On the 11th anniversary of 9/11 American consulates in Egypt and Libya were attacked by mobs outraged over a movie that depicts the prophet Mohammed in an unflattering light. In Egypt the U.S. Embassy quickly issued a statement condemning the movie.
With under two months to go before the presidential elections the Obama administration moved to dispel the perception that Barack Obama is constantly apologizing on behalf of the U.S. The administration released a statement announcing that the embassy's statement had not been cleared by Washington."The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims – as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions," the embassy said in a statement published online.
The Obama administration is disavowing a statement from its own Cairo embassy that seemed to apologize for anti-Muslim activity in the United States.
"The statement by Embassy Cairo was not cleared by Washington and does not reflect the views of the United States government," an administration official told POLITICO.
In Libya, it was later it was learned, U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other embassy staff were killed as Muslim rioters attacked and sacked the U.S.Consulate. Obama issued this statement.
I strongly condemn the outrageous attack on our diplomatic facility in Benghazi, which took the lives of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. Right now, the American people have the families of those we lost in our thoughts and prayers. They exemplified America’s commitment to freedom, justice, and partnership with nations and people around the globe, and stand in stark contrast to those who callously took their lives.
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. While the United States rejects efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others, we must all unequivocally oppose the kind of senseless violence that took the lives of these public servants.
On a personal note, Chris was a courageous and exemplary representative of the United States. Throughout the Libyan revolution, he selflessly served our country and the Libyan people at our mission in Benghazi. As Ambassador in Tripoli, he has supported Libya’s transition to democracy. His legacy will endure wherever human beings reach for liberty and justice. I am profoundly grateful for his service to my Administration, and deeply saddened by this loss.
The brave Americans we lost represent the extraordinary service and sacrifices that our civilians make every day around the globe. As we stand united with their families, let us now redouble our own efforts to carry their work forward.
The left would like to place all blame for the violence on the movie, its producer Sam Bacile, and on Pastor Terry Jones who promoted it. Jones was the Florida pastor who made himself famous a while ago by threatening to publicly burn copies of the Koran.
Max Fisher of The Atlantic writes that the movie is so offensive that Egyptians just stormed the U.S. Embassy over it.
The movie, like Terry Jones himself and his earlier Koran-burning stunt, have received attention far beyond their reach, which would be modest if not for obsessively outraged media. And yet, here the movie is, not just offending apparently significant numbers of people, but producing real-world damage.
Left wing blogger Taylor Marsh agrees with that analysis, claiming that it was Jones who was to blame when Afghans went on a killing spree on hearing the news of Jones and his Koran burning threats.
The film is being promoted by the infamous Terry Jones, the man responsible for the Afghanistan uprising after he threatened to burn a Koran.
Rioters can't be accountable?
And I don't recall much blame coming from the left when a Newsweek article by Michael Isikoff set off riots with its falsely reporting that Korans were flushed down the toilet at Guantanomo. Fellow journalists closed ranks in defense of Isikoff and Newsweek. After all, journalistic standards were followed in Isikoffs unfortunate reporting.
The item was principally reported by Michael Isikoff, Newsweek's veteran investigative reporter. "Obviously we all feel horrible about what flowed from this, but it's important to remember there was absolutely no lapse in journalistic standards here," he said. "We relied on sources we had every reason to trust and gave the Pentagon ample opportunity to comment. . . . We're going to continue to investigate what remains a very murky situation."
However, outrage over the Koran flushing was intended, but George W. Bush was supposed to be the target of it. He opened Guantaomo to begin with, so the sloppy, inaccurate reporting was in a good cause. That would be the cause of smearing a Republican president.
But while the Pentagon is disputing the Koran incident, U.S. officials have confirmed numerous reports by detainees, especially at Abu Ghraib, about guards attempting to humiliate them with tactics that violate religious taboos of the Muslim faith. A senior Pentagon official has confirmed reports that female interrogators rubbed their bodies against the men, wore skimpy clothes, touched them provocatively and pretended to spread menstrual blood on them. The Newsweek item that triggered the violence also said the forthcoming report would describe "one woman who took off her top, rubbed her finger through a detainee's hair and sat on the detainee's lap."
Another case of "false but accurate" reporting. No outrage, nor even surprise at the conduct of the Afghan rioters. Just as no outrage is directed at Egyptian or Libyan rioters now.
In fact, they are referred to as "protesters," not rioters. Hamid Karzai issued a statement today condemning the movie, not the violence.
Shortly after news emerged that the U.S. ambassador to Libya and other diplomatic staff were killed in the attack on the consulate in Benghazi, the Afghan presidential palace released a statement condemning the "inhuman and abusive act" by the makers of the film, saying that its release "has caused enmity and confrontation between the religions and cultures of the world."
Mr. Karzai's statement didn't condemn the killings in Libya, and didn't contain any language calling for restraint or for conducting protests in a peaceful manner.
Protests. Funny how Muslim "protests" so often involve some bystander getting killed. On the left, that's OK. The real sin is saying anything about Muslims that might be construed as derogatory.
Update: In a Rose Garden press conference Obama announced that "justice would be done."
10:45 am by Carol E. Lee
Obama pledges to work with the Libyan government to bring to justice those who attacked "our people."
10:47 am by Tim Hanrahan
Obama: Yesterday was already a painful day for our nation ... Then last night we learned the news of this attack. As Americans let us never forget that our freedom is sustained because people are willing to fight for it .... and sometimes lay down their lives for it.
10:47 am by Tim Hanrahan
"Make no mistake: Justice will be done."
With Hillary Clinton at his side Obama and left the Rose Garden without taking questions.