Friday, September 14, 2012
State Department In "Full-Blown Crisis Mode"
The State Department has gone into full-blown crisis mode, organizing a round-the-clock effort to coordinate the U.S. government's response to the expanding attacks on U.S. embassies in the Middle East and North Africa. "The State Department has stood up a 24-hr monitoring team to insure appropriate coordination of information and our response. In addition, our consular team is working with missions around the world to protect American citizens and issue appropriate public warden information," a senior State Department official told reporters Friday afternoon. "We have been monitoring events in the Middle East and North Africa intensively today, and working with our personnel and missions overseas and host governments to strengthen security in all locations and to respond effectively where protests have turned violent," the official said.Tweet
Black Islamist Flag Flies Over U.S. Embassy In Tunisia As Embassy Comes Under Attack; KFC And Hardee's Burned In Lebanon
A black Islamic flag is currently flying over the U.S. embassy in Tunisia after it had been stormed by an angry mob of protesters, who were upset over an anti-Islam film that was made by Americans.
This is just one of many incidents occurring around the world today, in which Americans are being targeted.
In Tunis, the mob overran the compound, scaling walls and setting fire to trees before tearing down the American flag and replacing it with a symbol of Islam. It is not thought that any U.S. staff were actually in the embassy in Tunis. An American school in Tunis was also set on fire. Police responded to the mobs by firing tear gas, and police gunfire could also be heard.
Several dozen protesters were also briefly able to enter the embassy compound and set fire to cars in the embassy parking lot. Police and special forces pushed them back outside.
In Lebanon today angry protesters ransacked a KFC and Hardee's restaurant, police were firing on protesters in Yemen, and there was also unrest in Iraq, Syria, Pakistan and Turkey. Additional unrest occurred in Sudan where an angry mob attacked British and German embassies. In Bangladesh tens of thousands took to the streets to protest, and in India there are widespread protests in Muslim Kashmir. In London, protesters burned an American flag outside of the U.S. embassy.Tweet
German Embassy In Khartoum, Sudan Stormed, Islamic Banner Raised, Set On Fire By Islamists
German embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, raised an Islamic flag over the building, and set fire to it:
Sudanese demonstrators broke into the German embassy in Khartoum on Friday, raising an Islamic flag and setting the building on fire in a protest against a film that demeaned the Prophet Mohammad, witnesses said.
Police had earlier fired tear gas to try to disperse some 5,000 protesters who had ringed the German embassy and nearby British mission. But a Reuters witness said policemen just stood by when the crowd forced its way into Germany’s mission.
Demonstrators hoisted a black Islamic flag saying in white letters “there is no God but God and Mohammed is his prophet”. They smashed windows, cameras and furniture in the building and then started a fire, witnesses said.Tweet
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Charles Krauthammer’s Take On Hillary Clinton: "Meltdown At The State Department’
“The worst line in the clip you showed was this where she said there are different views around the world about the outer limits of free speech. Why is she engaging in a disquisition on free speech with the mob? The implication here that, perhaps the mob is right, that we ought to be suppressing anything that offends Islam, this is a nation where somebody puts a crucifix in bottle of urine and it ends up in a museum. We allow all kind of expression. But perhaps we ought to make an exception in the case of Islam. This is absurd. She ought to be speaking to the heads of state, to the State Department equivalents in other states and saying ‘You speak to your mob and talk to them and defend the embassy.’ This is return to statement a few days ago, I think and they are totally in meltdown at the State Department.” Visit http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/316861/krauthammers-take-hillary-meltdown-state-department-eliana-johnson# to watch the clip. Tweet
New York City Officially Bans Selling Big Soda
New York City’s Board of Health opened up a new, experimental front in the war on obesity Thursday, passing a rule banning sales of big sodas and other sugary drinks at restaurants, concession stands, and other eateries.
The regulation, which was proposed in the spring by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and approved by panel of health experts after several months of review, puts a 16-ounce size limit on cups and bottles of non-diet soda, sweetened teas, and other calorie-packed beverages.
The ban will apply in fast-food joints, movie houses and Broadway theaters, workplace cafeterias, and most other places selling prepared food.
