In Cairo yesterday: Arabic reads “Remember your black day 11 September”
Yesterday, Sept. 11, Islamist mobs attacked the American embassy in Egypt and our consulate in Benghazi, Libya. In Egypt they destroyed our flag and replaced it with a black banner with the shahada written on it, described as “the flag of al-Qaeda“. In Libya, they attacked the building with RPGs or similar weapons, burned it to the ground and killed the US Ambassador, Chris Stevens, and three others.
The pretext for these attacks was rage over a trailer for a film about Mohammad, dubbed into Arabic and posted on Youtube. Here is an English version of a bit of the film, ungrammatically called “Innocence of Muslims.” The creators or funders of this silly movie, which hasn’t appeared in its entirety yet, were variously described as “Jews” or “Copts,” something which inflamed the masses even more.
Do you think it was an accident that these events happened on the anniversary of 9/11? I don’t. Similar ‘provocations’ against Islam can be found 365 days a year, not just on 9/11. Barry Rubin wrote:
But note well that everyone–except the Western media–understands that holding such a demonstration at the U.S. embassy in Cairo on September 11 means supporting the September 11 attack.
Rubin is only partly correct. The Western media are not the only ones who fail to see the symbolism of raising al-Qaeda’s banner on 9/11. Our President missed it as well. In his statement about the Libyan incident, he mentioned the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks as if it were merely an unhappy coincidence:
Of course, yesterday was already a painful day for our nation as we marked the solemn memory of the 9/11 attacks. We mourned with the families who were lost on that day. I visited the graves of troops who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan at the hallowed grounds of Arlington Cemetery, and had the opportunity to say thank you and visit some of our wounded warriors at Walter Reed. And then last night, we learned the news of this attack in Benghazi.
Seemingly determined to get every important point wrong, he also said this:
Since our founding, the United States has been a nation that respects all faiths. We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. But there is absolutely no justification to this type of senseless violence. None. The world must stand together to unequivocally reject these brutal acts.
While he is at pains to say that it is wrong to “denigrate the religious beliefs of others” he does not even mention our commitment to the value of free expression!
Instead of saying that we will not permit our right to free expression to be inhibited by fear of violence, he distances the US from the film-maker, whose expression we “reject.” Yes, he seems to say, insulting Islam is wrong, but you oughtn’t to kill ambassadors over it.
Radical Muslims believe that it is perfectly acceptable for them to ‘denigrate’ other faiths in the most vile way — their Imams do so regularly, in Egypt, Libya, Pakistan, Gaza, the Palestinian Authority, Iran, etc. — but they also believe that the proper response to “denigration” of their faith is violence.
There’s nothing “senseless” about it — it’s a logical consequence of their belief that Islam is superior to all religions. When infidels “denigrate” Islam, they violate the moral order of the universe, and the violent response of Muslims is demanded to put things right.
The President’s statement is a plea for Muslims to understand that we respect Islam, and a reminder for Americans to avoid expressions that could insult them. To those who sympathize with the ‘activists’, the statement is apologetic, submissive.
But he isn’t finished displaying weakness:
And make no mistake, we will work with the Libyan government to bring to justice the killers who attacked our people.
What he should have said, of course, is that the US will apply its considerable power to avenge the murders of Americans, just like we did with their hero, Bin Laden. Not “work with the Libyan government” and not “bring to justice” — avenge.
Technorati Tags: Egypt, Libya, Chris Stevens, Innocence of Muslims
There is a little more to all of what is going on Internationally which causes me to wonder “where does one get intelligence they can rely upon” especially – reliable intelligence for example in the case of Libya? The same Libya where the US ambassador and three others from the US embassy were assassinated in yesterdays attack.
A significant quote from the past 24 hours .
“You’ve got to take all appropriate precautions, although I must admit that if you were going to predict two countries in which these events were to take place I would’ve predicted Egypt and Libya as being the two that were most volatile and the two where these events would’ve been most likely.”
Gen. Michael Hayden
Former director of the CIA under Bush and the first year of Obama.
