Job Discussion Forums

[wander&teach]

Hurriyet News / Turkey

HOMEPAGE / WORLD/ INTERNATIONAL Thursday,December 5 2013

American teacher shot dead in Libya's Benghazi
BENGHAZI - Agence France-Presse

An American teacher was shot dead in Benghazi on Thursday, 15 months after a deadly attack on the US consulate in Libya's second city, medical and security officials said.

The dead man was a US citizen who taught at the city's international school, security services spokesman Ibrahim al-Sharaa said.

He was shot dead as he was taking his morning jog in the central Al-Fwihet neighbourhood of the city, Sharaa said.

The body of a 33-year-old US citizen who had died of gunshot wounds was brought in to the Benghazi Medical Centre, its spokesman Khalil Gwider said.

Benghazi international school director Adel al-Mansuri said the slain American had taught chemistry since late last year.

In other violence in the increasingly lawless eastern city on Thursday, two Libyan soldiers were shot dead in separate incidents, the latest of dozens of security personnel to be gunned down in recent weeks, security officials said.

The violence rocking the city, which was the cradle of the NATO-backed rebellion against veteran dictator Moamer Kadhafi, is largely blamed on jihadist groups that have mushroomed since he was toppled and killed in 2011.

Chief among them is Ansar al-Sharia, a jihadist group accused of the September 11, 2012 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi that killed ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

Libya's new authorities have tried in vain to integrate former rebels who helped topple Kadhafi into the regular armed forces, with many militias carving their own fiefdoms, each with its own ideology and regional allegiances.

[Dedicated]

It was reported in yesterday's Guardian (Friday, 6th December) that Ronnie Smith, a chemistry teacher at the Benghazi international school, was killed while running his afternoon route along Dubai Street, an upmarket area.

Smith had worked in the city for 18 months and said on his Twitter account he was "Libya's best friend". However, 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 5th 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 cautioned against making derogatory remarks on social media sites, which are widely read in Libya.

[wander&teach]

It has also been reported that Ronnie was a devout Christian and may have been "spreading the word" occasionally. He was due to leave in a week to return home for the holidays following his wife and young child who had left a bit earlier.

Obviously using social media to aggressively criticize the government, people or religion is risky business there and many other places as well. Here in Turkey journalists are arrested frequently for tweeting statements or reporting stories that are considered sensitive. While some are eventually released, remaining detained without being charged for months on end is routine and quite unpleasant I would imagine. Best to act like the Romans when in Rome.

Regardless, this was a reprehensible act. May he rest in peace.