A U.S. Envoy Who Plunged Into Arab Life

The NY Times ^ | September 15, 2012 | STEVEN ERLANGER

[RitchieAprile]

J. Christopher Stevens, the American ambassador to Libya who was killed in an assault on a diplomatic mission there last week, was happy to gossip, but was revered for listening. A northern Californian with a toothy grin, he had a passion for the Arab world and its language, and he went out of his way to use it, whether with officials or shopkeepers, in an effort to show respect.

In his willingness to allow others to be heard, even when he had an important message to impart, Mr. Stevens was an unusual American diplomat, friends and colleagues say. He allowed himself to be governed by the habits, proprieties and slower pace of the Arab world.

With the State Department on high alert for security threats, especially since the Sept. 11 attacks, and many American diplomats consigned to embassies that resemble fortresses and armored motorcades that do not make unscheduled stops, Mr. Stevens plunged into Arab social life. He traded personal risk for personal contact.

[calex59]

“northern Californian explains a lot. Let me guess, Marin County.

Let me give you a clue. People in Northern Cal don't include the bay area as part of Northern Cal, in fact the whole west coast is not considered Northern CA. The true northern Cal is over here on the slopes of the Sierra Neveda, North of Stockton on up to the border or Oregon. In fact the Northwest coast of CA is far more liberal than the southern half. If this guy had come from the real Northern Cal he would have been conservative as he** and would never have helped with the so called "Arab Spring".

Fat lot of good came from his embracing "the arab life" as the article put it. All it did was get him and others killed and the violence isn't over yet and won't be until we(the USA)responds with a power that will stop this sh** once and for all.

[dennisw]

This guy went native, swallowing hook line and sinker the Arab culture he knew he had become an expert in. I wonder if he was praying to Allah in his final moments? I would not be surprised.

To me and most freepers the Islamic Arab culture is idiotic and what you get from generations of first cousin marriage and inbreeding to keep the dowry within the clan. Not to mention the negatives that Islam contributes

[Lurker]

Listen friend, my wife is from Sonoma Cty and they certainly consider themselves NorCal. My in laws live in Placer County and they barely consider themselves Californian anymore.

[shhrubbery!]

Wow. Pretty striking.

[calex59]

We, on this side of California, don’t consider the west coast northern cal, not with places like Fort Bragg and other towns and counties infested with liberals. What your wife, and other people from liberal land on the west coast, thinks is her/their business(but they are wrong).