Condoleezza Rice 'saddened' over ambassador's death

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday expressed sorrow over the death of Chris Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, who died in the attack on the embassy in Benghazi on Tuesday alongside three other Foreign Service personnel.  

Rice addressed the Sept. 11 attacks on U.S. embassies in Benghazi, Libya and Cairo, Egypt in a Facebook post. 

"I am saddened by the tragic loss of life at our consulate in Benghazi. Ambassador Chris Stevens was a wonderful officer and a terrific diplomat who was dedicated to the cause of freedom," Rice wrote on her Facebook page. "His service in the Middle East throughout his career was legendary. My thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of all of the fallen. They will be sorely missed but never forgotten."

Rice did not mention the Obama administration's response to the attacks or Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's criticisms of an initial response to events that unfolded in Egypt on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.  

Late Tuesday night, Romney called an early statement by the embassy in Cairo — addressing a protest that was quickly escalating into a full-on attack — "akin to an apology." 

Rice is a prominent supporter of Romney's and delivered a widely praised speech at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., weeks earlier. 

Democrats have lashed out at Romney over his initial statement, saying the GOP candidate was prematurely injecting politics into events in the Middle East that were still unfolding. Top Republicans generally did not address Romney's criticism.

"These terrible incidents highlight the ongoing security challenges in Libya and Egypt, and I call upon the Libyan and Egyptian governments to protect diplomatic facilities, secure their borders, and redouble efforts to combat extremist terrorism within their countries," House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said in a statement.

---