On the recordSeptember 12, 2012
I thank my friend from Arizona for his very eloquent statement. I associate myself with it. It strikes me, as I listen, that it was no accident that these violent extremists launched this attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on 9/11, on September 11--a day of infamy in our history, a day when people across our country and around the world were commemorating the worst terrorist attack in our history, which was September 11, 2001. Those who perpetrated the attack on the consulate in Benghazi, which resulted in the death of our Ambassador Chris Stevens carried out an act of terrorism and barbarism that they hope will sow fear and hatred between Americans and Muslims, just as Osama bin Laden and his followers hoped that attack of 9/11, 2001, would do 11 years ago. But we did not let bin Laden succeed then, and we will not let these violent extremists who killed Chris Stevens yesterday in Benghazi succeed in dividing America and the West from Muslims and the Arab world. Good, well-intentioned people in both great communities will rise and join together to renounce these extremists and killers. I want to speak for a moment about Ambassador Stevens. Simply put, Chris Stevens was one of the finest, bravest, most spirited, most talented diplomats in our Nation's service. As a volunteer in the Peace Corps, he served in Morocco, where he was inspired to pursue a lifetime of service in the Middle East.…





