Two upsetting pieces of enws reached me this morning when I turned the TV on at 6:00 AM, both of which have made this the start of a very bad day.
1. Attacks at the US Embassies by Islamic terrorists in Egypt and Libya. Our Libyan Ambassador Chris Stevens was killed with three other Americans, at least one was a diplomat. The Egyptian Embassy was breached, the American flag was taken and destroyed and replaced with an Islamic flag.
The provocation for these attacks was apparently an internet post of an amateur video satirizing the Prophet Muhammad. It seems that the Islamic press claimed this as a major Hollywood film done as revenge against Islamists for 9/11.
2. Although the two Presidential campaigns had come to an agreement that there would be no attacking each other on 9/11, Mitt Romney blasted the President and his administration for being “sympathetic” to the embassy attackers. He did this at 10 PM last night defying the agreement between his and Obama’s campaigns.
“Obama sympathizes with attackers in Egypt. Sad and pathetic.”
- Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus
Obama waited to respond until after midnight when the day of remembrance was over. He announced his consolation to the families of the victims and his outrage at the incidents. Then he made everyone aware of his aggravation with Romney’s statement.
“We are shocked that, at a time when the United States of America is confronting the tragic death of one of our diplomatic officers in Libya, Governor Romney would choose to launch a political attack.”
- Obama’s campaign press secretary Ben LaBolt
I would have to agree that I think Romney’s remarks were both unfortunate and representative of his unknowledgable command of foreign policy. That he showed a lack of support for his country and its administration at a time of National crisis and at a time in which he had pledged to remain in non-attack mode in his campaign, raises some questions.
