US Embassies, Consulates Attacked.

[SirNitram]

Link

(CBS/AP) CAIRO - A film attacking Islam's prophet, Muhammad, has sparked aggressive protests against U.S. interests in both Egypt and Libya. A Libyan security official says one American consulate employee has been shot dead and another wounded in the hand during an attack at the U.S. consulate in the eastern city of Bengazi.

Wanis al-Sharef, an interior ministry official in Bengazi, said the two were shot at the consulate during an attack by armed men who stormed the building. He provided no further details.

In Egypt, mainly ultraconservative Islamist protesters climbed the walls of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo Tuesday and brought down the American flag, replacing it with a black flag with an Islamic inscription to protest a video attacking Islam's prophet, Muhammad. Hundreds of protesters marched to the embassy in downtown Cairo, gathering outside its walls and chanting against the movie, which they claimed was produced in the United States.

It was the first time ever that the U.S. Embassy in Cairo has been breached and comes as Egypt is struggling to overcome months of unrest following the ouster of Hosni Mubarak's autocratic regime. U.S. officials said no Americans were reported harmed in the assaults in Cairo or the eastern city of Benghazi. Officials tell CBS News Egyptian police have now removed the demonstrators who had entered the embassy grounds.

In Libya, al-Sharef said armed men stormed the U.S. consulate in Benghazi - once the seat of the Libyan revolution - and set the building ablaze after there was a similar protest there against the film. Witnesses say most of the consulate burned.

Reuters is reporting armed gunmen and security forces clashed at the consulate office in Benghazi.

"There are fierce clashes between the Libyan army and an armed militia outside the U.S. consulate," Abdel-Monen Al-Hurr, spokesman for Libya's Supreme Security Committee, said earlier Tuesday, adding that roads had been closed off and security forces were surrounding the building.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said: "We can confirm that our office in Benghazi, Libya has been attacked by a group of militants. We are working with the Libyans now to secure the compound. We condemn in strongest terms this attack on our diplomatic mission."

Sam Bacile, an American citizen who said he produced, directed and wrote the two-hour film said he had not anticipated such a furious reaction.

Speaking from a telephone with a California number, he said the film was produced in English and he doesn't know who dubbed it in Arabic.

"The main problem is I am the first one to put on the screen someone who is (portraying) Muhammad. It makes them mad," he said in an interview in a telephone number in California. "But we have to open the door. After 9/11 everybody should be in front of the judge, even Jesus, even Muhammad."

He said many of the film's cast quit half way through the production, which he started "three or four" years ago, because they were afraid of Muslims.

He said the film also addresses the persecution of Copts in Egypt and blames the U.S. and its allies for fighting Muslims. "The U.S. should fight the ideology, not the people."

In Cairo, the crowd chanted: "Say it, don't fear: Their ambassador must leave."

A U.S. Embassy official disputed a report that embassy guards had fired their weapons at the protesters, CBS News' Alex Ortiz reports from Cairo.

Dozens of protesters scaled the embassy walls, went into the courtyard and took down the flag from a pole. They brought it back to the crowd outside, which tried to burn it, but failing that, tore it apart. The protesters on the wall then raised on the flagpole a black flag with the Muslim declaration of faith on it, "There is no god but God and Muhammad is his prophet."

The flag, similar to the banner used by al Qaeda, is commonly used by ultraconservatives around the region. Almost all the embassy staff had left the compound before the protest, and the ambassador was out of town.

The protest was sparked by outrage over a video being promoted by an extreme anti-Muslim Egyptian Christian campaigner in the U.S., clips of which are available on the social website YouTube and dubbed in Egyptian Arabic. The video depicts Muhammad as a fraud, showing him having sex and calling for massacres. Muslims find it offensive to depict Muhammad in any fashion, much less in an insulting way. The 2005 publication of 12 caricatures in a Danish newspaper triggered riots in many Muslim countries.

By evening, the protest grew with thousands standing outside the embassy, chanting "Islamic, Islamic. The right of our prophet will not die." A group of women in black veils and robes that left only their eyes exposed chanted, "Worshippers of the Cross, leave the Prophet Muhammad alone."

Dozens of riot police lined up along the embassy walls. They did not stop protesters who continued to climb up the wall and stand on it, chanting. But it appeared they were no longer going into the embassy compound.

One young member of the ultraconservative Salafi movement, Abdel-Hamid Ibrahim said, "This is a very simple reaction to harming our prophet."

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the U.S. was working with Egyptian authorities to try to restore order.

The protest took place on the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, but there was nothing to indicate the demonstration was tied to the anniversary.

The demonstration also happened the same day Mohammed Zawahiri, leader of the newly established Egyptian Salafist Jihadi Movement and brother of al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri, called on followers to protest the film outside the embassy Wednesday.

