hearing from government officials, libyan citizens about the killing of the four american diplomats? >> there has been no reaction yet regarding this announcement by the united states, but earlier we heard from senior government officials, the prime minister -- the former prime minister now of libya and the speaker of parliament holding a press conference. strong condemnation of the attack vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice and the speaker of the parliament saying this attack coincided with september 11th, that they believe there is a link there, hinting that this was carried out by the islamist extremist groups that operate in eastern libya and saying that libya will not allow that its land be used by these groups to carry out what he described as revenge attacks against the west. at the same time saying that they will need the help of the international community in confronting these groups. p
city -- tripoli. relations have always been tense. the conflict in neighboring syria has made things worse. even in lebanon, many support the syrian president, and most of the sunnis support the syrian opposition. lebanon has been experiencing a fragile peace since the end of its civil war, which pitted religious groups against each other. since the war ended in 1990, a complex political system has divided up power along religious lines. the president must be an maronite christian, the prime minister a sunni, and the speaker of parliament a shiite. >> lebanon is highly sectarian. political system is built on religion. even before the uprising, there was a split between those who supported assad and those who opposed him. >> because of the war, thousands are crossing the border into lebanon, adding to the tensions. >> for example, we have syrian opposition activists based in beirut. we have the three syrian army to retreat into lebanese territory. >> the lebanese government has not managed to do much to calm the situation. one reason is that the cabinet is dominated by hezbollah. a sh
.s. are spreading. we're live tonight in cairo and tripoli. >>> also tonight, a navy seal who lost his life in the attack on the consulate. >>> and new numbers, and what we're polling, including what the post-convention bounce has done for the president in a critical state at a critical time. >>> your money, a big announcement on the economy, what it could mean for mortgages, with retirement savings and jobs for a lot of americans. >>> and a big moment for the duchess of cambridge, why what she is drinking is getting so much attention. nightly news begins now. >>> from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is nbc nightly news with brian williams. >>> good evening, tonight, across a huge and uneasy region, where arab spring has long ago faded into something more complicated. today there were anti-u.s. protests in no fewer than 11 separate locations. today, the violence is in cairo where the protesters stormed the u.s. embassy. then the terrible lightning attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi, libya, that left the u.s. ambassador and three other americans dead. the first ambassador
that two marines to be that security the american embassy in the capital of tripoli the state department has also asked all non-emergency u.s. government personnel to leave libya. >>> u.s. navy physicians to destroyers off the coast and the u.s. increases its surveillance over libya including the use of those unmans drones. elizabeth cook cbs five. a master stevens was a former peace corps volunteer was confirmed as the u.s. ambassador to libya in may last year in the middle of the revolution he had to ride into the country the only way he could get there by sea are riding on a greek cargo ship u.s. officials confirmed that he spent his final moments trying to save his own staffers those who knew him say that is just the kind of guy he was. reporter mark stare on how they're remembering him tonight. tonight for steady members who have met even born when they attended uc- berkeley came together to remember him and to honor him as in so many others who knew him around the bay. when the ambassador attended cal he was a member of the office how might a fraternity. and tonight the house on a
all u.s. nationals in benghazi have flown to tripoli. marine commanders are sending their anti-terrorism team to tripoli. the 15 members will protect the u.s. embassy. ap agency reports the american military will deploy two destroyers off the coast of libya as a precautionary measure. >>> apple's new iphone hits the market next week. it's bigger, faster, and lighter. but will it be a hit? >> today we're going to introduce iphone5. [ applause ] >> the u.s. technology giant unveiled the iphone5 at an event in san francisco. apple has changed the size of the iphone for the first time since launching the original in 2007. the screen is bigger and the body of the phone is slightly longer. the new model is also thinner and 20% lighter than the previous phone. with high-speed lte communications, it transmits movies and other large-volume data files faster. the new phone's new operating system enables voice recognition and features an apple original mapping service. >> iphone5 and ios6, the biggest things to happen to iphone since iphone. >> apple will start selling the phone on friday
from tripoli with the latest developments in libya. >> reporter: remarkable. we have been watching the government seeming to crack down on the militants. they have been causing so many problems and it might have something to do with the killing of the ambassador and other americans. we have been watching an outpouring of violence. we saw compounds being ransacked. we saw protestors and militia members being killed, being injured. by monday night according to the government all the armed gangs have to get into line. they have to give up weapons and follow orders from the government. one of key targets of this is the islamist militant group, they have left two different cities. they are directly expected of involvement on stevens and consulate in benghazi. but the probe into the attack. on the face of it it's a good thing. we are seeing quick, rough justice because all the indications we are getting from officials is that investigation into the death of stevens is going nowhere fast. they are telling us they have four people under arrest but they told us that a week ago. officials ar
group. here's the latest from tripoli. >> reporter: as it becomes more apparent that the attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi was a preplanned coordinated attack carried out by islamist radical groups, militants operating in the eastern part of the country, the big question is what will the libyan government do next. we heard strong words of condemnation coming out here. the president of the libyan parliament yesterday saying they will not let people stage attacks against western targets. but the big question is will they actually do anything beyond these words. we have seen attacks in recent months targeting western interests in and around the city of benghazi, but little was done to bring the perpetrators of these attacks to justice, although the government now is vowing that they will bring those responsible for tuesday's attack to justice. but the government does know who these groups are, they're aware of their presence in and around the city of benghazi. these are groups that are linked to al qaeda. these are extremist militant groups that are known to have bases around in the
. they were guarding in tripoli not in benghazi. the state department had regional security officers, local -- sorry, not local but contractors who do that job. they were there with the ambassador at the time. what we do know now is that 50 marines have been sent from a naval base in rota, spain. they will be in tripoli in the cap attachment it's not clear what their assignment will be. they are not planning to go to benghazi at this time. the attack lasted for four hours and was multi-staged as we reported, shep. it was well-planned and did not appear to be the result of the protest surrounding that anti-islamic video according to officials we have spoken to. that may have been a ruse for the planned benghazi attack which fell on 9/11, shepard. >> shepard: nevertheless, there were those inflamed by that and appears may be this pastor in florida about whom we have heard some times he threatened to burn the koran and eventually had high level contacts with the american government. i guess he had reposted or streamed this video and now there is contact with this guy who runs some sort of chur
are heading right into position off the coast of libya and an elate marine unit is heading to tripoli to help protect the u.s. interests there. cnn's barbara starr is live at the pentagon following this must military response. tell us what's going on now, barbara. >> good morning, sean. good morning, brooke. 50 u.s. marines at the u.s. embassy in tripoli, at the capital for reinforcement security. they will help secure the embassy there and aid with any u.s. workers there that need help. but the big issue, of course, is that now the two u.s. navy destroyers sailing to the coast of libya, the "uss mcfaul," the "uss "laboon." why are they so important? they carry tomahawk missiles. this will give president obama another option. we already know unmanned drones flew over libya looking for intelligence on who may have been responsible for the attacks on benghazi, looking at al qaeda-related militant groups, where they are located, where are the encampment, the strongholds? they will gather the intelligence. and two options on the table. libyan forces could try to go after some of these targets onc