Violent protests erupt at embassies as U.S. seeks killers
(CNN) — The United States faced violent protests outside embassies in Egypt and Yemen on Thursday, even as it was deploying warships as part of the hunt for those behind the deadly attack against U.S. personnel in Libya.
In Cairo, on the third day of protests, demonstrators threw rocks and Molotov cocktails as police tried to disperse them by firing tear gas canisters.
An anti-Islam film, apparently produced by an American, is blamed for much of the fury bubbling over at protests in these Islamic nations.
Numerous questions surround who made the film, which has a trailer on YouTube.
But sources tracking militant Islamist groups in eastern Libya say the deadly attack Tuesday night that killed four U.S. personnel, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, was most likely carried out by a pro-al Qaeda group. President Obama has vowed that “justice will be done” after the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi.
Warships, carrying guided missiles, and unmanned drones are being sent to help search for the killers.
A group of Marines called a Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team was deployed to Libya to help secure U.S. facilities, two U.S. officials said. About 50 Marines were headed to Tripoli and could deploy elsewhere in Libya after their arrival, the officials said.
While Libya, Egypt and Yemen were of primary concern, there were protests at other U.S. embassies as well.
The United States called on U.S. citizens to stay away from the embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, on Wednesday, amid protests.
And photos showed protesters in front of U.S. embassies in Tunisia and Morocco. Palestinians demonstrated outside U.N. headquarters in Gaza, and Palestinian men burned a U.S. flag at a demonstration in Gaza City.
