Clinton says Libya attack should shock the world

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says the deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in eastern Libya should "shock the conscience of people of all faiths around the world."

Clinton says the assault that killed the U.S. ambassador and three American members of his staff was committed by a "small and savage group" of militants, not by the people or government of Libya.

She said Wednesday there was no justification for the attack, and decried violent extremism.

THIS IS A NEWS UPDATE. Our earlier report appears below:

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans who were killed in an attack on a U.S. consulate last night had been "committed to helping the Libyan people reach for a better future."

Photos: US Ambassador killed in Libya

Ambassador Chris Stevens was a career diplomat who was confirmed as ambassador to Libya by the Senate earlier this year. He had already served two tours in Libya, and had run the office in Benghazi during the revolt against Moammar Gadhafi.

Clinton said Stevens had a "passion for service, for diplomacy and for the Libyan people." She says he was dedicated to "advancing closer ties with the people of the Middle East and North Africa."

The secretary of state says Stevens "risked his own life to lend the Libyan people a helping hand to build the foundation for a new, free nation."