It is a very delicate moment in time in the world. Irrespectively, we all must excercise restrain from negativities but engage need for Peace which is a requirement prerequisite for shared sacrifice for unity of purpose we all need !!! Judy Miriga Diaspora Spokesperson Executive Director Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc., USA http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com Rachel Maddow - Republican official blocked from purging Iowa voters Published on Sep 15, 2012 by Licentiathe8th Sept 14, 2012 Update on Middle East Anti-Islam Video Protests - Sept. 14th Published on Sep 15, 2012 by xgotfiveonitx Original broadcast on the night of Friday, Sept. 14, 2012 on MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show". Christian Zionism at its worst! one extremism leads to and feeds off another! Rachel Maddow - Romney adviser: Romney respectability would thwart terror Published on Sep 15, 2012 by Licentiathe8th Sept 14, 2012 The Last Word - FOX News tries to rewrite its poll Published on Sep 14, 2012 by Licentiathe8th Sept 13, 2012 They can't stand it that Obama is winning. They are really going to hate it when he wins... and he will. Rachel Maddow: Anti-US protests spread across Middle East Published on Sep 13, 2012 by xgotfiveonitx one extremism feeds off of another. the zionist tea party is made up of fanatical, mostly southern, christian zionists who are denounced by mainstream american christians. however, they hold a huge sway of influence over the american govt, and are downright racists even towards other minorities in america. though they do have some rich jewish american backers, the vast majority of american jews reject christian zionism due to the fact that they want to turn america into a christian theocratic state which as a minority religion, most american jews oppose. as president obama states 'they have their GUNS and their bible' which clearly makes them dangerous extremists. Unfortunately instead for calling for calm and peace, president obama is more worried about his re-election rather than calling on everyone to remain calm and peaceful - the way a president is supposed to do. Sept 13, 2012 Protests Spread Across Middle East over Anti-Islam Film. Obama vs Romney Published on Sep 13, 2012 by carvakan Thursday, September 13, 2012 Protests Spread Across Middle East over Anti-Islam Film Scholar Tariq Ramadan on the Growing Mideast Protests and "Islam & the Arab Awakening" http://www.democracynow.org/2012/9/13/islamic_scholar_tariq_ramadan_on_the Stealing 2012: Ohio Secretary of State Backs Down on GOP Voter Suppression Fight Published on Sep 10, 2012 by politicalarticles Mitt Romney's Advisors: We Are Losing!: http://www.politicalarticles.net/blog/2012/09/10/mitt-romneys-advisors-we- Colorado GOP's Latest Efforts in Voter Suppression Published on Sep 4, 2012 by politicalarticles Banana Republicanism: 2012 Election Close To Being Stolen By Republicans Before Votes are Cast: http://www.politicalarticles.net/blog/2012/06/27/banana-republicanism-2012-el... Why Mitt Romney Will NEVER Be President  Romney criticizes Obama in wake of embassy attacks. Republican challenger Mitt Romney sought to portray President Barack Obama as weak on foreign policy Wednesday after violent attacks on U.S. diplomatic missions in the Middle East. Obama steered clear of the political fight, declaring as commander in chief that "justice will be done" in response to the deaths of four Americans in Libya. Rachel Maddow: Explaining free speech more necessary than merely defending it Published on Sep 14, 2012 by xgotfiveonitx one extremism feeds off of another. the Zionist tea party is made up of fanatical, mostly southern, christian Zionists who are denounced by mainstream American Christians. however, they hold a huge sway of influence over the American govt, and are downright racists even towards other minorities in America. though they do have some rich Jewish American backers, the vast majority of American Jews reject christian Zionism due to the fact that they want to turn America into a christian theocratic state which as a minority religion, most American Jews oppose. as president Obama states 'they have their GUNS and their bible' which clearly makes them dangerous extremists. Unfortunately instead of calling for calm and peace, president Obama is more worried about his re-election rather than calling on everyone to remain calm and peaceful - the way a president is supposed to do. Martin Bashir - Mr. Romney, you owe diplomats who risk their lives an apology Published on Sep 13, 2012 by Licentiathe8th Sept 13, 2012 Martin Bashir - GOP defense of Romney embassy remarks equally insulting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZyFZIrmgJo Published on Sep 13, 2012 by Licentiathe8th Sept 13, 2012 Martin Bashir - Pres. Obama: Romney 'shoots firsts and aims later' Published on Sep 12, 2012 by Licentiathe8th Sept 12, 2012 Gary Johnson on MSNBC with Martin Bashir - 9/12/12 The