The big news in Washington all day today — in fact, the big news around the world today — is the attack that killed the United States ambassador to Libya and three other U.S. embassy staffers with him.

The latest update at this hour is that the nearby protest was merely a pretext for a pre-planned attack on U.S. interests in Benghazi. The rocket-propelled grenade attack resulted in the first death of an American ambassador in the line of duty since 1979, according to CNN.

Sen. Dan Inouye put out this statement a few minutes ago:

The killing of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three of his colleagues in Benghazi is a tragic reminder that representing the American way of life around the world can be a deadly endeavor.

My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Ambassador Stevens and his colleagues who lost their lives in service to our country.

The unrest and violence we have witnessed in Libya and Egypt, whether it be the result of a disrespectful depiction of Islam, or anger over the political process, none of it is worth the lives of four dedicated public servants who died while working to support and advance our interests abroad.

Today we mourn Ambassador Stevens and his colleagues, but the United States will not allow the murder of innocent Americans to go unpunished. We will hunt down those responsible and remind them that America will not be cowed by violence.