This page has been archived and commenting is disabled.
US Teacher Killed In Benghazi
While hardly as prominent as a killed ambassador and a storming of a US consulate, things in Libya continue to disintegrate with the latest news that a 33-year old US citizen who was a teacher in an English-language school and who described himself online as "Libya's best friend", was shot and killed by gunmen in Benghazi. NYT reports that the man, who residents said had worked at the International School in Benghazi, was out jogging in the upscale Fuwayhat neighborhood when he was attacked. One person who claimed to have witnessed the shooting said the gunmen had been driving a black jeep.
More from NY Daily News:
Gunmen shot dead an American chemistry teacher in Benghazi as he jogged by the site of the notorious attack on a U.S. consulate, Libyan officials said Thursday.
The victim, who hailed from Texas, worked at the International School Benghazi in the volatile city, according to security sources and a spokeswoman for the Al-Galaa hospital where the body was taken.
NBC News identified the instructor as Ronnie Smith, 33, and reported he had worked at the school for 18 months after time spent teaching in Egypt. His colleagues told the network he had planned to visit his family back in the U.S. for Christmas.
He was shot while going for a morning jog, and was near the U.S. consulate where three American and U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens were killed during a coordinated attack by Islamic militants on Sept. 11, 2012, according to Ibrahim al-Sharaa, a Libyan security official.
"He was doing his morning exercise when gunmen just shot him. I don't know why. He was so sweet with everyone," said Adel al Mansouri, director at the Libyan-owned school that teaches an American curriculum.
A picture of the deceased:
»
- 11305 reads
- Printer-friendly version
- Send to friend
- advertisements -
Obviously open season on White guys from the West.
Sad. Tragically sad, and pointless.
Now, did he not receive the memo?
"What difference does it make!"
-- Hillary Clintonlingus
TEACHER???? hehehehhe sure he was...........he worked for the company
Exactly. Why would you spend time in both Libya and Egypt these last few years?
Jogging in Libya?! That's right up there with hiking in Iran and tap dancing on Krakatoa.
This is a sad story, a young family man senselessly killed. However, hundreds of Christians are being murdered, kidnapped, and raped every week, going on for years now in the muslim countries we've recently "liberated".
What about them?
"if you like the security we provide, you can keep it"
"With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night decided to go kill some Americans? What difference at this point does it make?” Clinton asked the Republican Senator.
Why yes you CUNT... it does make a difference.
"American" don't mena anything; it's all in your mind. propaganda.
He may have been a nice guy, but what a dope. You are a Amerikan in a region that hates you. Death and murder are common and you want to go fo a jog? Darwin award winner.
Having been in some of these regions I guarantee he wasn't wearing an American flag when he was out jogging. Since he had been there 18 months he knew how to blend in. His hair color, skin tone, and eye color are similar to the region. There is nothing in his appearance that makes him stand out as an American. His running would be consistent with men who play soccer so his jogging would not set him apart either. This was a planned event, an assassination. The intended affect is shock and to increase fear for the westerners in this region.
Heuristics needs a new category - Simple Mindedness - making decisions and statements from a retarded perspective.
Assuming Libyans don't know foreignors from their own kind is even more retarded. Do you think this attack was random?
Blend in? I doubt that many of the local jog.
Simple Mindedness Heuristics at work.
You ever been there?
No, your mom won't let you outside of the trailer park after dark.
Yes, blend in. Wear the same kind of clothes, shoes, hair styles.
Neighbors will know you are not from there but on a public street no one knows if you don't talk.
He has a brown tone skin - common to the area.
Soccer is huge in the country. Jogging is common.
Ring...Ring..... Joe A... Ignorance called and said you should post again. This time let it really fly. Open mouth and the flies from the shit in your brains come out. They can't stand the stench.
He's not eligible if that is his son in the picture. The Darwin awards are for those who have not passed on their genes.
