Mid-East Foreign Policy
The U.S. Embassy in Tunis:
CNN is tracking events throughout the Middle East.
More disturbing pictures (and story) from the Benghazi Consulate in Libya are here.
The U.S. Embassy in Tunis:
CNN is tracking events throughout the Middle East.
More disturbing pictures (and story) from the Benghazi Consulate in Libya are here.
I am getting real tired of the WH apologizing for the video made by a Coptic Christian (they know a little about Arab brutality). Where were all of these apologies when a federal grant partially funded “Piss Christ”?
Now it appears that the claim of erratic behavior resulting from the video is just subtrefuge. What a surprise. Sure, a bunch of Arabs were just “protesting” at the embassy when they got carried away with machine guns ad RPG’s.
Underlying every misunderstanding between the West and the Middle-East is the festering sore of the Arab-Israeli problem. Unless and until that problem is solved than every problem is magnified, and any incident can explode. I see very little difference between Obama’s Mid-East policy and that of previous –Republican or Democrat- administrations going back to Truman. We keep doing the same things and expecting different results.
OldTimeLefty
Warrington Faust, There is more involved in the story of the film inciting so much hatred against America as it has a cast of characters most whom are already known for their activities utilizing the fringe edge of guaranteed right to free speech in the USA. This was a deliberate pre-meditated attempt to create violent protests world-wide which now cover 3 continents and over 40 cities. It is now known Egyptian-American Nakoula Basseley Nakoula AKA Sam Bacile (a Coptic Christian) wrote the movie script while he was in federal prison and directed the offensive movie. He lied to over 80 cast and crew about the intent of the film “Desert Warriors” and during post-production extensively altered the film; included voice over dubs renaming it “Innocence of Muslims” and clipping together a 14 minute film trailer which he uploaded to YouTube. Nobody paid much attention till he dubbed it over into Arabic and re-uploaded it to YouTube. Nakoula is already on 5 yrs. probation and was ordered not to use computers, the internet or false names as conditions of federal probation. “Media for Christ”: //www.myspace.com/media4christproductions a Duarte, CA. based Christian non-profit, took out a film permit for the production “Desert Warriors”. The owner is listed as Joseph Nassralla Abdelmasih, who often goes by Joseph Nassralla or Nasrallah. Abdelmasih also is listed as owner of “The Way TV”: //atvsat.com/en/ , a TV network established in 2005 that includes a talk show hosted by Steve Klein, who has said he was one of the script consultants on “Innocence of Muslims”. Abdelmasih (a Coptic Christian) is no stranger to controversy. After delivering a passionate speech at the 10,000-strong protest against a proposed ground zero mosque on Sept. 11, 2010, he was escorted off the premises by police. Steve Klein was the script consultant and… Read more »
OldTimeLefty
“Underlying every misunderstanding between the West and the Middle-East is the festering sore of the Arab-Israeli problem. Unless and until that problem is solved than every problem is magnified, and any incident can explode. I see very little difference between Obama’s Mid-East policy and that of previous –Republican or Democrat- administrations going back to Truman. We keep doing the same things and expecting different results.”
OTL, I notice you stop at Truman, who gave “mittel Europa” to Stalin. That worked out real well. A few years prior we gave Hitler the Sudatenland for liebensraum, another stunning success which gave us “peace in our time”.
Israel is a tiny sliver of land without importance. It just gives the Arabs something to fight about. I am reminded of divorcing couples who decide to fight over who gets grandpa’s ashtray. If you throw in the ashtray, they move to grandma’s sewing basket. There is just a need to fight.
While I do not approve of a Biblical claim to Israel and believe the Palestinians were treated poorly, what is, is. If I were not a citizen of the “Great Satan”, I might take another view. For now, appeasement will not serve.
If we abandon Israel, I think we are honor bound to return America to the Indians. On the other hand, did our opposition to Russia’s contol of Eastern Europe not make us one with the Palestinian’s allies?
“No permanent friends, no permanent enemies, only permanent interests”
That reminds me, I wonder what will happen to our British friends with a huge Muslim population. I cannot see young Muslim men “taking the queen’s shilling” and learning the words to “Men of Harlech”. I understand they have similar concerns as we become a Spanish speaking nation.
Ken W Your points may have some weight. Unfortunately the argument is much like the argument that gun makers are responsible for gun wounds. I am avoiding First Amendment arguments. “Sheikh Khaled Abdalla broadcast the Arabic version of the 14 minute trailer for “Innocence of Muslims” on Egyptian television channel Al-Nas which got everyone’s attention in Middle-East and stirred up the protests.” Surely, he must bear some substantial responsibility. Are we “investigating” him in the manner which the Feds are investigating the film maker. After taking him into custody and interrogating him, the Feds have released him without charges. That is not conclusive, but it is meaningful. Politeness requires that we give some respect to the feelings of Muslims, but they must shoulder some of the responsibility for erratic behavior. I am reminded that several years ago a movie derogatory of Jesus was released here (the name escapes me). While there was a great deal of pastoral resentment to the film, I do not recall American Christians burning production studios. Before laying too much blame on the film, I would watch the news for a few more days. It appears to be unraveling in the direction of showing that “protests” are being orchestrated by Al Queda using the film as an excuse. I note you indicate approval and confer legitimacy to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Their game appears to be unraveling also. Morris Dees, who heads it has now built it’s assets up to 152 million, to which he has almost unlimited access. Even the left is turning on Mr. Dees, saying he collects huge sums and does nothing. They are even critical of the groups he is putting on his “Hate Map”, arguing that this is just another plan for Mr. Dees to enrich himself. If you want… Read more »
Warrington Faust,
I’m not trying to make points but expounding bits and pieces of information as they become available and cataloging them.
