The New 9/11 Attack In Libya

The U.S. Ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens, was killed, along with three other Americans, when Islamists fired rocket grenadees at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. Mobs were protesting an American-made movie ostensibly funded by Jewish militants entitled Innocence of Muslims, which depicts Mohammad and portrays him (some say pornographically) as a sexual predator. (All that had been released was a YouTube trailer, since taken down. See this on questions about the filmmaker.) Officials are saying, however, that the protests may have only been a cover for a planned attack designed to avenge the recent assassination by drone of a major al-Qaeda leader on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

The killing of an Ambassador is traditionally considered an act of war. American warships are taking positions off Libya and Marines have moved in to secure the Embassy. Meanwhile, the protests over the film are spreading to other Muslim countries, with the U.S. Embassy in Cairo under siege. With the alleged Jewish connection to the movie, Israel will be a sure target.

For details, see U.S. officials: Attack on consulate in Libya may have been planned – The Washington Post.

Also this.

So now a major international crisis breaks out just before the election. For the political fallout, see this. Normally, when America is attacked, the country rallies together and partisan divisions are set aside. But Mitt Romney has chosen to take the occasion to blast President Obama for his foreign policy weakness and his poor handling of this incident. Now Romney is getting blowback for inappropriate and unpatriotic criticism at a time of crisis. Who’s right here?