It doesn’t cover beverages sold in supermarkets or most convenience stores.Tweet
Marc A. Thiessen: "Obama Alone: This President Does Not Need Intel Briefers"
Marc Thiessen asks: "How long had it been since President Obama attended his daily intelligence meeting in the lead-up to the Sept. 11 attacks on U.S. Diplomatic facilities in Egypt and Libya? After all, our adversaries are known to use the anniversary of 9/11 to target the United States. According to the public schedule of the president, the last
time the Obama attended his daily intelligence meeting was Sept. 5 — a
week before Islamist radicals stormed our embassy in Cairo and
terrorists killed our ambassador to Tripoli." To read the full opinion piece visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/marc-thiessen-obama-alone-this-president-does-not-need-intel-briefers/2012/09/13/c11e1a52-fda5-11e1-b153-218509a954e1_story.html
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Even Today U.S. Government Continues To Apologize For Random Internet Film Offending Muslims
Even today the U.S. government feels the need
to distance itself from some random internet movie, with Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton again calling the film “disgusting and
reprehensible.” Further, Obama called Muslim Brotherhood President of
Egypt Mohammed Morsi and made sure to preempt his comments about
violence against embassies being unacceptable by saying “he rejects
efforts to denigrate Islam." America
should never indulge the cultural and religious pathologies of these
primitive thugs that are so steeped in hatred so as to produce these
lunatic mobs. America should never pretend to indulge the grievances of
the insane enemy.
Our response should be stand up for what we believe in, perhaps providing a much needed lecture to the Islamic world on freedom of speech, and reiterating that we will protect our embassies and punish those who attack them. Enough with the sickening constant and consistent infantilizing rhetoric directed at the Islamic world about how awful some random and unheard of expression of speech may be. Enough with patronizing recognition of every percieved offense resulting in violence.
The apologies should only be coming from one source that seems silent: from Islamic leaders appalled at their co-religionists expressing how sorry they are for the actions of mobs that are an embarrassment to their religion.
Iranians Protest U.S. Yelling "Death To America And Death To Israel And Death To England!"
Expressing anger at the film mocking Muhammad that has triggered protests across the Middle East, roughly 400 young men and women gathered Thursday near the Swiss embassy in Tehran, chanting, “Death to the United States and death to Israel and death to England!”
The protests had been called to take place at the Swiss embassy because it represents American diplomatic interests in Iran. Riot police and ordinary officers cordoned off the area north and south of the embassy, clogging city streets. Behind the security cordon, protesters equipped with a van and loudspeakers denounce the film. Women in long black chadors wore yellow headbands emblazoned with Shiite religious slogans.
“We university students believe Zionism is behind all these insults!” one protest leader in a brown shirt shouted from the back of the van.
Another bearded student read out a declaration stating, “We students believe Israel is a menace to world peace, therefore we call for wiping Israel from the face of the world map. All U.S. embassies in Muslim countries should be suspended.”Tweet
Israeli Arabs Protest Outside U.S. Embassy In Tel Aviv, Arab Member Of Knesset Says "It Will Be Armageddon"
Israeli Arabs protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv Thursday following the attacks on U.S. compounds in Libya, Egypt and Yemen.
The Times of Israel reports about 100 peaceful demonstrators marched outside the embassy to protest the anti-Islam movie which mocks the prophet Muhammad.A radical group called the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement led the demonstration, according to the Times of Israel.
A top Israeli Arab Knesset official warned of “Armageddon” if the United Nations does not intervene.
