The United States Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, is seen in flames Tuesday, September 11 following an attack that killed four U.S. personnel, including the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens, witnesses and officials said. An armed mob protesting a film considered offensive to Islam is said to be responsible for the attack. Photos: Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings 
A protester reacts as the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi is seen in flames Tuesday night. Armed gunmen attacked the compound Tuesday evening, clashing with Libyan security forces before the latter withdrew as they came under heavy fire. 
A vehicle and the surrounding area are engulfed in flames after it was set on fire inside the compound Tuesday. 
Flames erupt outside of a building in the U.S. consulate compound on Tuesday. 
A vehicle burns during the attack Tuesday on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi. 
Onlookers record the damage from the attack on Tuesday. 
Onlookers walk past a burning truck and building in the compound on Tuesday. 
A vehicle sits smoldering in flames on Tuesday. 
People duck flames outside a consulate building on Tuesday. Photos: Protesters storm U.S. Embassy buildings - NEW: United States sends Marines to bolster security at facilities in Libya
- President Obama orders increased security at diplomatic posts worldwide
- The move comes after attack killed J. Christopher Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya
(CNN) -- The United States moved to increase embassy security around the world after the attack that killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three staffers.
"I have directed my Administration to provide all necessary resources to support the security of our personnel in Libya, and to increase security at our diplomatic posts around the globe," U.S. President Barack Obama said in a statement Wednesday morning in response to the attack.
The United States deployed a group of Marines known as a Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team to Libya to assist with securing U.S. facilities, two U.S. officials said Wednesday. It was unclear what steps the United States was taking elsewhere in the world.
The moves come a day after the attack in Benghazi that killed Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens amid protests at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Demonstrators also attacked the U.S. Embassy in Cairo on Tuesday. Protesters in both countries were apparently angry about an online film considered offensive to Islam.
Ambassador 'loved Libya so much' 
Libya: Consulate attack 'cowardice' 
U.S. envoy killed in Benghazi 
Images of the Libya attack 
Libya attack part of bigger plot? "There's a lot of skittish people at the State Department right now," said CNN foreign affairs reporter Elise Labott.
Protestors attack U.S. diplomatic compounds in Egypt, Libya
It is unclear whether Stevens' death resulted from the broader anti-American protests or a separate, local plot against the ambassador, former State Department official James Rubin said.
"Until you are able to answer that question, it's kind of hard to assign the significance of this," said Rubin, who was State Department spokesman during the Clinton administration.
Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, however, said it was clear the attacks were part of a coordinated assault on U.S. interests.
"This is not just about Libya," he said on CNN's "Starting Point."
He said that simultaneous attacks in Libya and Egypt, on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States, could happen only with "a fair amount of collusion and a fair amount of planning."
Mohammed Al-Megaryef, head of Libya's ruling party, told reporters Wednesday that "the transitional government has done all that it could in order to protect the embassies, the consulates and the foreign companies in Libya."
Prime Minister Abdurrahim el-Keib said the government would increase security Wednesday in response to the attacks.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she had spoken to the Libyan president seeking additional protection for American interests in the country.
She said the U.S. government is also working with countries to "protect our personnel, our missions and American citizens worldwide."
Attacks in Middle East turn political campaigns towards foreign policy
CNN's Barbara Starr contributed to this report.
