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BREAKING

American Embassy in Yemen Stormed by Protesters

Intruders repelled from grounds of diplomatic compound

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by PolitixMayday

Staff Writer t

Image: CNN

The American Embassy in Sana'a, Yemen, was stormed by protesters angered by a movie trailer. The film, Innocence of Muslims, has been deemed denigrating to the Prophet Muhammed, according to the BBC. The protesters managed to forcefully enter embassy grounds Thursday morning, though they didn't enter any offices at the diplomatic compound, according to USA Today.

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Should the U.S. reconsider relations with Yemen?

64 Comments (view in Forum)

  • Keyjo
    !
    Wow! What am I, your go disagreement guy!?
    What do I have to say? Hmmmm.......... it may not be the last protest at a United States embassy over this.
    It just goes to show that religion can be a real nuisance.
    And we have to remember that these protesters may not represent all Yemenis, just like the KKK, the Westboro Baptist Church, the Tea Party DO NOT represent all Americans.
  • lochlomond
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    I agree with you that this attack appears to be a copycat attack by less informed or sophisticated participants. Nonetheless, it appears to be a trend in these "hotspots." I anticipate more of these attacks, whether carefully planned or somewhat spontaneous in the coming days or weeks. The grand experiment to democratize these countries is a grand failure. It also does not benefit us to waste men and treasure trying to buy the friendship of fanatical leaders and their followers. I knew that when the Muslim Brotherhood emerged as chief negotiators in Egypt during the highly praised "Arab Spring," the whole matter of liberating these countries from the absolutism of the most oppressive form of Islam was a waste of time, effort and money. It's too bad we can't just build an electrified fence and plant a mine field around the whole region.
  • Jeff_Woehrle
    !
    The examples of this administration's foreign policy failures continue to mount.

    Lesson for the community organizer: When America reduces her involvement, others are more than willing to take up the slack.

    And those 'others' are not too fond of the United States.
  • mynameisaric
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    And what exactly would be the appropriate course of action? Do you wish to invade Yemen, Syria, Libya, Egypt, Iran as well as the continued conflict in Afghanistan and the 30,000 personnel in Iraq?
  • Jeff_Woehrle
    !
    @mynameisaric The first course of action is to remove the clueless leader in Washington. We are reaping what he has sown. Our involvement is necessary and should not be done apologetically or half-heartedly. Which is exactly the approach we have seen over the last four years.
  • mynameisaric
    !
    @Jeff_Woehrle So then what would you have mitt romney do as president? I'm not super ecstatic about another 4 years of obama, but I like his foreign policy much better than what romney has shown so far. And if we were to further our involvement overseas in the affairs of other countries, how would we pay for it considering we already have a $14 trillion debt?
  • Jeff_Woehrle
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    @mynameisaric We need the president to grow a pair. Stop talking about 'feelings.' Enough with your clueless press secretary who says the protests are not directed at the US.

    http://freebeacon.com/carney-protests-not-dir...

    It seems that all this president does is stumble from one crisis to the next, never resolving anything and never taking anything that can be considered a stand.

    In truth, the world sees this president as inept and impotent. Too afraid to offend and too timid to act. Lost cause.

    Time for new leadership.
  • mynameisaric
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    @Jeff_Woehrle so how should he make a stand without escalating tensions in the middle east? You obviously have no understanding of how the world works. The president sent in marines and FBI investigators and they are working with the Libyan government. What else should he have done?

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  • CanisCanemEdit
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    Clarification: You do realize that this movie was released ONLY for one showing and ONLY to an audience of 10 people and ONLY at a small theatre in Los Angeles.

    What these RADICAL Muslims are protesting is the release of a video trailer on YouTube back in July.

    "The movie was shown in June at an undisclosed theater and drew only 10 patrons, according to the Los Angeles Times. Then the movie was called "Innocence of Bin Laden," the newspaper reported."

    "The name Sam Bacile surfaced in July when somebody posted a 14-minute movie trailer on YouTube under the name. The film was posted under several titles, including "Mohammed Movie Trailer" and "Innocence of Muslims."

    http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/13/world/anti-isla...

    It just HAPPENS TO BE that the rioting against our American embassies was on the anniversary of 9-11. Two Months after the release of the trailer.

    Now do you still think that al-Qaeda has nothing to do with the rioting?
  • Stratton
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    If anything, the fact of this most recent attack in Yemen, the location of one of Al Qaeda's strongest factions, underscores the point. You don't see any outraged protests in Saudi Arabia or Iran, do you?
  • Pragmatist
    !
    When has the Middle East NOT been a powder keg?

