Is it possible to learn from history? Apparently not if you are an American president determined to win the love of the Islamic world. Over 33 years ago, Islamist rioters stormed an American embassy. U.S. sovereignty was violated and hostages were taken. The immediate response from America, though, was conciliatory–as if those who had insulted the United States could be convinced to think better of their target if those who had just been attacked made enough apologies. The result was the Iran hostage crisis that helped bring down the administration of Jimmy Carter. You might think American diplomats would have learned the lessons of Carter’s Iran debacle but judging by the statement issued today by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt, perhaps that chapter of history is no longer considered required reading in the age of Obama.
Today a mob numbering in the hundreds stormed the Cairo embassy on the pretext of being upset about the alleged appearance on YouTube of a film made by Egyptian-American that is derogatory to Islam. The mob scaled the wall of the embassy, entered the courtyard and tore down and burned the U.S. flag that flew over the diplomatic enclave and raised in its place a black Islamic banner that is associated with al-Qaeda. According to the Associated Press, no embassy personnel were hurt since nearly all of them had fled the compound before the mob arrived. Egyptian riot police did not stop the rioters.
In response to this outrage, this is the statement issued by the United States in Egypt:
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
No mention was made to the invasion of the embassy or the insult to the symbol of the United States that is as dear to Americans than Islam is to Egyptians. Rather than making it clear that this breach of diplomatic immunity and common decency requires the apology of the Egyptian government and the punishment of those responsible, the Obama administration bowed and apologized.
Americans do respect all faiths and religious believers including Islam. But we also respect freedom of speech and that gives the person who made the offending film — a member of the Egyptian Coptic faith that has suffered bitter persecution and violence at the hands of the Muslim majority — the right to say what he likes whether the Egyptians like it or not. More to the point, it is not the business of the State Department, the Cairo Embassy or any American official to apologize for or to in any engage in the controversy over this film, let alone issue a statement that appears to rationalize a violent assault on a U.S. embassy on the 9/11 anniversary.
Ruthie Blum’s new book To Hell in a Handbasket: Carter, Obama and the “Arab Spring,” traces the eerie parallels between Carter’s Middle East blunders and those of the current administration as it has failed to deal with the Iranian nuclear threat and the Arab Spring. The fiasco in Cairo is just one more piece of evidence proving her thesis.
It should also be pointed out that Democrats have scoffed at Mitt Romney’s criticism of President Obama’s inveterate apologizing for America and claimed it was an inaccurate Republican calumny of the president. Romney, who has been taking an unjustified beating in the press on foreign and defense policy, should have something to say about this latest instance of Obama’s supine attitude toward America’s foes.
UPDATE: Subsequent developments have made it clear that the timeline for the U.S. embassy apology was not as damning as it first appeared. Further thoughts on why the problem here is bigger than one ill-considered apology can be found here.
Obama began his Presidency with an apology in Cairo. With any luck, perhaps his Presidency will end with this apology in Cairo.
One apology I am NOT counting on is his apology to the United States of America no matter what happens; though I sure hope a lot of people recover from their imagined "racism" and apologize for ever voting for this "Amateur."
I am so sick and tired of watching this administration bumbling and fumbling around like they have no clue… Wait they don't…
the embassy has said they issued the statement BEFORE the attacks. Nice to know you are against the Arab Spring / self determination for arab peoples though.
Everyone with a working brain is against the Islamofascist Winter.
All the military brass who work under this commander in chief have lost my repect. Where are the resignations? The only one with any balls is the Navy Seal and now he's in deep trouble. That goes the same for all nonpolitical members of the Dept of Defense, CIA etc. Bill Gates was the worst with his gutsy calls and kissing Barack's a** on 60 Minutes. It won't be that hard to lose in November. I already don't know this place.
