Obama address United Nations discusses Chris Stevens, Libya, Iran and Israel

He went on to tell the story of Ambassador Stevens to the assembly of nations. "Chris was born in a town called Grass Valley, California, the son of a lawyer and a musician. As a young man, Chris joined the Peace Corps, and taught English in Morocco. And he came to love and respect the people of North Africa and the Middle East. He would carry that commitment throughout his life."

He explained Stevens moved into diplomacy and his style as a diplomat. "As a diplomat, he worked from Egypt to Syria, from Saudi Arabia to Libya. He was known for walking the streets of the cities where he worked -- tasting the local food, meeting as many people as he could, speaking Arabic, listening with a broad smile."

 President Obama explained the role that Stevens played during the Libyan revolution. "As America’s representative, he helped the Libyan people as they coped with violent conflict, cared for the wounded, and crafted a vision for the future in which the rights of all Libyans would be respected." He continued, "And after the revolution, he supported the birth of a new democracy, as Libyans held elections, and built new institutions, and began to move forward after decades of dictatorship."

Then President Obama talked about the night that Chris Steven and three other diplomats were murdered, "That’s when America’s compound came under attack. Along with three of his colleagues, Chris was killed in the city that he helped to save. He was 52 years old."

President Obama also told the story of Mohamed Bouazizi, the man credited with starting the "Arab Spring." He was profiled here at the National White House Examiner. It was the fire of Mohamed Bouazizi that sparked the "Arab Spring that started in Tunisia and spread to other uprisings around the world including Bahrain, Libya, Yemen, Russia, and Greece.

President Obama said of Bouazizi, "It has been less than two years since a vendor in Tunisia set himself on fire to protest the oppressive corruption in his country, and sparked what became known as the Arab Spring. And since then, the world has been captivated by the transformation that’s taken place, and the United States has supported the forces of change."

Tunisia's government was overthrown and he said we "were inspired by the Tunisian protests that toppled a dictator, because we recognized our own beliefs in the aspiration of men and women who took to the streets."

He quoted South African Nelson Mandela in the narrative of seeking freedom from oppression. Mandela once said, "To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."

President Obama told the assembly that "The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam. But to be credible, those who condemn that slander must also condemn the hate we see in the images of Jesus Christ that are desecrated, or churches that are destroyed, or the Holocaust that is denied. Let us condemn incitement against Sufi Muslims and Shiite pilgrims."

Obama encouraged the Israelis and Palestinians to come together asking for a "secure, Jewish state of Israel and an independent, prosperous Palestine." He acknowledged that understanding that such a peace must come through a just agreement between the parties and pledged that America will walk alongside all who are prepared to make that journey.

He talked about the violence in Syria and called for the stepping down of Assad. He also said that nuclear-armed Iran cannot exist and left open all options including military action.

He ended with a promise to bring Chris Steven's killers to justice and said that "Chris Stevens was a friend to all Libyans."

Source: Examiner