Secretary of State Clinton gave the keynote address at a conference on the political, economic, and security transition in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa, which includes Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, and Morocco. She said the State Department cannot prevent every act of violence directed at overseas diplomats, in reference to the September 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, Secretary Clinton stated that slain Ambassador Chris Stevens knew the risks when he volunteered for the assignment.
Jon Alterman made closing remarks for the Center for Strategic and International Studies' North Africa Conferenc.