    1967 - Six Day war during the Johnson Administration in 1967.
    1973 - Yom Kippur War during the Nixon/Ford Administration. This increased tensions between the US and the Soviet union with veiled threats for nuclear war. Not to mention that it lead the the 1973 Oil Embargo that quadrupled the price of gas (imagine today if we were in danger of nuclear war AND gas was $16 a gallon).
    1979 - Terrorists stormed the Iranian embassy, leading to eight deaths and 52 Americans being held hostage for 444 days (Carter)
    Oct. 23, 1983 during the Reagan Administration simultaneous bombings killed 241 American soldiers and 57 French paratroopers in their Beirut barracks.
    1986 - Iran-Contra affair revealed that the Reagan Administration had secretly negotiated arms-for-hostages deals with Iran
    1993 (Blackhawk Down) an attempt to catch Mohamed Farah Aidid, leader of a brutal Somali militia, ended in disaster, with 18 American soldiers and up to 1,500 Somali militias and civilians killed. Aidid wasn’t caught (first Bush)
  • Capt_Morgan02
    !
    @Pragmatist dictator or not, the leaders being deposed has left a power vacuum that is being filled by radicals and our president has allowed it by not doing anything to support the decent people who are truly seeking democracy and freedom.
  • Pragmatist
    !
    @Capt_Morgan02 And how would you support "the decent people" in Libya "who are truly seeking democracy and freedom"? Positive vibes? Half the country would be outraged if Obama gave monetary/military resources to a particular faction in Libya.
  • Capt_Morgan02
    !
    @Pragmatist if I didn't have a plan to help restabilize I wouldnt cheer on the people who were destabilizing it.
    George Soros helped bring revolution to Hungary by giving photocopy machines to people to get out their message. I'm no Soros fan but in a lot of ways media was what drove the revolution. Maybe give them a leg up on messaging to rally people behind them. Just an idea.:)
  • Pragmatist
    !
    @Capt_Morgan02 Either way the country was falling into civil war, if the US did nothing... and Gaddafi would have fallen anyways to the combination of rebels and International peacekeeping forces... and how would the situation be different?

    I don't disagree that Middle East is a mess... but I don't see how you think there was an obvious way to avoid this mess.

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  • jmann88
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    I think its sad. Maybe if the USA was devoted to their faith like Muslims are, we would be a better country.

    Then again I say let's get our people out of these places and the people deal with their problems . Why help the people that don't want it? Let em kill each other in hopes of 72 virgins. Make the worlf better if the USA quit being the world police
  • marine1
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    It would seem to me that we create enough problems of our own right here at home.Who is making all the money for the lives WE are spending?
  • mynameisaric
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    Finally people are starting to see this "global war on terror" is not winnable. Doesn't mean we shouldn't do anything. But I would say the current administration is doing much better than the last. Questionable if its due to budget or actual will however.
  • Starsplash
    !
    @mynameisaric Its not winnable If the US does stupid shit... Like this anti Islamic Video.

    Honestly, who thinks these things up. No ones that stupid to release this and think nothing is going to happen.
  • Starsplash
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    @mynameisaric I dont think me saying fuck u to you and me releasing a film all about hating the middle East that caused riots all over the world resulting loss of life and property damage constitues conventional freedom of speech.

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  • artjeb
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    Would it be wrong to vacate any country that says YANKEE GO HOME?
    Lets do it & keep our money home also.
    Let them defend themselves
    Any embassy invaded by any radical should have marines with LOADED ar 15 s....... Use them
  • Pragmatist
    !
    That would basically be every country in the world as US embassies (which are officially US soil) are targets for people angry at the US. Just like how the Westboro Baptist Church protests at the funeral of military personel, and natural disaster victims, and children... blaming the deaths as God's punishment on America for sinning.

    An AR-15 is a powerful weapon... but the attack included mortar fire (essentially surface launched bombs). From what I've read mortars can hit a target 3 miles away, while hiding behind a row a tall walls/buildings.
  • Keyjo
    !
    "Any embassy invaded by any radical should have marines with LOADED ar 15 s....... "

    The AR-15 is the civilian version of the M-16, which I believe is still the basic infantry rifle of the Marine Corps. The military M-16 is fully automatic. The AR-15 is semi-auto.

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  • tomincali
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    so much for peaceful folks. wonder what would be done if Christians did this kind of stuff every time someone stepped out of line with them. seems excepted and expected though from this group where even a cartoon has them acting like animals.
  • MongoAPillager
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    next deacons meeting i,ll bring it up,see if the congregation wants to storm an Arabic embassy,ya reckon obama would strongly condemn us?we got some left over doughnuts from the last bake sale that could do some real damage
  • FollowTheMoney
    !
    Our enemies simply shift from one region to another hiding behind diplomatic borders. The only way to win is to get the politicians/ diplomats out of the way and let the military beat the fight out of the enemy. Then restore the respective governments friendly to our purposes. After all that is objective of war.
  • Wilberhum
    !
    @mimi57 We need to do a massive reduction in our Foreign Aid. And most of all we need to stop supporting corrupt and/or repressive governments.
  • Pragmatist
    !
    @Wilberhum I don't remember when the US invaded Iran... do you mean Iraq?

    Back to the main topic... "we" (I really mean US government, supported by American oil companies) meddle in the Middle East because we want their oil. In the 1973 Oil Embargo... gas prices quadrupled... can you imagine $17 a gallon gas?

    In contrast look to Darfur or South Africa... we didn't really meddle in those atrocities because there was little economic interest to us.

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  • ir0nw0lfe
    !
    Maybe some groups are tired of hearing Obama spike the football on Osama Bin Laden's death.

    This administration with its pc approach led by academics who can't tell the good guys from the bad guys has reached EPIC FAIL on ME policies.
    Wonder if any one will notice that this administration hasn't got a clue as to how this is happening. That kind of incompetence and lack of vision alone should be proof that we need a new President in November!
  • Denizen_Kate
    !
    Unfortunately, in spite of the significant Al Qaeda presence in Yemen, we really do need to continue relations with the Yemeni government. We can't afford to leave a diplomatic vacuum in that part of the world. Perhaps we need to apply more pressure to the Yemeni government to "clean their house."