“If the U.N. does not mobilize to stop this erosion, it will be Armageddon,” MK Talab el-Sana told the Israeli paper.Tweet
Mixed Messages: Obama Says Egypt Is Not An Ally But Not An Enemy, Then State Department Forced To Issue Clarification
Fox News reports:
The State Department, cutting through the confusion over President Obama's claim that Egypt is not a U.S. ally, contradicted his characterization Thursday. For the record, spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said, Egypt is considered a major non-NATO ally. The comment came as White House aides also carefully clarified the president's remarks. The president made the initial statement in an interview with the Spanish-language Telemundo. "I don't think that we would consider them an ally, but we do not consider them an enemy," Obama said, reacting to the ongoing and intense demonstrations outside the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. The comment raised eyebrows, considering that Egypt - at least before the fall of Hosni Mubarak -- has long been among the top U.S. allies in the Middle East along with Saudi Arabia and Israel. And legally, it is still considered a major "non-NATO" ally, as Nuland confirmed. Nuland and White House aides, though, tried to at the same time suggest that Obama was referring to the fact that Egypt is not part of any formal NATO treaty.Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/09/13/state-department-corrects-obama-says-egypt-is-ally/#ixzz26OvUyKK5 Tweet
U.S. Embassy In Yemen Attacked, Gate Breached And American Flag Desecrated
The BBC reports:
Protests against an anti-Islam film made in the US have spread across the Middle East and North Africa. In Yemen, demonstrators briefly stormed the grounds of the US embassy in Sanaa and burnt the US flag, but were driven back by security forces... Police in Sanaa shot in the air, but failed to prevent crowds from gaining access to the embassy compound and setting fire to vehicles. Security force reinforcements used tear gas, water cannon and live fire to drive protesters back.
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State Department Had 48 Hour Warning Of Attacks On U.S. Embassies; Papers Listing Libyans That Worked With Americans Go Missing
The killings of the US ambassador to Libya and three of his staff were likely to have been the result of a serious and continuing security breach, The Independent can reveal. American officials believe the attack was planned, but Chris Stevens had been back in the country only a short while and the details of his visit to Benghazi, where he and his staff died, were meant to be confidential. The US administration is now facing a crisis in Libya. Sensitive documents have gone missing from the consulate in Benghazi and the supposedly secret location of the "safe house" in the city, where the staff had retreated, came under sustained mortar attack. Other such refuges across the country are no longer deemed "safe". Some of the missing papers from the consulate are said to list names of Libyans who are working with Americans, putting them potentially at risk from extremist groups, while some of the other documents are said to relate to oil contracts.Tweet
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Egyptian-Iranian Intelligence Meeting Prompts Fears Of A New Middle East Terror Axis
U.S. intelligence agencies recently monitored a secret meeting between Egypt’s intelligence chief and a senior Iranian spy that is raising new fears the Muslim Brotherhood government in Cairo could begin covertly supporting global terrorism. According to U.S. officials, the head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service, Maj. Gen. Murad Muwafi, met in early August with a senior official of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). Disclosure of the Egyptian-Iranian intelligence meeting comes as the Obama administration is planning to provide $1 billion in aid to bail out Egypt’s new Islamist government. The administration is said to be seeking closer ties to the new regime in Cairo, following the ouster in February 2011 of long-time ally Hosni Mubarak. Many members of the pro-democratic, anti-Muslim Brotherhood opposition in Egypt believe the Obama administration has made a covert pact to support the Morsi regime. Meanwhile in Cairo, Islamic protesters on Tuesday stormed the U.S. Embassy and pulled down the American flag to protest what they said was a U.S. film production the protesters claimed insulted Islam. U.S. intelligence gathering targeting Egypt has been stepped up over the past year as the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist party, came to power in June. The group’s credo includes the phrase, “Allah is our objective; the Quran is our law, the Prophet is our leader; jihad is our way; and death for the sake of Allah is the highest of our aspirations.” Since the revolution that led to the ouster of the pro-U.S. regime of Hosni Mubarak, a large number of radical Islamists have been released from prison and have gone back to preaching anti-Western and anti-Israel jihad, or holy war.Tweet
Mainstream Reporters Caught On Hot Mic Conspiring To Ambush Romney The Same Question At Press Conference
See http://www.therightscoop.com/exclusive-open-mic-captures-press-coordinating-questions-for-romney-no-matter-who-he-calls-on-were-covered/ to listen to the audio yourself. Here's some of it:
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: …pointing out that the Republicans… *unintelligible* …Obama….Tweet
CBS REPORTER: That’s the question.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: *unintelligible*
CBS REPORTER: Yeah that’s the question. I would just say do you regret your question.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Your question? Your statement?
CBS REPORTER: I mean your statement. Not even the tone, because then he can go off on…
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: And then if he does, if we can just follow up and say ‘but this morning your answer is continuing to sound…’ – *becomes unintelligble*
CBS REPORTER: You can’t say that..
