On North Africa Turmoil, Wanted: Two Flies And Two Spiders.

Flies and spiders would have been privy to the web of bribery, manipulation and deal brokering shaping both situations.

[Global: North Africa]

On the anniversary of  Nine /11, and  one month three weeks and three days before the election for the presidency of these United  States, local TV stations in Egypt and Libya saw fit to screen an anti-Islamic film that had been on You Tube.  The result:  mobs of people attacked the US embassy in Egypt and the consulate in Benghazi, Libya,  killing Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other consular officials – on President Barack Obama’s watch.

Although some protesters admit they haven’t viewed film personally, they say they became incensed by reports of its negative depiction of the Prophet Mohammed.  The media reports that demonstrations have spread like a virus to Israel, Gaza, Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, Iran and among Muslims in the Indian-controlled region of Kashmir. Security has reportedly been heightened at U.S. diplomatic missions worldwide.

in the meantime, Aljazeera reports that many Syrians have expressed wonder that there hasn’t been an uprising among muslims to protest the rape, abuse and murders of fellow muslims in Syria. Abdullah Aldahhan writes: “I am in no way condoning the attack on the US embassy.  But it seems there is more uproar over that than the 33,000  martyrs in Syria.”  Raquel E. Saraswati writes: “Salafis ‘defend’ Islam by murdering over the stupidest film clip in history, while Muslims are slaughtered, raped and starved in Syria” and finally Hisham Melhemago writes: “I would like to see more Muslims outraged about the injustices of their own rulers and Muslim on Muslim violence.”

On  November 4,1979, a group of  Islamist students and militants took over  the American Embassy in Tehran and held 52 Americans hostage  until January 20, 1981 –  on former President Jimmy Carter’s watch.  When the U. S. military’s attempted rescue operation failed and  diplomatic negotiations for a release fell flat, a deeply  chagrined President Carter,  and by virtue of association, the American people were rendered impotent and  powerless in the court of world opinion.  They vented their anger and frustration at the polls. 

Carter’s humiliation ultimately cost him his re-election. Ironically, the hostages were formally released into U.S. custody  444 days after the siege and just minutes after Ronald Regan was sworn into office as president.

What do we need the spiders and  the flies for? From their vantage point on the wall, they are the only ones that would have been privy to the web of  bribery, manipulation and deal brokering shaping both situations. 

(c) Phyllis M. Bowdwin 2012

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