Sickening. I hesitate to make any political commentary here – after all, at least one American has been murdered by these animals – but this election is really shaping up to be a choice of unbelievable consequence – and nobody can claim that they weren't aware of the stakes. My friends, in 8 weeks we will know whether we still live in the same nation in which we were born.
Where is the apology? n
Excellent that Romney condemned this craven statement. You've got the scoop on this for me besht, you've saved some hapless staffer at the RNC an earful from me tomorrow. n nThat's your good deed of the day, I assure you!
You know, I don't think much of Obama. But this web site strikes me as downright silly. n nJust a bunch of cherry picking and over-playing one's hand. n nStatement from the current Secretary of State n n"Some have sought to justify this vicious behavior as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet," n n"The United States deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. Our commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation. But let me be clear: There is never any justification for violent acts of this kind. "
Shhh! Too much reality, Steve.
the reality is that they continue, even after "cherry-picking" horrified American reactions compelled them to enter into damage control mode, to continue to enter into moral equivalence mode and to place their rejection of denigration of the prophet *first* in that "while" proposition in the second paragraph n nA sane American foreign policy, which neither this administration nor, apparently, its supporters, are capable of, would recognizer that this sensitivity to "the denigration of religious beliefs" places America in a dhimmi status, as there is nothing more predictable than Islamist masturbatory fury at slights to Islam or the Prophet. For God sakes, the embassies were ransacked by Al Qaeda associates and wannabees who believe that the mere existence of Jews or Christians or Bahai or flavors of Islam they have contempt for are "intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs" of true believers. n nBut being half-informed is insufficient. You pile on unearned snark on top of an essential ignorance. Again, Al Qaeda attacked two embassies and the White House was missing in action–the first response and the continuing response after the back tracking following the sacking of the Libyan consulate was to harp on the moral equivalence of film clips on youtube and "vicious violence"–the very linking of which cancels the final "never justification" conclusion. n nNever justification? Then don't talk about the poor injured souls of Islamists who regularly burn Coptic churches in Egypt. Just announce that next time invaders of American sovereign territory will be shot.
Bravo! Bravo!
Oh, there's a strong condemnation of the violence for you. Why, violence against our people and our embassies is every bit as bad as a Coptic Christian who personally suffered persecution under Islam exercsing his rights guaranteed by the US Constitution to put Islam's founder in a different but historically defensible position.____Tell me, did the US government deplore Life of Brian? Wholly Moses? Last Temptation of Christ? Serrano's Piss Christ? Any of the numerous TV shows and movies that ridicule Christian or Jewish beliefs? Bill Maher? Somehow I don't think so. And rightly so. ____Hillary and Obama displayed much more outrage over a low level permit for Jews to build houses than either of them has displayed over an attack on two of our embassies and the murder of one of our diplomats.
Al Qaeda flags? Were they at half-mast for their second in command, killed by the US yesterday? Score another one for the Obama administration!
It does no good for America to eliminate isolated commanders in the field if they permit them to flourish and subsidize their network under the banner of Arab Spring in Libya, Egypt, and Syria and fecklessly try to negotiate with their associates in Afghanistan. The whole point of this exercise is to to demonstrate that the subordination of normal foreign policy reflexes to this administrations inordinate prostration to Islam regularly unravels the very military strategy you reference.
How about BHO "condemn efforts to offend" Christians with the Obamacare mandate against their religious liberty? You know, the First Amendment? What a hypocrit!
No, that's different. You are fogetting that the GP and the Catholic Chiurch are waging WAR ON WOMEN. Unlike the Isalmists, the Egypitans and (according to a speech by then-Senator H. Clinton) Sadddam Hussein.