**Later**
CBS REPORTER: I’m just trying to make sure that we’re just talking about, no matter who he calls on we’re covered on the one question.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you stand by your statement or regret your statement?
Apparently It's The Job Of The Chairman Of The Joint Chiefs Of Staff To Call Florida Pastor Terry Jones
Mario Loyola writes in National Review:
Nobody in the U.S. government, least of all the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff acting in his official capacity, should be calling Terry Jones or any other American citizen about the Mohammed spoof. Not only does that elevate Jones to some sort of semi-official status, but spoofs of deities are entirely within our rights and absolutely no business of the government’s. The U.S. government should not be taking an official position on the Mohammed spoof. It is entirely outside the official competence of United States military to be calling private citizens asking them be quiet, especially when they are exercising a constitutional right. Offending people is not an incitement to violence. Otherwise I could get everyone who wears a Che Guevara t-shirt brought up on charges of incitement…
Meanwhile, members of Congress should formally protest General Dempsey’s phone call to Terry Jones. I know Petraeus did it when Terry Jones was going to burn some Korans, but he was wrong then and General Dempsey is wrong now. In their private capacity they can make whatever phone calls they want. In their official capacity they have no business making phone calls like this.Tweet
Muslim Brotherhood President Of Egypt Mohammed Morsi Condemns Random Internet Movie, Silent On Mob Actions Against U.S. Embassy
Morsi’s silence is deafening:
WhiIe Egypt’s prime minister called Tuesday’s incident “regrettable” and unjustified, President Mohamed Morsy condemned the anti-Muslim film that incited the protesters.
Morsy made a reference to Egypt’s duty to protect diplomatic missions and its opposition to unlawful protesters, but did not mention or criticize those who stormed the embassy.
“The presidency condemns in the strongest terms the attempt of a group to insult the place of the Messenger, the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and condemns the people who have produced this radical work,” the president said in a statement posted on his Facebook page.
“The Egyptian people, both Muslims and Christians, refuse such insults on sanctities.”Tweet
U.S. Ambassador To Libya, Along With Three Other Americans, Murdered By Islamists In Libya
The U.S. Ambassador to Libya has been dragged through the streets. Three Americans that worked for him are murdered as well. All on the 11th anniversary of 9-11. The Daily Telegraph reports:
It is believed that the attack, which occurred on the 11th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, was a planned ambush carried out by terrorists using a pro-Islam protest as cover. The victims died during a rocket attack when an armed mob set fire to the consulate in Benghazi after joining a protest over a 'blasphemous' film about the Prophet Mohammed. It is believed a 'small, vicious group' of attackers used the protest as a diversion, although questions remain over whether the killers drummed up support for the march or simply took advantage of it, an official told CNN... Christopher Stevens, 52, was at the compound evacuating staff when the building was stormed by 20 heavily-armed militants. During a 20 minute fire fight, Libyan guards positioned inside the consulate managed to hold the attackers off as they sprayed the building with bullets before hurling a bomb inside. In the carnage, Sean Smith, a foreign service information management officer was shot dead. Ambassador Stevens and his team made a desperate bid to flee by car to safety. But the vehicle came under heavy arms fire and was hit by a rocket, leaving it disabled and at the mercy of the mob. Two marines attempted to aid Ambassador Stevens but were also shot dead, according to CBS.Graphic images taken at the scene show civilians making desperate attempts to pull the diplomat to safety. But their efforts were futile.
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New Clashes Outside US Embassy In Cairo
RT reports:
Egyptian security forces have used tear gas on a raging crowd of demonstrators near the US Embassy in Cairo. Several dozen people have reportedly been injured as the police dispersed the stone-throwing demonstrators. Riot police have managed to push a group of several hundred protesters back in Cairo's side streets near the embassy. Some of the protesters have been injured, state news agency MENA reported, giving no further details. Witnesses reporting the incident on Twitter said as many as several dozen people may have been injured.
