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Originally Posted by Alvin Walton

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There are conflicting reports on whether the two security guards killed were marines.

Assault on U.S. consulate in Benghazi leaves 4 dead, including U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens - CBS News

Al-Sharef said two U.S. Marines sent to Benghazi when the clash erupted were shot and killed by the well-armed protesters. It was not immediately clear whether the Marines were part of Stevens' security detail.

REPORT: Two Marines Killed In Attack On US Consulate In Libya - Business Insider

Marine Capt. Kendra Motz told us: "We don't have any Marine equities in the consulate in Benghazi, nor do we have any reports of Marine casualties from there at this time."

Anti-terror Marine team heading to Libya to reinforce security at diplomatic facilities - The Washington Post

U.S. embassies, particularly in major countries and in unstable or less secure nations, usually have a resident contingent of Marine security guards. Early indications were that there was no Marine security unit at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. A consulate is a branch office in major cities outside the capital. These guards work under the supervision of the senior diplomatic officer at an embassy.

The main role of Marine security guards is to protect classified national security documents, according to the web site of the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group, which administers the security guard mission from a Marine base in Virginia. Their secondary role is to protect U.S. citizens and U.S. government property in the event of an emergency.