Yes a nice guy, just wanted to teach in Libya... and I always trust the Daily Snooze to deliver the straight unvarnished truth on international developments...
Sorry Buckaroo but that does not fit in with a certain agenda, as I am sure you are painfully aware.
Christians and Islamist are a virus on humanity; jesus was a total fraud; same with mohammed.
i have blue eyes, my father was Noah, my grandfather Lucifer. all hail Anu.
Buckaroo, your comment in yesterday's article ... that Jesus was not bullish on this world, he was bullish on the next spiritual world, where we are all destined, that was actually priceless. That needs to go in the annals of all-time greatest greatest ZH blogs touching on spirituality....ever
yesh, unlike muslims...
Don't worry guys, the school teaches an American curriculum. The kids will turn out to be go-getters.
The school, International School Benghazi, is affilliated with the Varkey GEMS Foundation. This Foundation is funded by the Clinton Global Initiative and the Tony Blair Faith Foundation and UNESCO among others.
Gross! So these are the bankers and politicos to-be... just as I thought.
edit: downvote here = you accept the school rendition of history as fact.
I downvoted for claiming to define downvotes.
That's a good point, but we do variations of "<-- ______" all the time, and this is an equivalent? Either way, the Libyan kids are learning the standard issue textbook accounts of US and world history, etc. The US/England accreditation is probably IB, so the kids can go to university here. Some rich kids, some from the upper middle trying their best to make it big. The usual.
Chemistry teacher, no less. Sure - barbarians are really into chemistry these days.
Need to know how to make bombs and stuff.
True, but certain terrorists would consider it a waste of time - don't need much knowledge of that when sawing off an infidel's head on u-toob.
maybe was training a new generation of meth cookers, just to keep the peeps docile to Mossad/Cia gameplan?
That piqued my interest too. Not that I doubt that there actually are people that niave. There most certainly are. It's just very...odd. The connections that you could make by interacting with the wealthy (or at the very least, well connected) families in Libya might have been worth exploring.
At the end of the day though, it was a waste. He was most likely murdered by mouth-breathing goat and boy molesters. That part of the world has no intrinsic value beyond mineral and petroleum based natural resources. Once those have been depleated, the residents there will be of no significance to anyone but themselves, and perhaps a few virulent disease investigators.
I, out of respect for this man and his family, whom I truly & genuinely feel terribly for, won't say much about what I happen to know to be fact in the cases of other similar incidents, but it's not entirely "un-possible" that he could have been a U.S. asset.
Then again, I still express deep sympathy for his wife and small child (and him, especially if he really thought he was doing the moral, right thing).
I hope that came across as balanced and fair, as I wish for it to.
he looks 100% kosher to me...despite the $8.99 JCP shirt meant to convey his humble Texas roots...
Why would he be in Egypt and Libya? Isn't that like winking at Darwin? I mean really? These guys don't have any respect for the sanctity of life there. Regardless of his altruisms.
That's like sending Kanye West to a KKK meeting in Birmingham.
he should have on 9-11 and never forgot it.
Young Jewish teacher teaching western corriculum shot while jogging with yamakah on in Behnghazi.
really?
exactly - "Ronnie Smith from Texas"... more like Shmuel Yidmar from Haifa via Mossad...lol
You would think the US might be a bit leery about teaching chemistry in the Middle East?
Maybe this "school" was the middle eastern franchise of the School of the Americas?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Hemisphere_Institute_for_Security_Cooperation
(it has a fancy new name now)
This one smells to high heaven.
pods
Agree, there are alot of poor kids that need to learn chemistry in "Texas"... without all the risk?
Thanksgiving is over, I thought Turkey season was over too.
I kid. I feel for his family, and think it's bullshit that nice people get shot for no reason.
So on any urban street this is happening. So what. KEep your head down, already.
LIke it is so fucking safe here. At least I have obama care to protect me like mighty mouse.