Only a few staff members were still inside, as embassy security had sent most staff home early after learning of the upcoming protest, a U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Morris Sadek, an Egyptian-born Christian in the U.S. known for his anti-Islam views, told The Associated Press from Washington that he was promoting the video on his website and on certain TV stations, which he did not identify.

He said the video "explains the problems of the Copts who suffer from Muslims," which he blamed on the Koran itself.

For several days, Egyptian media have been reporting on the video, playing some excerpts from it and blaming Sadek for it, with ultraconservative clerics going on air to denounce it.

Medhat Klada, a representative of Coptic Christian organizations in Europe, said Sadek's views are not representative of expatriate Copts.

"He is an extremist ... We don't go down this road. He has incited the people (in Egypt) against Copts," he said, speaking from Switzerland. "We refuse any attacks on religions because of a moral position."

But he said he was concerned about the backlash from angry Islamists. "They don't know dialogue and they think that Islam will be offended from a movie."

Several demonstrators interviewed by CBS News' Alex Ortiz in Cairo seemed to think that infamous Quran-burning Florida Pastor Terry Jones was the source of the film, even though it's apparently not an American production. Of the numerous protesters interviewed by Ortiz, none had even seen the film. They'd just heard about it and turned out en mass, which shows the power of the Egyptian rumor mill.

The embassy is located in a diplomatic area in Garden city, where the British and Italian embassies are located, only a few blocks away from Tahrir Square, the center of last year's uprising that led to the ouster of Hosni Mubarak. The U.S. Embassy is built like a fortress, with a wall several yards high.

Developing still, I think.

[Ahriman238]

Good thing no one was hurt in Cairo. Any word on casualties in Libya?

For that matter, does anyone know anything about this film? Is the problem just that an actor is portraying Mohammed or does he say or do something offensive?

The Copts have been the recipients of a great many, well-publicized, cruelties and also kindnesses from their Islamic neighbors. One thing that has given me great hope for Egypt is the way Egyptian Islamic communities rally around the Christians when the latter get beaten or have a church torn apart by a mob.

[Skywalker_T-65]

http://news.yahoo.com/anti-islam-film-s ... 25564.html

Yes I know...its Yahoo. That being said, apparently two Americans were shot in Libya...one died from their wounds.

[Edward Yee]

The American who was killed in Benghazi has been identified as an IT officer for the State Department.

[K. A. Pital]

Libya is now full of radical islamists courtesy of Qatar and LIFG.

No matter how cruel this sounds, that is an outcome which I expected. Instantly reminded me of the sad story of Afghanistan.

[Grumman]

Apparently the ambassador to Libya and another two staff members have been killed, as well as the IT guy.

link

[Lord of the Abyss]

The American who was killed in Benghazi has been identified as an IT officer for the State Department.

Apparently he was named Sean Smith; besides that job, he was a SomethingAwful moderator and a significant figure in Eve Online, going by the name Vile Rat. Guy who knew him is talking about it here.

[Edward Yee]

Didn't want to namedrop that, but yes he was indeed a Something Awful moderator who according to others' posts was helping members with applying for State Department work. Both Kotaku and Massively (affiliated with Joystiq) have picked up the story of his EVE ties; apparently the name was found out because his EVE and State Department compatriots contacted his family and/or their own State Department contacts right away. (Almost (if not) every EVE Online outpost renaming on the overnight and morning of September 12th is in memorial to him.)

[Broomstick]

For that matter, does anyone know anything about this film? Is the problem just that an actor is portraying Mohammed or does he say or do something offensive?

It's both, apparently. Just portraying the prophet is enough to get the Muslim masses worked up, a rumor that it's an insulting portray is, apparently, justification for murder in the eyes of some people.

[Aaron MkII]

People may also just be looking to vent their anger and frustration in general. The American embassy is a pretty visible reminder of of all the shit they've had to put up with, seeing as the West treats the area like our plaything.

[mr friendly guy]

Pictures are circulating of the dead ambassador. Fuck its not pretty.

[Borgholio]

The American who was killed in Benghazi has been identified as an IT officer for the State Department.

Apparently he was named Sean Smith; besides that job, he was a SomethingAwful moderator and a significant figure in Eve Online, going by the name Vile Rat. Guy who knew him is talking about it here.

Vile Rat? Are you fucking shitting me?

Fucking hell...I flew with that guy during the last great BoB war...I think we're on the same killmail for Shrike's titan.

Jesus... RIP Sean. You truly were the Greatest Goon.

Fly safe...

[The Duchess of Zeon]

And what sort of punishment will we mete out for Libya's violation of the Vienna conventions in its failure to protect our accredited diplomats? Attacks like this have been necessarily dealt with harshly for five thousand years to keep the sanctity of envoys pure and thereby guarantee avenues of negotiation remain open.

