Attack on the US Embassy

This morning I heard about an attack on the US Embassy in Libya, and also the US Embassy in Cairo on the 11^th anniversary of September 11^th. We discussed the issue again in class and I learned more about the subject. Although our discussion provided me insight, I still had some questions that I needed to investigate further. I wondered if the ambassador was targeted or merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. I was also curious about what that video was about that made it so offensive that it would spark a crime spree. Furthermore, I questioned whether the violence was still occurring in either place or if the violence spread to any other countries.

According to an article on abcnews.com, the ambassador had gone to the consulate when the protests were going on and the attackers were unaware of who he even was. No one had shot him, or bombed him, or targeted him, he simply died from asphyxia from the smoke. Out of the four Americans that died, only two died during the initial attack on the consulate; the other two died in a later attack on a building that was housing the people that fled the consulate.

I also tried looking up the video on YouTube that was supposedly titled “Innocence of Muslims” but by now there are many videos with that name and I am not sure which video was the original. According to the article, the video excerpts “depict the Prophet Muhammad as a fraud, a womanizer and a madman in an overtly ridiculing way, showing him having sex and calling for massacres.” (Michael, Maggie,and Alfitory)

The protests have also spread to other countries but as far as I can tell, none have turned violent. There were protests in Tunisia’s capital and Gaza City, as well as continued protests in Cairo. As long as these protests stay “peaceful” or without violence, I think that they may be a good way to vent out anger. The confusion about the video should be cleared up as soon as possible and hopefully the protests will stop. (381)

Bibliography:

MICHAEL, MAGGIE, and OSAMA ALFITORY Associated Press. "US Ambassador Killed in Consulate Attack in Libya." ABC News. ABC News Network, 12 Sept. 2012. Web. 12 Sept. 2012. <http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/american-killed-libya-protest-film-17215128>.