The still in development Libyan security forces are known to be slow to act, organize or even respond to any developments such as terrorists threats because they have no sense of allegiance or loyalty to what is still a transient government whose direction remains to be seen. The security forces are not even sure that the government will protect the lives of the security force members.
One needs to realize that when a Government can guarantee it’s security forces a career and a retirement package they will fight for that government – any type of Government .
Libya has yet to show the signs of stability that security forces are willing to take any risk for.
So yesterday’s attack on the American Ambassador in Libya was a successful and planned attack with specific targets. If the existing Libyan intelligence apparatus was unaware of the attack being planned – it shows two things about Libya;
1. That the Salafist Jihadist are not finished and security is no better than a painted veneer.
Or if the attack planning was known and nothing said;
2. it shows the Security apparatus is still unsure of whose side they will be on. Libya is a “very unstable” nation and a very dangerous place for infidel non-moslems.
This attack also shows the confusion and instability that reigns inside of Obama’s pro-Islamic or should we say “Willfully blind State Department’ led by Alcoholic Hillary Clinton. There is a State Department belief that somehow the Islamist behind the sacking of Qaddafi are thankful to America.
It is very limited thanks.
Any serious inquiry shows that the rebels in Libya are thankful for the U.S/NATO’s assistance in aiding the revolt. The thanks is limited to “being thankful for the tools of the great Satan” and used wherever possible.
The Al Qaeda led Rebels feared by the late Qaddafi see themselves as aligned with the Salafists in Egypt and Syria all in the ongoing Jihad against the West.
There is another thing to consider.
When Ahmadinejad took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran it was protesting US. Involvement with the former Shaw of Iran – the take over was about. “ending the continued involvement of the U.S.”.
This assassination in Libya, taking out the ambassador was to “block future involvement of the U.S.” especially with the formation of the new Libyan government – it was an intentional death.
Who will keep more deaths of American officials from happening in Libya? An additional 50 marines sent as a knee jerk response from an either un-prepared or ambivalent President?
I am fairly certain that in Libya (and not a few other countries in the world) word had circulated through the Mosques during last Friday’s prayers (Sept 7th) to await an auspicious event to be observed on the anniversary of 9/11. Mosques world wide featured similar announcement the fFriday before teh September 11 attack on the Trade Towers.
Remember Islam does not view itself country by country. The country by country view is an American preoccupation and a self deception that some how each Moslem country is different politically.
In truth a Jihadist action in one nation is seen as action on behalf of the entire Islamic world.
Obama’s apology for “Hurting Moslem Feelings” over a recent Offensive documentary on Mohammed only addresses half of the reasons for the attack.
The 9/11 reason will not be officially recognized by the Whitehouse because “this was all supposed to have ended when Bin Laden was declared dead”!
Prior to this event – in U.S. history only five Ambassadors had been Killed/Assassinated. Now the number is Six.
Five of the Six U.S. Ambassadors killed have been killed by Islamists.
Obama might not be at war with Islam – but Islam is at war with the U.S. and at war with it’s revolving presidencies and is more emboldened at every success.
What is success in Islam?
The killing of infidel’s ie: killing Americans is success or “a win for Islam” -death of Moslem combatant(s) or Moslem non-combatant(s) in the killing of such infidels is “also a win for Islam”.
You cannot re-educate and change such “Win-Win” politico-religious beliefs. If liberal, you can only be defeated by such beliefs. If Rational you can only win by crushing and destroying such an enemy.
Liberals do not have the will to win except when it comes to imprisoning or destroying those who disagree with them. Hence the world wide war on free speech even in America and even in Israel.
Given the forgoing and the perfidy of Liberals running most of the Western World’s governments and the liberal voters re-electing them, the Islamic Jihadist problem might not be rationally addressed by liberals until the Jihadist start using Nukes and Bio weapons – and they will because- “what’s to stop them”?
Certainly not President. B. Hussein Obama.
In the wake of reports that Libyan security personnel had directed terrorists to the building where U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and his staff were holed up, Yemen’s President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi replaced security officials and some ministers late on Tuesday.