Oh and the cat killed a mouse this morning, brought it to door so I could see it. Prick cat took my vision of mighty mouse right away.
Very sad but out for a morning jog in Benghazi? How many Libyans are out for morning jogs? You are almost making yourself a target. You do not want to be conspicous in a country that is totally unstable and in a semi-civil war. Not very smart.
thats like going for a midnight jog through detroit but worse. darwin
""Obviously open season on White guys from the West...Tragically sad, and pointless."
You take this story at face value?
The guy is dead so it's tragic for his family, but why assume we know why?
hey mother fucker it could of been the bad arab guys the evil do ers the cia or the jews.
it could have been someone who had his family wiped out by nato.
it could of been someone that has terminal cancer from the 10 thousand tons of depleted uranium dropped on his country.
this is all cia and mi6 psy wars fucker open season no just rothschild satanists at play.
It's a good deal more insidious than that. Westpoint military through a terrorist roster they found, identified bengazi as an "al quaeda" hotbed years ago. Fast forward to the revolution and ben gazi was now ground zero for OUR good guys. Libya went from being the switzerland of africa to a failed state filled with chaos and terror. WAY TO GO NATO. Any idealist westerner looking to make some hay in libya is insane.
peruse the link and your leisure to learn that the west and Al Quaeda are now matter of factly indistinguishable.
http://www.palantir.com/2009/02/sinjar/
So who were those masked men that claimed to be rebels?
If Obama had a son....he WOULDNT look like this guy.
a wife that hot and went to libya to teach?
A teacher, yeah right.
Younger fit American looking guy out jogging in the morning in a city teeming with various Islamic factions vying for control?
Younger fit American guys who are chemistry teachers are often confused with CIA moles working for the State Dept.
Rule #1 in a semi civil war torn country and city in an Islamic country: Do not draw attention to yourself. Jogging in the morning is like waving a red flag. It is being an attention whore.
red flag #2 the black jeep witnessed driven by the shooters. clearly all libyan terrorists drive VW buses like in back to the future.
It had oversized tires and said "CoD Modern Warfare" on the side.
why is it now an islamic country because obama and al cia da
If that guy can get a chik like that then there's still hope for Robo-tarder...
Well looking at the kid, one can deduce its not his.
The kid is about 80% chance his and about 90% chance hers. :)
Sweet, earnest, honest and NAIVE is obviously no way to go through life.
Do gooders don't always do so good.
yep, just another "do-gooder" cut down in his prime... any interest in buying a low-mileage vehicle?
"Sweet, earnest, honest and NAIVE is obviously no way to go through life."
NAIVE?...
Bull fucking shit.
Along with that paycheck for "teaching the English language" in one of the most hostile places in the ME which was prosperous before NATO killed it, this M-F was probably clearing 20K a week as an ex-special forces operative, most like working for someone in the "Mercenary's R Us" department at Academi/Xi/Blackwater...
Why do you think Americans hate Government workers so much? Because private corporations pay top dollar and the ICs that hire them pay them above and beyond their GS ranking. Thus we no longer know where the private corporate mercenary -begins and Government worker -ends.
This guy took the money and deserves everything he got.
sad,
listen to Ron Paul America,
"They don't cut heads off in Kansas..."
George Carlin
lol! that is pure gold, damn i miss carlin.
Not yet they don't.
2 people die every second. Did you send flowers?
+1000 Dinars for hot widow... but i thought Obombya and NATO fixed everything in Libya a long time ago?
so if there are other US teachers in Libya, time to leave?
Yesterday.
But didn't we intervene in Libya to prevent a supposed genocide in Benghazi? Seems I'm always hearing of Americans getting killed there. You'd think they be a little more grateful for our bombing of their country.
Libya : out of the frying pan into the fire...and this guy gets hit as collateral.
The best die first. It hurts every time when you see this personified; whereas these dirty wars kill the anonymous by millions and we never know about the death of the innocent.
