FAQ: What Happened in Libya and Egypt?

Anger over an anti-Islamic movie snowballs into violence.

What's Going On Over There? - On Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2012, anti-American violence erupted in Cairo, and Benghazi, Libya. Four Americans were killed including the U.S. ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens. BET.com answers questions about what's behind it all. — Naeesa Aziz  (Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany)

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What's Going On Over There? - On Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2012, anti-American violence erupted in Cairo, and Benghazi, Libya. Four Americans were killed including the U.S. ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens. BET.com answers questions about what's behind it all. — Naeesa Aziz  (Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany)

What Set Off the Violence? - After a movie by Israeli-American filmmaker Sam Bacile was translated into Arabic, news of its controversial message spread quickly over the Internet and sparked extreme anger. The film depicts Islam's Prophet Muhammad having sex, talking about killing children and refers to a donkey as "the first Muslim animal." (Photo: REUTERS/Esam Al-Fetori)

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What Set Off the Violence? - After a movie by Israeli-American filmmaker Sam Bacile was translated into Arabic, news of its controversial message spread quickly over the Internet and sparked extreme anger. The film depicts Islam's Prophet Muhammad having sex, talking about killing children and refers to a donkey as "the first Muslim animal." (Photo: REUTERS/Esam Al-Fetori)

Republicans Exploit Benghazi, Libya, Attack - After a tragic attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya, left four Americans dead, GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney and other Republicans launched into an unseemly and misdirected attack against President Obama and his U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice. Unfortunately, Rice withdrew her name  from consideration to succeed Hillary Clinton as secretary of state. Meanwhile, Gen. David Petraeus, caught up in a sex scandal that forced him to resign from the CIA, escaped culpability for the CIA's intelligence failure in Benghazi. (Photo: Reuters/Esam Al-Fetori)

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What Happened in Libya? - An angry mob set the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on fire in protest of the film, and armed gunmen attacked the grounds. (Photo: REUTERS/Esam Al-Fetori)

Were There Any American Casualities?  - In the Libyan attacks, four Americans were killed. U.S. ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens, Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith and two unidentified staffers died. (Photo: AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

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Were There Any American Casualities?  - In the Libyan attacks, four Americans were killed. U.S. ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens, Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith and two unidentified staffers died. (Photo: AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

What Are the Libyan Authorities Saying? - Libyan Prime Minister Abdurrahim El-Keib and head of the national assembly, Mohammed Magarief, spoke out Wednesday:"While we strongly condemn any attempts of insult the person of the Prophet and our sanctities or tampering with our beliefs, we reject the use of force and terrorizing innocent civilians," Magarief said. (Photo: REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny)

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What Are the Libyan Authorities Saying? - Libyan Prime Minister Abdurrahim El-Keib and head of the national assembly, Mohammed Magarief, spoke out Wednesday:"While we strongly condemn any attempts of insult the person of the Prophet and our sanctities or tampering with our beliefs, we reject the use of force and terrorizing innocent civilians," Magarief said. (Photo: REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny)

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Does Benghazi Have Anything to Do With the Current Situation? - Since the deadly attack on an American diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11, 2012, which resulted in the death of a U.S. ambassador and three others, the Department of State has amped up discussions around the vulnerability of diplomats in conflict zones. Last month’s passage of the FY 2014 Defense Appropriations Bill, which includes an additional $48 million in embassy security funding, confirms that the Benghazi attack has played a large, influential role in how the administration responded to the recent threats. (Photo: REUTERS/Esam Al-Fetori)

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Who Is Responsible for This?  - Al-Jazeera reports that a group called the "Islamic Law Supporters" carried out the attack in Benghazi. (Photo: REUTERS/Esam Al-Fetori)

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What Happened in Egypt? - On the same day, protesters in Egypt surrounded the U.S. embassy in Cairo, climbed the walls of the U.S. embassy and brought down the U.S. flag, replacing it with a black Islamic flag. (Photo: AP Photo/Mohammed Abu Zaid)

Photo By AP Photo/Mohammed Abu Zaid

Were There Any American Deaths in Egypt? - Although riot police stood on hand and the U.S. denies reports that security forces shot at the crowd, no Americans were harmed in the Cairo protests. After officials were warned of potential violence, the embassy compound was evacuated before the protests began.  (Photo: AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

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Were There Any American Deaths in Egypt? - Although riot police stood on hand and the U.S. denies reports that security forces shot at the crowd, no Americans were harmed in the Cairo protests. After officials were warned of potential violence, the embassy compound was evacuated before the protests began.  (Photo: AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

A Sign of the Times - The U.N. joined the chorus of international voices condemning the attacks, saying that the attacks “further emphasize the security challenges facing the authorities in Libya,” said U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman. (Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany)

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A Sign of the Times - The U.N. joined the chorus of international voices condemning the attacks, saying that the attacks “further emphasize the security challenges facing the authorities in Libya,” said U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman. (Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany)

No End in Sight - On Wednesday, Sept. 12, Egypt's Islamic Brotherhood called for a round of peaceful protests to be held Friday "outside all the main mosques in all of Egypt’s provinces to denounce offenses to religion and to the Prophet.”   (Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany)

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No End in Sight - On Wednesday, Sept. 12, Egypt's Islamic Brotherhood called for a round of peaceful protests to be held Friday "outside all the main mosques in all of Egypt’s provinces to denounce offenses to religion and to the Prophet.”   (Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany)