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The Spectacle Blog
This morning the US Embassy in Cairo put out a shameful statement in response to anger over an anti-Muslim film:
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
A stand against those who “abuse” their right to free speech is best suited to authoritarianism, and it’s absolutely grotesque to see American diplomats embracing it. The effort at appeasement was as inefficacious as it was depraved: The protests against the film in question turned more violent after the statement was issued, when the embassy wall was scaled and the American flag was torn down and burned.
By late this evening this was obvious at the White House: “The statement by Embassy Cairo was not cleared by Washington and does not reflect the views of the United States government,” a source characterized as a “senior administration official” tells Politico’s Byron Tau.
That’s all well and good; the statement does indeed look like it wasn’t carefully vetted (the missing period after “others” above isn’t my error — that’s how it is on the embassy website). But a not-for-attribution walk-back is hardly sufficient here. Somebody needs to be fired. Given that the embassy’s Twitter account spent the day defending the statement, it’s likely to be more than one somebody that needs to go, perhaps including Ambassador Anne Patterson herself.
It’s not enough to say, after the fact, that a diplomatic statement isn’t the position of the government; if the same diplomats remain on the job, the views that led them to make that statement will lead them to make similar statements in the future. This is a case where personnel is policy, and the clarification of White House policy cannot be taken seriously unless it’s accompanied by a change in personnel.
UPDATE: Some screenshots, for the record, since some links above have been or may soon be deleted: Tweets defending the statement here and here; the statement itself here.
View all comments (14) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by John Tabin
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/09/11/someone-at-the-us-embassy-in-c
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Bob K| 9.12.12 @ 12:03AM
Thanks for those useful links from Reuters, Mr. Tabin.
It's nice to know, with our economy the way it is, that the US Government has been paying $1.1 Billion a year for quite a while to the Egyptian Army and that some whistle blower in New Hampshire got over $100 million dollars from our IRS and his lawyers got $40 million of it!
http://www.reuters.com/article.....TE20120911
And you want us to comment about some idiot in our Egyptian Embassy making a stupid statement!
Kingofthenet| 9.12.12 @ 12:21AM
So you would rather Whistleblowers keep their mouths shut rather than share in the loot?
Bob K| 9.12.12 @ 2:19AM
No. The guy is a convicted diamond smuggler and an admitted conspirator to the crime he claims to be a whistleblower on and he served time for it and now the government is paying him off for whistleing out of his rectum.
Read the link and the related news to it. Hell, the guy has the talent of a liberal democratic politician or other snake oil salesman!
spike59| 9.12.12 @ 5:36AM
yes, actually he DOES, Bob, since the article is ABOUT the Embassy attack and our ignorant response to it...take your outrage over other matters to the appropriate venues...
Bob K| 9.12.12 @ 12:08PM
That link is a gold mine of governmental stupidity! No point in just singling out the Foreign Service from it. What is happening in and to our country is the result of incomprehensibly stupid leadership.
Bob K| 9.12.12 @ 12:09PM
That link is a gold mine of governmental stupidity! No point in just singling out the Foreign Service from it. What is happening in and to our country is the result of incomprehensibly stupid leadership.
Sjccoach| 9.12.12 @ 12:17AM
Why would anyone at the embassy be fired? This is what our current administration believes. Notice the denial/non-denial that was issued by a "senior administration offcial". Our president enjoys tearing his country down and making it kowtow to his muslim friends.
geronl| 9.12.12 @ 1:08AM
If there is a dead guy there, would you apologize to the killers?
Is GLEE and New Normal a good enough reason to go and burn down TV stations?
Al Adab| 9.12.12 @ 9:35AM
No doubt the official statement was a product of the State Dept. and not simply an on the scene official. The statement is a similar response to this egregious attack as the Carter Admin. reacted to the takeover of the American embassy in Iran.
Why it is that the Left cannot stand for the rule of law and assert U S sovereignty in international affairs escapes me. Why must the U S constantly apologize for "offending" those who oppose our policies (and our existence) are we afraid? Will this administration apologize for offending republicans, Christians and others who disagree with them? The only apologies ever issued are to the enemies of this nation. The Left may not believe the fact, but we do have enemies.
Occam's Tool| 9.12.12 @ 11:17AM
The Aswan dam needs to go down. Nuke it or bunker bust it, but it needs destruction. Learning must take place, and it takes place best with branding on the skin.
We need to teach the scum that NO ONE messes with our embassies. What would Julius Caesar Do?
Nixonfan| 9.12.12 @ 12:54PM
"We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others."
Where the hell is Chris Hitchens when we need him?
Nixonfan| 9.12.12 @ 1:04PM
I cannot believe that the statement was released by the Cairo embassy without the ambassador's knowledge. She needs to reread the First Amendment, which does not prohibit using free speech to hurt the religious feelings of others.
Chef Schnauzer| 9.12.12 @ 1:09PM
I don't know that it will be possible to rebuild any respect for govermnet, local, state of federal. Just a bunch of unaccountable clowns, very expensive unaccountable chicken-#h*t clowns.
ulyssesmsu| 9.12.12 @ 5:00PM
"inefficacious"--? WTH? How about just "ineffective"--or maybe "unsuccessful"?