There seems to be a trail but it has too many breaks right now to say it is a definite string to follow.
The state and federal court convictions and sentencing of Nakoula Basseley Nakoula AKA Sam Bacile are too light and have some law enforcement in writing are indicating he might have been an informant as there is a distinct track to manufacturing and selling PCP (he had hundreds of boxes when caught) in US and laundering the money out to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
All major players so far involved in creating this film have been outed on the internet down to city/towns, home and business addresses, age, telephone numbers, cars driven, marital status, children names, age and sex.
This is highly unusual!
KenW
“Hezbollah in Lebanon.”
It is well to remember that in it’s un-anglicized spelling, Hezbollah translates to the “party of God”.
“All major players so far involved in creating this film have been outed on the internet down to city/towns, home and business addresses, age, telephone numbers, cars driven, marital status, children names, age and sex.
This is highly unusual!”
I am not so sure it is unusual in this sort of endeavor. Would you expect to find “usual people”? Except in very mainstream “documentaries” I think it is usual to find the film makers have a “point of view”. i.e. Michael Moore. Even Ken Burns altered the Civil War.
Warrington Faust,
The person who poured the gasoline and fanned the fire is Morris Sadek a lawyer living in the Washington, DC area and friend of Pastor Terry Jones. Sadek is the person that translated the film trailer and sent it to Egyptian news media outlets and mass distributed the link to the film trailer in the US.
Egypt has revoked Morris Sadek’s citizenship and banned him from entering the country.
//www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/14/morris-sadek-the-maverick_n_1882931.html
Morris Sadek’s Facebook page where he claims support for George W. Bush and facebook page: “OBAMA IS THE WORST PRESIDENT EVER! Agree? Become a Fan & Suggest 2 Friends”
//webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:WrZoJ9ZpryQJ:www.facebook.com/morris.sadek
Morris Sadek’s National American Coptic Assembly web site with his biography:
//www.nationalamericancopticassembly.webs.com/
Warrington,
I stopped at Truman because the state of Israel was formed in 1948. The problems created by the formation of the state of Israel did not exist before Israel was formed as a state. Surely you can understand that!
OldTimeLefty
@OTL-so what is your answer?The dissolution of the state of Israel?A lot of states have been “created” since WW1,often made up of incongruous elements.Some lasted and others broke up.I don’t think you’d be suggesting this about any other state.I’m not a Zionist-I am perfectly happy being an American,but it is hard to avoid noticing that the idea of a “Jewish”state pisses off a lot of people while the same people are unconcerned with any number of “Islamic”states.A lot of these people are left wing “progressives”.
Warrington,
That I wrote that the Arab-Israeli problem is a “festering sore” does not mean that Israel should cease to exist. How you constructed a “cease to exist” scenario from what I wrote is an amazing leap based upon what?
My next sentence states that until the Arab-Israeli problem is solved every problem is magnified. You may disagree with the statement, but you can’t say it calls for anyone’s destruction – another amazing leap.
Finally, I concluded that since its formation Israel – U.S. relations have been following a steady course. You somehow took that statement as calling for the destruction of a state. That’s the third amazing leap. You have probably set the Olympic Triple Jump record.
You then argue by putting words in my mouth and then shooting them down – a very cheap and transparent way to proceed. Where do I call for the dissolution of the state of Israel? You say I said it and then argue against it. You then continue until you have vaguely indicted a lot of “progressives” as hypocrites.
OldTimeLefty
I think you were addressing me,not Warrington-and I asked the question of you about the dissolution of Israel.I didn’t outright accuse you-so please be accurate.I happen to believe many “progressives”are hypocrites-two shirt communists as I like to call them.They want to share everything someone else has,but not their own stuff-I’ve seen it ad nauseum.The patronizing behavior towards “minorities”is another aspect of them-Chris Matthews saying he “almost forgot Obama was Black for an hour”WHY should someone forget another person is Black-is there something wrong with being that?Biden’s”clean and articulate” remark was another beauty.Clean?WTF?And by two shirt communists I don’t mean literally communist-I am referring to an old joke about what a communist is.
The subtext of your comment is,to me,that Israel is a major problem for us.I think we can’t always have their back like if they want to attack Iran-f**k that.Unless the AIPAC board of directors wants to enlist their sons and daughters,no one else should go to another Mideast war.I’m just in a generally bad mood these days-I’m about ready to vote third party given the choice between Mr.Big Money and Obummer.The only races I care about are Doherty/Cicilline and Brown/Warren and I can’t vote in either one.I guess I really have to vote against The One as by far the worse of the two.
joe,
You were correct in that I should have addressed my post to you, not Warrington. Please reread what I originally wrote. I never mentioned the dissolution of Israel as a state, you brought it into the argument.
I don’t believe that many progressives are, as you say, “two shirt communists”, so using them in an argument means nothing to me.
When I say that I am a communist, I am saying that I prefer Marxism to the Austrian School of Economics, keeping in mind that nothing is pure and that Hegel’s ideas of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis coincides with my view of all, not just political, reality.
Hope you feel better soon. Buckle down for another four years of Obama.
OTL
We’ll see what happens