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Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Obama Aids Egypt As It Tries To Buy U-Boats
The Daily Caller reports:
President Barack Obama’s deputies are negotiating a $1 billion aid package with Egypt’s new Islamist government, even as Egypt’s cash-strapped military revealed that it is trying to buy $1 billion worth of German submarines that could threaten Israel’s fast-growing offshore energy projects.Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/09/10/obama-aids-egypt-as-it-tries-to-buy-u-boats/#ixzz26EB5fbl3 Tweet
Obama Refuses Netanyahu's Request For Meeting Claiming "Full Schedule"; Announces Appearance On Letterman
Originally, the Obama administration claimed it was inaccurate for the Israeli press to be reporting that Obama refused to meet with Netanyahu during the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. However, Bloomberg reports that Israeli officials claim Obama was approached by the Israelis "two weeks ago to see if it would be possible for Netanyahu to meet Obama, as he has on every other visit to the U.S. The response was that the president’s schedule wouldn’t permit a meeting, the official said today in a telephone interview. Obama is in the middle of campaigning for a second term in the Nov. 6 election. Obama will be at the UN on Sept. 24-25 and Netanyahu won’t arrive until later in the week, Vietor said. While the president’s UN schedule 'is not finalized yet,' Obama has no planned bilateral meetings with leaders of other nations, he said. While Netanyahu will be in the U.S. for a short time, the Israeli official said that could have included a trip to Washington to accommodate an Obama meeting."
The president will, however, be chatting with the "Late Show" host David Letterman during a trip to New York City next week, according to the National Journal.
The meeting was to discuss growing tensions between the U.S. and Israel over how to deal with the Iranian nuclear threat. Obama opted for continuing the unprecedented tension with Israel.
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American Consulate In Benghazi, Libya Burning Under Islamist Attack; One American Consulate Worker Reported Killed
Remember that Benghazi was the hotbed of resistance to Moammar Gaddhafi, and that these are the Islamists that America helped bring to power: Tweet
White House Claims The Apology To Egyptian Attackers Of U.S. Embassy Was Not "Cleared," Romney Calls Apology "Disgraceful"
“The statement by Embassy Cairo was not cleared by Washington and does
not reflect the views of the United States government,” a senior
administration official told POLITICO.
Mitt Romney responds:
I’m outraged by the attacks on American diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt and by the death of an American consulate worker in Benghazi. It’s disgraceful that the Obama Administration’s first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks.Tweet
After Islamists Attack Cairo Embassy, Embassy Unbelievably Responds By Apologizing To Offended Muslims For American "Abuse Of Free Speech"
The official statement from the embassy website:
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. Today, the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Americans are honoring our patriots and those who serve our nation as the fitting response to the enemies of democracy. Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others.
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Even Liberal Los Angeles Times Says Senator Dianne Feinstein Should Accept Republican Opponent's Challenge To Debate
From the LA Times:
Sen. Dianne Feinstein had an excuse for not debating her opponents in the first round of this year’s election — there were 23 of them. But now that the voters have winnowed the field to two, the four-term Democratic incumbent owes it to California’s voters to appear publicly with Republican challenger Elizabeth Emken.
Emken, an advocate for autistic children, is obviously the underdog in this election. But she received 12.6% of the primary vote in the crowded field, almost twice as many votes as the third-place finisher. More to the point, as the only alternative to Feinstein, she has earned the right to challenge the incumbent on the issues — and to be challenged in return. …
Feinstein’s long tenure and familiarity with California were obviously assets for her in the primary — she is, by most measures, the state’s most highly regarded public official. But the risk for any long-serving official is the perception that she is taking her public trust for granted. Nothing screams “entrenched incumbent” more than a refusal to debate an opponent.Tweet
Monday, September 10, 2012
Reuters: U.S., Israel Still At Odds Over Iran Nuclear "Red Line"
Reuters reports:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel and the United States were in talks on setting a "clear red line" for Iran's nuclear program, but the two allies remained at odds on Monday over whether to spell out a clear threshold for military action against Tehran.
The Israeli leader, who has been pressing President Barack Obama for a tougher line against Iran, again signaled that a sharper U.S. ultimatum for Tehran could deter it from developing nuclear weapons and mitigate the need for a military response.
Netanyahu's recent calls for world powers to set clear markers that would show they were determined to stop Tehran's nuclear drive has suggested a growing impatience with the United States, Israel's main ally.
Washington, which has resisted the idea of laying down red lines for Iran in the past, has urged the Israeli leader to give diplomacy and sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic more time to work to rein in Iran's nuclear work peacefully.
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