But to come back to the bigger picture.
Why did they do it? That Q daffy guy was no threat to the West and there was no real popular unrest in Benghazi. It was totally fabricated by the looks of it on hindsight. It was not Tunisia nor Egypt.
He had invested near to 200 billion $ sovereign funds in the west...
Will history ever tell us what really transpired between the US/France/UK to orchestrate this violent coup d'état and subsequent dismemberment...?
Q daffy guy was no threat to the West
a threat to the dollar
a threat to africom
a threat to rothschild
an african sucess is a threat
a leader looking to help africa outside rothschild chatham house brookings institute control strategies is a threat.
And the new situation is better for those scions; assuming they were behind it?
By destabilizing the region what have they achieved except to make Libyan oil even less accessible to the west. Its total anarchy now.
At least that country gave the Oligarchs 2.6 Million B/D of sweet oil before he fell.
Now its LESS THAN 800 thousand and no sight of that improving...
What is the best agent against the interests of those who build empires? Their own hubris.
QED.
Yup. He or Libya also had gold and oil. Where is the gold now? Poor Khadaffy was telling everyone the rebels were Al Qeada aka all the people you mentioned above. House of Roth/Mi6/CIA/Multinational oil biggies/Saudis/Israel aka all the same people.
The sam Al Qeada and MB in Egypt and Syria. Sick.
I wonder if the State Department ever contacted him after the consulate disaster to urge him (and any other Americans living in Libya) to leave for home. My guess is no. If the rabid fundamentalists can kill an ambassador without fear of swift retribution, a teacher is nothing, and a perfect target, given their ideology.
What say you, ex-Secretary Killary? Current Secretary Horse Face? Hello?
No sympathy for people like this or entertainers who put their heads in the mouths of tigers and get fucked up. He had 0 business being in Benghazi. Fuck altruism.
Oh come on. Don't be so naive. It's pretty fucking obvious that this guy wasn't just a "teacher of American curriculum" in Benghazi, Libya.
Yup. Just like the BS that the Ambassador was State Dept. He was CIA. This guy is out having a morning jog in war torn Libya ripped apart by oil companies of Mi6/CIA/Rothsch-Rockefeller? Gold probably also stolen from Libya.
Gee - who jogs in the morning? US Marines & former US Marines/now contractors, Spec Op guys? Chemistry teachers working for the American school teaching English which is a front for CIA operatives? The American School? Like the Ford Foundation aka a front for operatives.
Rule #1 in a war torn country - do not draw attention to yourself.
This guy should have checked out the web site by Yugoslavian or Serbian guy who wrote about surviving the civil war there. You want to be a ghost, low key, do not draw attention like morning jogs in Benghazi.
No commonsense too. He is a teacher out for his morning jog?
If I am a muslim in Libya where the USA and Europe overthrew my country, bombed it and killed innocent people - what am I gonna think about a young fit American jogging in Benghazi?
He sure looks like CIA. Let's see - Libyans are starving, killed by drones and Americans have the time to enjoy a nice morning jog.
It is almost like rubbing it in these people's faces. Very very sad but very very stupid.
This is like some very hot chick in a skimpy outfit jogging by herself at dusk in Central Park. If I was in Libya - I would lay low and do everything to not draw attention to myself.
Jesus are we going to get a special ribbon for this? I mean, a guy getting shot is not exactly newsworthy.
Was it cause he was a teacher?
Or maybe cause one of those dirty brown people killed an "exceptional" American?
How many people have been killed in OUR name? Cry me a river about this sod.
He represents 1/5th of an average hellfire strike's collateral damage.
Didn't hear nobody here crying for them? Tug on someone's elses heart strings. All stocked up with "I don't give a fuck" here.
pods
A special ribbon? No. But I can guarantee you that another star will be added to the CIA's wall today.
Precisely.
+1
well, before you jump to conclusions about the life of a man who has just died you should have the decency to await the divulgation of FACTS before you pronounce your cynical views.