Obama is forgetting the key thing in Muslim relations. Lie to your own people in your own language. And lie to everyone else in their language. Arabs do this all the time – they issue public statements in English that say one thing while quietly exhorting their people in Arabic to run out and murder more people. This is just basic message management and something David Axelrod is normally pretty good at.
i said we go to one or two of these uneducated countries drop and huge hiroshima bomb on top of their heads and then ask them to talk most will stay in their houses just like that damn president of Libiya did for years when Regan sent that rocket into gaddifii tent. gadiffi was a good boy for oh so long. enough is enough! Show those crap right hand wipers what American might can do. blow them off the map!!!! n
Have you no shame? Your slanted coverage is astonishing. Why do you ignore the absolutely key fact that the statement issued by the embassy was disavowed by the White House: "The statement by Embassy Cairo was not cleared by Washington and does not reflect the views of the United States government". Kind of completely undercuts your story!
Have you no shame? Are you saying that Sec. Clinton's morally equivalent bit of highly offensive clap trap was also not cleared by Washington and does not reflect the views of the US government? n nI'm waiting for her to display the same level of outrage over the murders and the emabassy attacks that she devoted to a routine low level permit for a Jerusalem housing project. Or wasn't that official policy either? n nBottom line: it's still plenty bad enough, even without the apology issued by the embassy.
hillary clinton looks so worn out and exhusated she needs to hand this whole thing over to someone with some new thoughts and ideas and she needs and start to learn how to be a mom and a grandmother . she is giving up the best ears in her life for this crap? whata idiot!
I can't believe the Marines didn't open fire on the Islamic thugs who tore our flag down and replaced it with an AlQueda flag. What has become of this country? Obama is following in the well warn footsteps of Jimmy Carter. We should not have been so anxious to get rid of Mubarek and Gaddaffi, yes they were despots but at least they kept their mobs in check. It is obvious that the US needs to pull away from the Middle East and institute a Marshall plan for energy independence so we won't need their oil and all the problems that come with it.
Thats the problem, we need to stay out of that area of the world. Propping up dictators is no foreign policy. Republicans and Democrat presidents have done that decades.
There were only two Marines, and I have read in the past that the Marines posted at embassies do not carry loaded guns. I wonder if that was true here.
The rules of engagement, apparently, were "no gun fire" even though a few rounds over the heads were have brought this invasion of "sovereign American soil" to a quick halt. nSadly, the "inaction" by the Obama Administration in Egypt produced four dead Americans in Libya.
Don't blame the Marines; There were almost certainly ordered not to fire by Obama administration, in order not to, ah, "… hurt the religious feelings of Muslims".
I am sure, the Marines didnt open fire on order of our Dear Leader, whose heart and mind is with the muslims. Our country will never be the same if he wins a second term. n0bama has treated Netanyahu with disrespect, behaved like a little boy king to Netanyahu, a leader and war hero. I hope American jews will realize that and vote accordingly this November.
At least Tobin had the decency to admit he jumped the gun. This entire piece was baloney but very typical of the politically motivated kneejerks we get from certain quarters.
We needed a bigger-than-life President u2013 we got a Dope smoking, Coke snorting, Radical Left wing Chicago thug! r nWe needed a well-grounded stable President u2013 we got a certifiable narcissist.r nWe needed bold leadership u2013 we got a teleprompterr nWe needed a seasoned hand u2013 we got a hand in in our pockets r nWe needed a champion for American citizens… we got a champion for the invading horde of Illegal Aliens r nWe needed a skilled bridge builder u2013 we got a class-warfare specialist and inciter-in-chief.r nWe needed practical, proven policies u2013 we got socialist dogma and monumental waster nWe needed an inspirational visionary u2013 we got an ideologically blinded, left learning-impaired radicalr nWe needed a Constitutional champion u2013 we got a domestic enemy of the Constitutionr nWe needed a restrained, respected and intimidating warrior u2013 we got groveling, bowing, Barney Fifer nWe needed a patriot u2013 we got G. D. America, G. D. America, G. D. America.r nWe needed someone to unshackle our economy u2013 we got someone who is a friend to our enemies and an enemy to our businessesr nWe needed a president beyond color u2013 we got a green president embracing every whim and myth ever spoken by the kook environmental fringe.r nr nWe needed mature, principled leadership u2013 we got a petulant, lying, whining, blaming, sulking, accursing, excusing, man-child.r nr nIt is a national disgrace that someone this incompetent, racist, and a American hating Socialist could be elected to the office of the Presidency.