Last Word - Arithmetic shows Obama winning Published on Sep 11, 2012 by Licentiathe8th Sept 10, 2012 Mitt Romney "Can't Answer Basic Questions" Published on Sep 11, 2012 by MrObamanos Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan won't answer the most basic questions republicans Hate Education Published on Apr 26, 2012 by mccainisthroughX Where Democrats and President Barack Obama see education as fundamental, the republican religious Cult despises the educational system since there is an inverse relationship between education and the displacement of religious dogma and its contaminants. religion creates idiots who haven't the slightest idea what is going on, and they vote republican since they're too stupid and uninformed to vote for their own interests. republican voters are intentionally kept stupid, and the gop religious cult wants to create more unintelligent drones to keep them in power; they fear reason, intelligence, information and rationality. The gop has become a creepy, narrow-minded, anti-American religious cult intent on forcing its awful ideas into Our Secular-founded country, which does not allow the mingling of religious dogma and Our secular government and laws. Education is the foundation for prosperity and growth, intellectually and emotionally. There is no substitute for a good education, and there is no place for religious fairy tales in the forming of a solid individual. Obama makes fresh push on economy in key statesBy | Associated Press – 2 hrs 15 mins ago
BOSTON (AP) — Sensing an opening on the economy, President Barack Obama launched an aggressive new effort Saturday to convince voters in the most competitive states that Republican rival Mitt Romney is risky for the nation's recovery with a plan that caters to multimillionaires over the middle class. "They want to go back to the same old policies that got us in trouble in the first place," former President Bill Clinton is shown saying in the 60-second TV ad set to run in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, and Virginia. "We're not going back, we are moving forward," Obama adds in the commercial. Romney doesn't agree, and says the U.S. is not better off after nearly four years of Obama's leadership of a nation with the unemployment rate stubbornly stuck around 8 percent. The new Obama push, coupled with ads this past week by both candidates squaring off over China's impact on the U.S. economy, comes seven weeks before Election Day, and as polls point to modest gains for the president following the national political conventions. Both campaigns say they expect the race to be decided by eight or nine states. Romney, a former business executive who argues that only he can fix the sluggish economy, was taking Saturday off from campaigning. He was trying to refocus his campaign on the economy after a difficult week dominated by foreign policy, a vulnerability, in the wake of unrest at U.S. embassies. At the same time, Romney is working to reassure concerned conservatives that he has a winning strategy that relies partly on strong performances at next month's debates. He also was finalizing plans to make an aggressive push to try to narrow Obama's advantage among women and Hispanics. The president was in Washington this weekend keeping tabs on the situation in the Middle East following the deaths of a U.S. ambassador and three other Americans. While he, too, had no plans to campaign this weekend, he also was keeping his eye on winning a second term. The ad, 60 seconds long and airing in seven states, is an expensive and expansive effort by Obama to gain the upper hand on the economy, Romney's strength, at a time when voters are reporting feeling slightly more optimistic that the president's policies are helping. Polls in several of the most contested states show the president with a slight edge. Also, a new national survey by The New York Times and CBS News finds that Romney has lost his longstanding edge on the question of who voters view as most likely to restore the economy and create jobs. Despite that, the poll found the race narrowly divided. Obama's new ad features snippets from both presidents' convention speeches and serves as a rebuttal to Romney's argument that the nation is not better off than it was four years ago. It highlights news reports from September 2008 that describe the "worst financial collapse since the Great Depression" and says that, since then, the country has seen 30 months of private-sector job growth resulting in 4.6 million new jobs. It argues that Obama would ask "millionaires to pay a little more" — it doesn't mention that would come through a tax increase — while Romney wants "a new $250,000 tax break for multimillionaires." "We're not there yet, but the real question is, whose plan is better for you?" the ad asks. Expect to hear the same argument next week as Obama holds rallies in Ohio on Monday, a fundraiser in New York on Tuesday and a two-city Florida swing on Thursday. The