USA Today reports that the riot at the U.S. embassy in Cairo appears to have been planned well before the Egyptian media reported on the anti-Islam YouTube film that was blamed for sparking the protest. The protest was reportedly announced on August 30 by Gamaa Islamiyya, an Egyptian terrorist group, to call for the release of its leader, Sheikh Omar abdel Rahman — aka the blind sheik, who is serving a life sentence for the first World Trade Center bombing:
Days of planning and online promotion by hard-line Islamist leaders helped whip up the mobs that stormed the U.S. Embassy in Egypt and launched a deadly attack on the U.S. Embassy in Libya that killed an ambassador and three others. …
The protest was planned by Salafists well before news circulated of an objectionable video ridiculing Islam’s prophet, Mohammed, said Eric Trager, an expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
The protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Cairo was announced Aug. 30 by [Gamaa Islamiyya], a State Department-designated terrorist group, to protest the ongoing imprisonment of its spiritual leader, Sheikh Omar abdel Rahman, who is serving a life sentence in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.
Based on the report, it sounds like the anti-Islam YouTube video was a secondary issue — a way for Islamist leaders to stoke anger and draw more bodies out to the embassy protest. If the storming of the embassy was organized by Gamaa Islamiyya — as opposed to a spontaneous uprising — why hasn’t the State Department’s response reflected that? It’s hard to imagine they’re not aware of the group’s activities. In June, the State Department actually issued a visa to a member of Gamaa Islamiyya — again, this is a designated terrorist organization — and met with him in Washington, as part of a delegation of Egyptian leaders. During the meeting, he reportedly asked White House officials to release the blind sheik. Here was the State Department’s defense at the time, which is even more astonishing in light of the latest news:
“We neither had then, nor do we have now, any reason to believe that this particular individual — who at the time of his application was a member of parliament — would pose a threat to the United States,” [State Department spokesperson Victoria] Nuland told reporters.
Nuland pointed to rapid changes in the Middle East, where an Islamist was declared the winner Sunday of Egypt’s first democratic presidential elections a year and a half after street protests toppled strongman Hosni Mubarak.
“It’s a new day in Egypt; it’s a new day in a lot of countries across the Middle East and North Africa. So new political personalities are coming to light,” Nuland said.
“We have more folks who want to come here, want to know us, want to learn about the US, want to develop relationships with us. We have the same interest with regard to them,” she said.
Apparently State miscalculated on that “develop relationships” part.
This is a major blunder for the Obama admin. n nHad they know this was about the blind sheik, they could have apologized for holding him in prison, instead of apologizing about a youtube video. They could have blamed Bush into the bargain. n nThey missed a perfectly good opportunity to apologize for something.
It is not a blunder becaus this Adminsitration simply does not car. n nThey WANT to start riots and a civil war. n nIn reality, they have done more damage in the last month, than they did in the last 3 years. n nDevoted Dad
Based on the report, it SOUNDS LIKE* the anti-Islam YouTube video was a secondary issue n*powerful evidence nBut in case the video was the primary factor,I wish to congratulate Contentions hero of the day,Terry,the book burner,Jones.
Right, Terry the "book burner" Jones is responsible. Makes perfect sense. North African Muslims have no choice but to go into a murderous rage when some guy in Florida does something they don't like.
Looks like news may be getting out faster than the White House is able to control. I'm sure by tomorrow the official line will be: "Nothing to see here, let's move along." Once we hear that, then the cover up will have commenced in full and the media will go back to women's rights.
They would like their gasoline and matches to develop a relationship with our flags and embassies.
We knew this was planned. It was 9/11, and we couldn't protect our own. Then, it appears that we apologize for some fool exercising free speech which we cannot, and should not control. Now we have been attacked, our people murdered, and security is tightened a day short. A targeted killing and what will the administration do? A drone strike won't work this time. It seems like the bad guys believe we aren't going to do that much…heaven help us. njoshuaallenonline.com
. Then, it appears that we apologize for some fool exercising HATE speech which we cannot, and should not control__ nReally? We shouldn't control hate speech?_Isn't that a Federal Crime?
I bet the Blind Sheik gets out of the slammer before Yonaton Pollard does; after all most Arabs demand it while most American Jews try to out compete one another in defending Pollard's gulag-length prison sentence. If Hussein gets reelected the Blind Sheik probably walks out while Yonaton gets taken out horizontally in a box.
While I very much hope that Romney is running the State Department after January 20th, I hope he finally sweeps out State Department spokesperson "Toria" Nuland, who has gone from being Bush's Nato Ambassador in Brussels to Hijab Hillary's faithful lieutenant in foggy bottom, defending every twist and turn of Obama's policies of appeasing the Muslim world while throwing Israel under the bus. Her husband Robert Kagan, another Janus-faced character, is now listed as an adviser to Romney, although he has never been really critical of Obama. Maybe Toria and Robert could both get jobs in a zoo competing with chameleons, which at least change their colors in order to survive.
Muhammad Would Never Approve of Rape nThe Truth: nIt is against Islam to rape Muslim women, but Muhammad actually encouraged the rape of others captured in battle. This hadith provides the context for the Qur’anic verse (4:24): nThe Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) sent a military expedition to Awtas on the occasion of the battle of Hunain. They met their enemy and fought with them. They defeated them and took them captives. nSome of the Companions of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) were reluctant to have intercourse with the female captives in the presence of their husbands who were unbelievers. So Allah, the Exalted, sent down the Qur’anic verse: (Sura 4:24) "And all married women (are forbidden) unto you save those (captives) whom your right hands possess." (Abu Dawud 2150, also Muslim 3433) nActually, as the hadith indicates, it wasn't Muhammad, but "Allah the Exalted" who told the men to rape the women in front of their husbands – which is all the more reason not to think of Islam as being the same as other religion. n nNote also that the husbands of these unfortunate victims were obviously alive after battle. This is important because it flatly contradicts those apologists who like to argue that the women Muhammad enslaved were widowed and thus unable to fend for themselves. (Even if the apologists were right, what sort of a moral code is it that forces a widow to choose between being raped and starving?) n n
This administration is so inept!!! Hillary Clinton should be fired!!! She is responsible for the loss of 4 lives and stood up and lied to the American people! SHAME ON THEM!
Jimmy Carter reincarnated as president!!! Sickening! November 2012 can't get her quick enough!