program, and violence in syria. this is half an hour. i have the honor to welcome to the united nations his excellency, barack obama, president of the united states of america. mr. president, mr. secretary general, fellow delegates, ladies and gentleman, i would like to begin today by telling you about an american named chris stevens. chris was born in a town called grass valley, california, the son of a lawyer and a musician. as a young man, chris joined the peace corps, and taught english in morocco. and he came to love and respect the people of north africa and the middle east. he would carry that commitment throughout his life. as a diplomat, he worked from egypt to syria, from saudi arabia to libya. he was known for walking the streets of the cities where he worked tasting the local food, meeting as many people as he could, speaking arabic, listening with a broad smile. chris went to benghazi in the early days of the libyan revolution, arriving on a cargo ship. as