president is also expected to campaign next weekend in Wisconsin, the home state of GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan and one that Romney is working to turn competitive. Romney is set to campaign in Colorado on Sunday before Monday appearances in California and Texas. He'll spend Wednesday and Thursday campaigning in Florida. Both candidates will appear separately at a forum this week hosted by the influential Hispanic television outlet Univision. Romney aides acknowledge they're hoping for a shift away from foreign policy, which is not the longtime businessman's strength. While Romney tried to use the week's events to question Obama's global leadership, he drew criticism from Democrats and some Republicans for his initial response to violence in Libya. For much of the week, the campaign-long struggle over the economy was shunted to the sidelines but not wholly suspended. One day after Romney unveiled a television ad accusing Obama of "failing American workers" and ignoring unfair trade practices by China, the president's campaign responded in kind. "He invested in firms that specialized in relocating jobs to low-wage countries like China," said the announcer in a commercial, referring to Bain Capital, the private equity firm Romney founded. "Even today, part of Romney's fortune is invested in China," the narrator added. "Romney's never stood up to China. All he's ever done is send them our jobs." U.S. won't tolerate efforts to harm Americans: ObamaReuters – 4 hrs ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Saturday rejected any denigration of Islam but said there is no excuse for attacks on U.S. embassies, insisting he will never tolerate efforts to harm Americans. "I have made it clear that the United States has a profound respect for people of all faiths," Obama said in his weekly radio address. "Yet there is never any justification for violence .... There is no excuse for attacks on our embassies and consulates." Angry anti-American protests have swept the Muslim world in response to a film that insults the Prophet Mohammad. An attack on the U.S. consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three others this week. A day after Obama led a somber ceremony marking the return of the bodies of the Americans killed in Libya, Obama acknowledged that a surge of anti-American violence in the Middle East is disturbing. The Pentagon is sending Marines to beef up security at the U.S. embassy in Sudan, following similar reinforcements to Libya and Yemen. The Libyan attack and the U.S.-directed outrage have raised questions about Obama's handling of the so-called Arab Spring, a series of revolutions that have unseated entrenched authoritarian governments. The turbulence in the Middle East has had ripples in a tight U.S. presidential election, with Obama's Republican challenger Mitt Romney saying Obama has weakened U.S. authority around the world. However, Obama repeated a vow to bring the attackers of the U.S. consulate in Libya to justice. "We will not waver in their pursuit," he said. The president also said the turmoil should not deter U.S. efforts to support democracy in the region or elsewhere. "Let us never forget that for every angry mob, there are millions who yearn for the freedom, and dignity, and hope that our flag represents," he said. (Reporting by Mark Felsenthal; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) Obama leads homecoming ceremony, GOP attacksBy | Associated Press – 17 hrs ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama led the nation in a somber homecoming Friday for four Americans killed in a brazen attack on a U.S. Consulate, as his election opponents argued they would have done a better job preventing crisis from erupting overseas. Obama watched inside an Andrews Air Force Base hangar as four transfer cases, each one covered with an American flag, were loaded into separate hearses. He vowed that the victims' sacrifice would not be forgotten and that he would do everything to protect Americans serving overseas. "We will bring to justice those who took them from us," Obama vowed in a solemn national moment coming less than eight weeks before Election Day. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney said he delayed the start of his rally in Painesville, Ohio, so he could watch the ceremony on television. He said he watched with his hand over his heart, and then he led the crowd of about 3,000 in a moment of silence "in recognition of the bloodshed for freedom." Romney left the political arguments to his running mate, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, who argued that, if elected, the pair would provide "the confident exercise of American influence" to keep the peace. "American foreign policy needs moral clarity and firmness of purpose," Ryan told conservatives at the Values Voters Summit in Washington. The Republican ticket is trying to hit Obama on his strength, as polling shows that Americans are more