A Point for Service

Yesterday, islamicist radicals stormed the U.S. embassy compound in Cairo, Egypt and attacked the embassay and ambassador in Libya, killing the ambassador and three others.

Their provocation, they say, was a fringe, right-wing film produced ostensibly in the U.S.

That film, while vile, represents the liberty to speak which we gaurantee to our press, however loosely defined, which we say we stand for.  In fact, it is the preservation of that freedom of the press and of speech which helps to differentiate nations with ACTUAL liberties from those who simply say they have them.

I reject that repulsive, repugnant and hateful film, but when I joined the service, partly why I did so was to absolutely ENSURE that such films had the right to be aired.  Negative reaction from hateful militants, abroad OR onshore, should never be a reason to prohibit the airing of views - even reprehensible and vile views.

Such films (or views) are also absolutely NO justification for the attacks upon persons, certainly not upon our ambassadorial staff who had no relation to the producers (nor upon the producers themselves).  Capital punishment for saying something negative about Muhammad is an assinine, hypocritical and murderous over-reaction.  It is a mortal sin in Islam, just as it is in Christianity.  It is using a pretext to engage in violence.  It was offensive in an intolerable way.  Whatever happens in the US does not justify the murder of our overseas staff (or our citizens overseas).  There is NO justification for that kind of action, none, zero.  This was some violent (and crazed) people CHOSING to be offended to that kind of level.

So here's my reply.  The United States needs to make it clear to the governments of Lybia and Egypt that our embassies are soveriegn soil which they've sworn to protect.  They failed, and they must compensate the families of those slain as well as assure there will be no further allowance of such attacks or demonstrations which might lead to such attacks.  As they've now proven incapable of doing so (for the moment), we should pull our staff from their countries other than a skelaton crew of a handful of diplomatic contacts and a platoon or company or two of Marines, each.

We then should announce to the Egyptian and Lybian radicals that since we consider this our soveriegn soil, we will defend it as we are entitled to do so under international law. We should demand the governments of those countries require any demonstrations be done out of sight of our soil and more that they will gaurantee our safety.  Any further attacks should be repelled by force if necessary and if THAT that occurs, the US should then pull our embassies from both countries and sever all ties, advising any nation where this occurs that we consider their nation to be unstable and incapable of fulfilling their international responsibilities.

What these governments have allowed through their negligence or inadequate planning or response, is for an act of war to be perpetrated upon our citizens and our nation, citizens no more guilty of making that film than the demonstrators were.  It is intollerable. We do not tolerate guilt by association verdicts, we do not tolerate attempted usurpation of free speech by intimidation, and we do not tolerate attacks upon our country.  No differently than 9/11, if the governments in these countries are not capable of stopping their citizens from attacking our citizens and soil, we will do so, moreover, we SHOULD do so.

I did not agree with the invasion of Iraq, it was the wrong war upon the wrong nation.  I, however, would gladly stand to the wall and defend our embassies in either country.  THAT is a worthy service, that's why I served.