If this guy had been a CIA agent he would have been exfiltrated OUT of Libya as of the Ambassador's killing. Even the CIa is not that dumb when an operation goes sour. The fact that he stayed on indicates he was an innocent civil, like millions of others living HIS Own personal adventure in a nation that had become, OVERNIGHT and unexpectedly, due to geopolitics, a pure war zone.
Based on what is posted here by others, there is evidence he was a sincere teacher and not a CIA shill and he gave his life for his personal adventure like all good men do : good man in the wrong place...tragedy.
So think before you knee jerk.
mother fuckers r tired of this country's bullshit fucking shit...get a fucking clue...
"A majority of Americans believe the US plays a less important and powerful role in the world than it did 10 years ago, according to a long-running study that found that most people now believe America should “mind its own business internationally”.
It is the first time the survey of US foreign policy attitudes has recorded such a sentiment in almost four decades of polling.
The findings, published on Tuesday by the Pew Research Center in association with the Council on Foreign Relations, suggest Americans want their leaders to adopt a less interventionist approach, although there is a growing desire for the development of stronger trade and business links abroad.
The US is now widely seen as less respected abroad, bucking a trend in which Americans believed their reputation had recovered since Barack Obama was elected. Impressions of how the US is perceived under Obama are now, broadly, as negative as they were in the final days of the George W Bush administration."
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/03/american-public-mind-its-ow...
Why the hell would any sane person want to go to these godforsaken lands when they know the place is full of Muslim fundamentalist whack-jobs?
I mean what the hell is the attraction? Putting yourself at risk in this way is downright foolish in my opinion. Especially when you have a beautiful wife and young kids.
I don't get it. Is it the money?
That said, this is a sad, sad thing and a pointless waste of life. My condolences to his family.
Cumulus Nimbus.
Maybe he was a waiter @ Applebees and saw his future...
cumulus turd us
shut up you ugly jew.
no offence intended.
I can't think of a place I would not want to visit more. Actually...
I can...Washington District of Corruption, The Square Mile, The Vatican. There's three.
Let me add Isreal and NYC to that list...or am I repeating myself?
Sorry, I just don't believe any stories any more. This guy was a chemistry teacher like I'm the pope.
Remember, any story that comes from BigMedia is designed to "convince you of something."
It probably threads in with the 9-11 Benghazi storyline, so that later on Hillary can say - 'See - random violence really does happen in Benghazi, therefore the hullabaloo over the 9-11 Benghazi attacks was completely unwarranted.'
Right. Also notice the missing gold is down the memory hole.
God Bless that poor guy's family.
No company man wouldn't be out "jogging", let alone be out un-armed.
Besides, I have it on inside knowledge that each CIA spook is issued a "Tony Horton's Power 90®" work-out CD for staying in shape in the comfort of the compound
Why the fuck would anyone want to go over to one of those fucking shithole places that hate gringos and be a fucking teacher? What the fuck you going to teach them - not to butcher each other? You gotta be a damn dumbass to think that's a good idea. Then to go jogging around?
Whatever.
Common Core has no borders.
So there was this 33yo American teacher jogging in Benghazi...
Did his wife recommend that job opportunity to him? Did she send him the red track suit as well? How much is the life insurance policy?
Apparently not only naive but also a dumb ass… Very sorry for his wife and childs loss.
Per the Gaurdian:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/05/american-teacher-ronnie-smi...
"Smith had worked in the city for 18 months. On the profile of his Twitter account, he described himself as “Libya’s best friend”. But his tweets were also critical of Islamist militias. In October he tweeted: “Libya Islamists are threatening kidnappings. As if they can fit kidnapping into a 2hr (sic) work day that already includes a nap. Losers.”
Then on 5 November he tweeted: “I understand I teach at a school of rich kids, so if (and when) I’m kidnapped by Ansar Al-Sharia, who’s gonna pay the ransom?”