You sound like a racist!
This had nothing to do with any video. This was to "commemorate" 9/11. n
For the record because the lie is already being emailed and FB'ed about: the statement by the U.S. Embassy in Cairo was not a “response” to the violence that claimed American lives it was made BEFORE any of the protests began and certainly before they killed our good people.
Jimmy Carter is breaking out the bubbly today… now that we have overwhelming evidence that Obama has surpassed his record for incompetence.
Obama's now saying that the Embassy in Egypt put out an unauthorized statement, or something to that effect? We are expected to believe that an Islamic Mob attacked our Embassy, desecrated our flag, with video being flashed around the world, and the Embassy apologized without White House approval? Nobody believes that and if we did the next question would be what kind of incompetent Mickey Mouse operation is Obama running? And to think an apology was issued with hours of another Islamic mob in Libya killing our Ambassador and 3 Americans? Its a wonder Obama didn't personally issue and apology for both events. Obama has created exactly the same situation with Egypt and Libya the Jimmy Carter created in Iran, but back then they only took our people hostage. Under Obama they just kill them. And to really bow to the murdering Islamic Extremist Obama also publicly spit on Israel by refusing a meeting request from our allies Prime Minister? This is all simply beyond belief. Obama is the worst disaster to ever sit in the White House.
"Obama also publicly spit on Israel by refusing a meeting request from our allies Prime Minister? " Yes because he was going to be 'too busy.' But not too busy to meet with the leader who allowed the attack on our Cairo embassy to occur. Or to go on Letterman.
This statement was put out 6 hours before anyone stormed the embassy, and was put out to calm things down to protect the people in the embassy. It was not put out as the official position of the U.S.Every diplomat I have heard (republican and democrat) have all said it was absolutely correct to do so. r nr nAll you right wingers….this is likely the single biggest thing ( among many many things)that will lose this election for Romney….and thank god ….who wants a president that reacts like this when peoples lives have been lost and our assets overseas are in peril.
That makes it all right, then, We should always apologize for protecting consitutional rights when they offend Islamist murderers. Maybe we should also apologize that we allow church steeples to be higher than Muslim owned storage sheds, which also violates Sharia. Or for letting women vote. Or tolerating Wiccans.
Why were the Marines not given orders to shoot to kill? What are they there for? To serve as props? As hostages? Either they are Marines or they are actors wearing marine uniforms. Why are we giving Egypt one Billion dollars? Congress must turn down this grant and investigate what orders the Marines were given, and who wrote the orders.
I was in Teheran until the very end in1979, although I must admit it was a grass roots revolution supported by the middle class, it would never have got off the ground otherwise, but it could have been contained as the Shah was willing to make concessions, albeit under pressure. If Jimmy Carter hadn't thrown him under the bus. Without that stupidity the fanatics would never have had a chance to take over and spread their revolution thoughout the Middle East so I blame him for the start of all this. Life was quite good in Tehran then as long as you stayed out of politics and education for all was supported, it was not perfect but a lot better than they have now. Most of the supporters just wanted more of a say and a society that was a bit more respectful of religious sensibilities, definitely not a Theocracy, many told me the Mullahs were corrupt. It looks like history is repeating itself, we should stay out, stop supporting people who hate us and let them fight it out among themselves as they most assuredly will. I must add my thanks to the US Military who evacuated us just in time, they, and their organisation of the evacuation, were wonderful.
Forgot to subscribe to comments!
It's too much to hope that the paranoid Obama haters will realize this entire article is a distortion. The embassy note was written BEFORE the attack and was NOT authorized by Obama. But that won't stop the Dysentary liars from inventing paranoid fantasies about the President. n nNever let it be said the truth ever falls from a conservative lip.