likely to trust the president who ended the war in Iraq and led the killing of Osama bin Laden on foreign policy matters. But with momentum in the race recently going toward Obama, the Republicans are looking to expand against the chief argument of their campaign so far that the president has not led the country out of economic doldrums. White House spokesman Jay Carney criticized the timing of the criticism. "The criticism, in particular from Gov. Romney and his team, in what seems to be an attempt to score a political point, has been both factually wrong and poorly timed," Carney said. "Now is the time when Americans should be coming together." Anti-American protests have spread to around 20 countries, with the most violent in the Mideast and North Africa. Demonstrators scaled the walls of U.S. Embassies in Tunisia and Sudan on Friday, while police in Egypt fired tear gas and deployed armored vehicles to prevent protesters from nearing the U.S. Embassy in Cairo. Obama told congressional leaders in a letter Friday that forces from the U.S. Africa Command have been deployed in Libya and Yemen to protect U.S. citizens and property and will remain until safety is restored. Before the transfer of remains ceremony, Obama met privately with the families of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, diplomat Sean Smith and consulate security guards Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods. The four were killed during a raid on the consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that came on Tuesday's 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks as Arabs were angered over an obscure anti-Muslim film produced by a California filmmaker. Romney has struggled to make the case against the sitting commander in chief as the unrest has spread. Since an initial statement mischaracterized the chaotic events, Romney has taken a mournful tone about the loss of life and instead is making a broader argument that Obama has a pattern of sending the wrong message to the world. Speaking at a New York City fundraiser Friday, Romney criticized Obama for failing to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an upcoming visit to the United States, calling it an "extraordinarily confusing and troubling decision." "There have been over the years, confusing messages sent by the president of the United States to the world," Romney said. His running mate was even more pointed. Ryan accused the Obama administration of "indifference bordering on contempt" toward Israel as Iran gets closer to gaining a nuclear weapon, and said dissidents are being slaughtered in Syria as mobs storm American missions in other countries. "We know who America is dealing with in these attacks —they are extremists who operate by violence and intimidation," Ryan said. "And the least equivocation or mixed signal only makes them bolder. "Amid all these threats and dangers, what we do not see is steady, consistent American leadership," he said. Obama had planned to spend the weekend in Washington even before unrest developed overseas. There were no plans to pull back on his extensive campaign travel next week, which includes travel to Ohio, New York, Florida, Virginia and Wisconsin — a state that helped elect him four years ago and one the Romney campaign has been trying to put in play since introducing Ryan as his ticket mate last month. Following a quick trip to New York, where Romney's campaign says he raised $7.5 million at three fundraisers, the candidate traveled to Ohio. Obama carried the perennial battleground state in 2008, but it remains in the toss-up category and could again play a pivotal role in the Nov. 6 election. Ann Romney to attend fundraiser at Bush home in DallasNEW YORK – Ann Romney will attend a fundraising lunch to raise money for husband's presidential campaign at the home of former President George W. Bush next Tuesday, a Romney campaign spokesperson confirmed. Former First Lady Laura Bush will host the lunch, which is part of a Romney fundraising swing through the GOP donor-rich state of Texas, at the couple's home in the Preston Hollow neighborhood of Dallas. Romney campaign aides said Thursday they were unsure whether former president Bush would appear at the lunchtime event at his home, or at a separate finance event with Romney later that evening at a Dallas hotel. A Bush spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment on the former president's schedule, but one Texas Republican close to Bush said he will be in Dallas on Tuesday. In keeping with Romney campaign policy on finance events at private homes, the fundraising lunch at the Bush home will be closed to the press. On Monday, September 10th, Ann Romney and Laura Bush held a similar joint event together at a private home in Oklahoma City. Ticket prices ranged from $1,000 for general admission to $25,000 for a VIP reception, according to an invitation to the event posted online by the Sunlight Foundation, non-partisan