Diplomats in Tripoli have previously cautioned against making derogatory or insulting remarks on social media, which is widely read in Libya."
Think of it as evolution in action…
Sad. Kind of like idiots who put all sorts of stupid shit on Facebook like their private parts or something stupid. Maybe he really was a teacher or maybe the CIA thinks that if you Tweet and have a Facebook page that the locals will think you are a teacher or some innocent.
As I write at this moment the French President has declared on TV that French forces will attack the rebels in Central Africa (ex french colony where there is widespread civil strife) as of this evening after obtaining green light from UN vote on this.
SO the march of Western armies in Africa now spills over from Mali to Central Africa as follow up...
What the fall out of this will be if the rebels and their tie in with Al Qaeda decides to pick up the gauntlet is not known. But it is clear that Africa is now becoming centre stage region for foreign intervention.
Is it because they are scared of Chinese incursions which seem important in Eastern Africa?
Wait n see...
Even the picture looks like it was photoshopped by an amateur. I demand quality lies and propaganda. This just doesn't cut it.
And jogging near the US consulate no less? WTF? Was he jogging with a sign on his back that said "open season"?
Seriously, if this story is true from what we are told I do feel bad for loved ones left behind. And while we are on the subject of running, I love to run too, but here in the midwest it's colder than hell so no outside running this weekend.
It's called a treadmill, hello?
Sorry to hear that. That yet another, well-meaning Christian soul got murdered by Infidels.
Having said that... I thought that one of the prime purposes of an Education, was "to teach people how to think and solve problems". Clearly this poor sap, did not think clearly and had his 'faith' severely misplaced. Put another (less diplomatic) way: WTF was that naive schmuck thinking, by going/teaching there!?
Time and again these damn Western/Christian "idiots" operate outside the Western/Christian sphere, w/o maintaining a rigorous basis of RECIPROCITY with foreign cultures and religions: We'll treat you over here the way you treat us over there. We'll let you build exactly as many places of religious worship in our Christian lands, as you let us build in your Infidel lands. Christianity has been TOTALLY perverted, subverted and hijacked. Fucking morons! [excuse my "French"]
p.s. He does not look like he's the kid's father. The kid looks a bit North African. Did Mustaffa the mailman rang twice and come once? (Sorry for the cheap shot, but this is Fight Club, not a Mormon forum.)
From his Twitter feed (as reported by the Guardian above). You may want to go to his Twiter feed to read yourself. More than a few Tweets that are derogatory to wards Libyans and Arabs in general. Accident waiting to happen?
https://twitter.com/ISBchem
Mr. Smith @ISBchem5 NovI understand I teach at a school of rich kids, so if (and when) I'm kidnapped by Ansar Al-Sharia, who's gonna pay the ransom?
Collapse- 5RETWEETS
- 3FAVORITES
5:34 PM - 5 Nov 13 · DetailsMr. Smith @ISBchem8 Oct
Libyan Islamists are threatening kidnappings. As if they can fit kidnapping into a 2 hr work day that already includes a nap. Losers
Collapse
Reply- 1RETWEET
6:44 PM - 8 Oct 13 · Detailsre: "the gunmen had been driving a black jeep."
Blackwater/XE/Academi personnel? or some similar western private 'security' firm??
See an American was shot, they need more of us(Academi) here = more contract $$$.
"School teacher"? Teaching just English in Benghazi???
"Libya's best friend -Dead"! Fuck him and his family.
Hope it was worth it!
this is some thanks we get for turning their nation over to a gang of Muslim fascists, you'd think the people of Libya would be more appreciative of our work
Smitty from Los Angeles California? Hmm... Sniff. Yeah thought so.
Hmmm. High school chemistry teacher... shot and killed? Maybe taking the Heisenberg fan-club just a little too far?
another spook is "killed," will re-appear with another ID soon in Bangui.