Any president of the united states.
All true. However, watch Romney's eyes and face as the Obama-press pushes him around. He cannot withstand the pressure every president must endure while in office. Question him, confront him and he communicates: Daddy, where are you when I need you? n nThis is an excellent, creative "executive assistant," not a President of the United States. His claim to fame, as was true for another marvelous GOP candidate, George W. Bush, is his late father's toughness and political excellence. George Romney was a great man. His son is not. He is simply a good guy whose hubris has clouded his thinking. "I want to be president" is not a sufficient reason to seek that high office. Ambition, the desire to "show daddy I'm really not so bad," these are not "qualifications," but rather weird psychological dramas going on in Romney's head. Why did his wife Ann have to show us "what a nice guy my husband is?" We can all answer that for ourselves. It's no biggie! n nThe larger question in all this is what the GOP itself has become, thanks to several decades of allowing the Christian Right, the anti-abortion movement, the anti-gay movement, and—paradoxically—both the anti-immigration folks and big business interests who demand "cheap labor" from south of the border—to dominate the party's platform and infrastructure! What kind of "base" is that? What kind of party is that? n nIt is, on evidence, the "kind of base" that discourages the best Republican governors, senators and other conservatives from seeking the presidency. Why would any of our best conservative men and women put themselves through the gauntlet laid down by the Republican "base?" What honorable man or woman would buy into "telling women what they can and cannot do" when it comes to pregnancies? And I am anti-abortion! Imagine what pro-choice, moderate centrists, the folks we call "independents," are thinking!!! n nAs for the Religious Right, it has no business in politics. Period. We have a Tea Party Movement that is pushing for conservative forms of governance, and that's where the focus should be: on governance! Not on telling one another how to live, what to think, what to feel—and certainly not how to worship the Creator of the Universe! None of this has a place in our political debates. And no religious ideas or practices should be insinuated into those campaigns. Here, one is not talking about "God," which applies to all religions. This is a religious nation. The word "God" is central to our way of life. The word "God" belongs in our speech, in our documents, in our schools, even at our high school football games. But not specific religious ideas, and certainly not enactment of laws that reflect how a religious group or movement thinks we "should" live! n nDo we need a new political party? I think we do. A Conservative Party. A party that can address our political governance and our fiscal waywardness. The rest—let the states and municipalities duke all that out. That is what the Constitution specifies, and for good reason. We are a nation that experiments with everything. Our laboratories are the states, the towns and cities, where we encourage different approaches and let legislatures and town councils argue ideas and approaches. n nA Conservative Union Party, perhaps, or CUP, to suggest that this is a "vessel" that holds a deep well of conservatives from every part of the political spectrum. No religion. No abortion. No anti-gay or anything else like that. Just governance, fiscal responsibility, strong defense, and a commitment to individual liberties and as much free trade as is consistent with our national interest. n nCan the Republican Party transform itself into that? Evidently, it cannot. Time for something new.
Did any one noticed that there goes again the Hollywood elite siding with the far left and the national mass media against America. The last time it was the commis who were assisted by "Holly". nToday the mass media expose one more time their ineptitude and TURPITUDE. nThis gvt and the mass media backstabbing America. nDidn't our President stated that he was a Muslim at heart? Perhaps more than that! Who knows?
Obama is a weak-kneed metrosexual who should never have been elected. The ignorance and stupidity of the American electorate is shameful. But then again, you do get the government you deserve.
Not one of you who love to lie about President Obama, can provide a fact checked proof source showing a quote from the President apologizing for anything! This is why you lost the 2012 election!r nYou are Discrace to America! r nHa ha ha ha, you lost the election!!!
Who was the Congressman? And does he wear a kippah in day to day life or only on TV? In any case, better late than never. But it won't be long before the character assassins in the DNC, the NJDC and the press start in on him, too.