group which advocates for government transparency. Since leaving office with historically low approval ratings in 2009, the younger Bush has stayed largely out of the public spotlight. Other than telling a reporter in May that he was supporting Romney, he has not been a vocal presence in the 2012 campaign. Likewise, Romney rarely invokes the name of the most recent Republican president on the campaign trail. Bush's father, former president George H. W. Bush and his wife Barbara have been much more outspoken Romney supporters, first backing Romney last December then formalizing their support in March with a camera-friendly sit down chat at the elder Bush's Houston office. Barbara Bush even recorded robocalls on Romney's behalf during the critical primary contest in Ohio. *** Romney dials it down, while the campaign dials it up: Whether it was his campaign event yesterday in Virginia or his interview with ABC, Romney clearly decided to lower the volume on his Egypt/Libya criticism of the Obama administration. "I thought the [Cairo embassy] statement was inappropriate and pointed that out. And of course, the White House also thought it was inappropriate," he told ABC. "But of course, now our attention is focused on the loss of life and the tragedy." Yet while Romney was dialing things back, his campaign tripled down on the story with advisers suggesting to the Washington Post that the Libyan embassy deaths wouldn't have occurred if Romney were president. "There's a pretty compelling story that if you had a President Romney, you'd be in a different situation," Richard Williamson, a top Romney foreign policy adviser, told the Post. "For the first time since Jimmy Carter, we've had an American ambassador assassinated." *** Final points about our polls: There's a massive gender gap in all three states -- the president leads by double digits among women (16 points in Ohio, 12 in Florida, and 14 in Virginia), but Romney leads by just single digits among men in all three states (two in Ohio, four in Florida and five in Virginia). Also, while Romney's fav/unfav rating in both VA and FL is a tad better than his national fav rating, it's dismal in OH. His UNFAVORABLE rating hits the 50% mark in Ohio. We think this is evidence that in Ohio, specifically, the Obama personal attacks on Romney's wealth and tax returns have taken the greatest toll. That state, more than others in the battleground is more susceptible to populist arguments. Countdown to 1st presidential debate: 19 days Countdown to VP debate: 27 days Countdown to 2nd presidential debate: 32 days Countdown to 3rd presidential debate: 38 days Countdown to Election Day: 53 days Foreign policy at forefront is a Romney hurdleBy | Associated Press – 13 hrs ago
BOSTON (AP) — With protests at U.S. embassies and four Americans dead, Mitt Romney is suddenly facing a presidential election focused on a foreign policy crisis he gambled wouldn't happen. It did — and at a bad time for the GOP hopeful. Momentum in the race is on President Barack Obama's side and Republicans are fretting over the state of their nominee's campaign. To shift the trajectory, Romney's plan boils down to this: Spend big money on TV and work harder. It's unclear how long this round of Middle East unrest will last and Romney's aides concede the former businessman may struggle to gain a political advantage should anti-American violence continue deep into the fall. Despite internal concerns, Romney is publicly confident and on Friday dismissed a new flurry of polls showing him behind. "We're making progress," he insisted during an early morning interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos, adding that many people remain undecided and won't make up their minds until the last minute. "I believe that as they look at who they believe can get this economy strong again and create jobs again and rising wages and take home pay for middle-income families, they're going to say, I've got the best prospects for doing that. And I'll get their nod." But by late Friday, a new poll by The New York Times and CBS News found that Romney had lost his longstanding edge to Obama on who voters say is most likely to restore the economy and create jobs. And the latest surveys from NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist Poll showed Obama with a slight edge in Florida, Ohio and Virginia. Untested on the international stage and with limited foreign policy experience, Romney staked his entire rationale for his candidacy on the notion that he can fix the nation's dour economy given his decades of work in the private sector. He doubled down on that strategy when he chose as his running mate House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, a 42-year-old Wisconsin congressman with little international affairs experience. Then, the unrest in Egypt and Libya flared, and Romney accused Obama of apologizing for America, his first statement mischaracterizing events in Cairo before all the facts