[Elfdart]

And what sort of punishment will we mete out for Libya's violation of the Vienna conventions in its failure to protect our accredited diplomats? Attacks like this have been necessarily dealt with harshly for five thousand years to keep the sanctity of envoys pure and thereby guarantee avenues of negotiation remain open.

Against whom?

[Broomstick]

I'm getting a little pissed off at the creator of this film, who has apparently publically stated he wanted to make this film controversial and provocative. I wonder if he's happy people have died over his work?

He's in hiding now, of course.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

And what sort of punishment will we mete out for Libya's violation of the Vienna conventions in its failure to protect our accredited diplomats? Attacks like this have been necessarily dealt with harshly for five thousand years to keep the sanctity of envoys pure and thereby guarantee avenues of negotiation remain open.

Against whom?

There are two lines of thought in this situation. One of them is to blame the attackers and one is to blame the government for letting the attackers be successful. We have seen where the first one got us the past ten years; a carrot-and-stick approach with the Libyan government seems rather better now.

[Thanas]

And what sort of punishment will we mete out for Libya's violation of the Vienna conventions in its failure to protect our accredited diplomats? Attacks like this have been necessarily dealt with harshly for five thousand years to keep the sanctity of envoys pure and thereby guarantee avenues of negotiation remain open.

The same punishment the world meted out to the US for repeatedly violating the Vienna convention by wiretaping and rumpling through diplomatic carriage at the UN?

[The Duchess of Zeon]

And what sort of punishment will we mete out for Libya's violation of the Vienna conventions in its failure to protect our accredited diplomats? Attacks like this have been necessarily dealt with harshly for five thousand years to keep the sanctity of envoys pure and thereby guarantee avenues of negotiation remain open.

The same punishment the world meted out to the US for repeatedly violating the Vienna convention by wiretaping and rumpling through diplomatic carriage at the UN?

Yes, because that is so equivalent to murder of an accredited ambassador. I am sorry, but that somehow fails to impress me as an argument, particularly when the idea of sanctity of the lives of emissaries dates back to Hammurabi (or possibly before Sargon), and was merely codified at Vienna.

[Grumman]

I'm getting a little pissed off at the creator of this film, who has apparently publically stated he wanted to make this film controversial and provocative. I wonder if he's happy people have died over his work?

He is not the problem. Even when nobody does anything to provoke them, they still work themselves up into a frenzy by doing things like framing children for burning the Koran. The problem is the people whose morality is so fucked up that a lack of respect given to a historical figure, anywhere in the world, is grounds to go on a killing spree.

[Thanas]

Yes, because that is so equivalent to murder of an accredited ambassador. I am sorry, but that somehow fails to impress me as an argument, particularly when the idea of sanctity of the lives of emissaries dates back to Hammurabi (or possibly before Sargon), and was merely codified at Vienna.

Oh, then the same punishment the Chinese meted out to the US after the US bombed its embassy in Belgrade. What do you think is going to happen? Is the US going to slaughter another 30.000 brown people in another futile invasion?

Anybody can see what is going to happen. There will be a proportionate response if targets can be found. If not, then that is that.

[mr friendly guy]

I really can't help myself with this comment. But I can see regime change works out sooooo well for the US.

[Elfdart]

And what sort of punishment will we mete out for Libya's violation of the Vienna conventions in its failure to protect our accredited diplomats? Attacks like this have been necessarily dealt with harshly for five thousand years to keep the sanctity of envoys pure and thereby guarantee avenues of negotiation remain open.

Against whom?

There are two lines of thought in this situation. One of them is to blame the attackers and one is to blame the government for letting the attackers be successful. We have seen where the first one got us the past ten years; a carrot-and-stick approach with the Libyan government seems rather better now.

Libya has a government?

[wautd]

Movie says bad things about fanatic muslims -> fanatic muslims go on killing spree, therefore proving the movie's point

I'm getting a little pissed off at the creator of this film, who has apparently publically stated he wanted to make this film controversial and provocative. I wonder if he's happy people have died over his work?

He's in hiding now, of course.

How about blaming the religious fanatics for the deaths instead?

[TimothyC]

Libya has a government?

The Transitional National Council - ie. the group he was assigned to.

[Highlord Laan]

I'm getting a little pissed off at the creator of this film, who has apparently publically stated he wanted to make this film controversial and provocative. I wonder if he's happy people have died over his work?

He's in hiding now, of course.

I'm all for making it as controversial as the director wanted it to be. Every other religion on earth gets skewered, mocked and taken apart by people that aren't stuck in a bronze age barbarian rut, why the hell should Islam be any different?

Personally, all I see in developments like this is further reinforcement that large portions of the whole region aren't worth our time, let alone lives.