Egyptian Protesters Climb Walls Of U.S. Embassy, American Flags Replaced With Black Al-Qaeda Flags

Weasel Zippers ^ | September 11, 2012

[Salvavida]

That is Hollywood for you. Marines were removed from the perimeter in the 80s. And no, we don't need to change that area: there are specific duties the Marines have in a situation such as this: and it doesn't include the task of retaking the compound by a handful, when faced with thousands. Certainly there is a image we all have of what Marines should be able to do: but that doesn't square with their mission, nor the reality of mobs coming over the wall. Trust me when I say there are more important and practical things that have to be done in a mob situation such as this.

The fact is, the host nation is in charge of external security. It is layered protection, starting with the unarmed contracted local guards. Also, there is a specific unit within the Egyptian police AND army that has this task: security of the Diplomatic Corps. They failed to show up, which is the bigger problem. The host government just sent a message to the White House, and State Department. That is the headline, not what the Marines did or should have done.

By the way, the flag located within the main pavilion (located outside the chancery) is raised and lowered by a hand crank that fits into the pole. I have no idea if, or how they managed to take it down, so I'm relectant to admit that it was the actual flag.

The chancery is the main part of the embassy that is the secured area. The old Post 1 in Cairo was visible (but only on the inside of the compound-- it wasn't external). The new Post 1 is located within the heart of the chancery; in Cairo, it's on the 6th floor.

[piasa]

Looks like our embassies could use hot boiling cauldrons of bacon fat on top of those walls.

[piasa]

I don't think it was Glaspie so much as her second in command Joe Wilson who later went all out trying to undermine the war against Saddam Hussein back in 2004. While Glaspie was gone on a trip Joe dined with Tariq Aziz and Saddam Hussein's arms dealer from Paris. Joe Wilson tries to protray himself as a hero in the case of Iraq but then got his butt unceremoniously reposted - a sort of sideways promotion- to the backwater of Gabon. His first and second wives [a French woman and the super dooper CIA posterchild Valerie Plame] had some seriously weird third world dicator connections too, such as Omar Bongo, and were all meddling creatures. Self-important Joe- though a low ranker at the time- was tighter with the Iraqi regime than Glaspie ever was.

To be honest though, the last refuge of scoundrel dictators and the ever droning chant of leftists everywhere is always to blame an American for giving "permission" or a "green light" for every bad thing a dictatorship does, as if dictatorships really wait for permission when they are trying to do something they see is in their self interest. It's never a dictator's idea to do things, and it's never weakness on the part of an US administration, it's always the line about them being duped into it because some diplomat gave them a very vague "green light."

[Henry Hnyellar]

You do understand that the Marines at an Embassy are largely there for decoration? Why do you think they were the dress unis and not combat gear?

Get educated on what happened to our Embassies in Iran and Pakistan in the past. There is only so much the Marines can do if the host country police/military/security do not step in.

[piasa]

They are mainly there to buy time until all the documents get burned. But that was before the wonders of digital storage media and wikileaks.

[Henry Hnyellar]

LOL. Unfortunately, there are still far too large amounts of paper holdings at many Embassies today. And when do you actually decide to start burning? Not always an easy call.

[Tzimisce]

*&^%$#@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SaraJohnson]

The Muslim Brotherhood are moderate, springy democracy (aka, mob rule) lovers! The tribal doctrines of diversity (political correctness) are our strength. Liberals are the smartest, most scientific people on earth. Relax, Hitlerly and Obammy know what they are doing.

They can talk to Senator McBackstabber and his girlfriend Lindsay if they need any backup in condemning the filmaker terrorists for making the Muzzies attack. Petraus can lead the Shira bandwagon. ;(

[Tzimisce]

After 3 1/2 years of being laughed at, mocked, made fun of, having our values laughed at:

Why isn’t the left apologizing to us?

We’re not the ones threatening to kill them! :(

[good1]

Why do you think they were the dress unis and not combat gear?

I thought they wore the dress uniforms to augment the dignity of the place (the embassy) and the dignity of the man (the ambassador). I don't know any Marines whose fighting ability would be hindered by a dress uniform.

If what you and other posters are saying to me is correct, and I'm not denying that it is, I am saying that this is a sad state of affairs and that the mission of the Marines should be changed to task them with the safety and security of the embassy they guard. The entire idea of Marines as "decoration" is, to me, repugnant in the extreme.

These two attacks should have been met with as much force as necessary to repel them. We may not be admired in those parts of the world, but we must be respected.

I appreciate what you all have written to me, but I am unconvinced that my outrage is misplaced or in any way out of line. I want the Marines to return to these embassies with as much combat gear as they need and retake these areas, raise again the American flag over them, and allow and assist any Muslims who don't like it to quickly stand in the presence of their god to explain their actions and receive their appropriate rewards.

[1010RD]

They know they’re at war. They know who their enemy is. Do we?

[John S Mosby]

Joe Wilson— wow. What a complete loser, and how about Plame.. a real couple of cocktail patriots, those.

Did not know this— because Glaspie was roundly blamed in the Georgetown WaPo intelligencia circuit—most likely set up by the same Joe W.

To think they have full pensions even as they trade their slimy connections. Like ancient Rome, when one wishes we had some real patriots to clean these out.