were known, including that a beloved U.S. ambassador to Libya had died. Romney drew criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike. Several Republicans, including Arizona Sen. John McCain, have urged Romney to give a major foreign affairs speech laying out his critique of Obama. But the campaign has no plans for any major policy speeches that break major new ground before the debates. Romney's foreign policy bobble was the latest in a series of recent missteps. He stumbled through a summer trip abroad that had been intended to show he could lead on the world stage. Then, he became the first Republican since 1952 to accept his party's nomination without mentioning war, giving Democrats an opening to criticize and raising eyebrows among Republicans. Romney also took heat for actor Clint Eastwood's rambling convention appearance. And, with his massive amounts of ad money failing to break open the race, some Republicans have expressed worry that Romney may be starting to let the campaign get away from him. Others are pushing him to explain more clearly what he would do as president. "Romney's campaign got hung up on the question of 'Are you better off than you were four years ago?' His message should be, 'I can make you better off and here's how,'" said Republican pollster John McLaughlin. He pointed to Romney's pledge to create 12 million new jobs as president and added: "We need to hear specific goals and a reasonable expectation of how to get there." The clock is ticking down on opportunities for Romney to seize momentum. With the pressure on, he is trying to gain the upper-hand by intensifying television advertising and engaging more with voters. "Mitt Romney is the ultimate pressure player," said GOP strategist Phil Musser, a senior adviser to Romney's 2008 campaign. "The higher the stakes, the more on the line, I can't think of an instance where he didn't rise to the challenge." Romney is devoting valuable hours preparing for a series of debates in October that have suddenly taken on new significance; twice in the last week he has holed up with advisers and Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, who plays Obama in the sessions. "There are only a few major events left that can shift the dynamic of this race," said Charlie Black, an informal Romney adviser. "He is right to spend that time preparing for the debates." Obama had barely accepted the nomination last week when Romney unleashed a $4 million-plus blizzard of new TV ads in the most competitive states. The Republican expanded his footprint into Democratic-leaning Wisconsin in hopes of blazing more paths to reaching the 270 electoral votes needed for victory. He also started advertising on cable television networks that cater more to female viewers as he looks to narrow Obama's advantage among women. Expect even more in the coming days as Romney dips into his huge cash stockpile. At the end of August, Romney, the Republican National Committee and state parties were sitting on a combined $169 million. It's expected to be more than Obama and his team, which hasn't yet released their cash figure. Romney has spent less than $79 million on television advertising, compared to Obama's $219 million. Combined with Romney allies' help, the GOP side actually has outspent Obama and his allies so far. Over the past week, Romney has hit the campaign trail energized and animated. And in Ohio, Romney struck an empathetic tone as he sought to connect with voters struggling with a tough economy. "These are real families. These are real people," Romney said. "I was with a miner who said, 'Please help me keep my job.'" Observers have noticed a change in the candidate who struggles to connect with his audiences and is tagged by critics as less than charismatic and even out of touch. "He's turned into a different person," said Lillian Glass, a Los Angeles-based body language expert. "He's become more passionate, more emotional, more dynamic, a communicator." That burst of enthusiasm dovetailed with a round of national polls that showed Obama opening up a slight lead in what had been a deadlocked race — causing a round of second-guessing among Republican insiders about the state of the campaign. "Romney can still win but few at bats left," GOP strategist Alex Castellanos, who worked for Romney in 2008, wrote on Twitter. "Still think an Obama 2nd term (equals) disaster. Just haven't heard why Romney would be better. I remain hopeful." Amid the angst, Romney pollster Neil Newhouse released a post-convention memo that called Obama's uptick "a sugar high," and added: "Don't get too worked up about the latest polling." Romney aides are cautioning Republican naysayers to be patient, arguing that he is within striking distance in each of the handful of states where the two campaigns are focusing their travel time, campaign staff and advertising dollars. They say if Romney can stay close or make gains, undecided voters will break for the challenger. The campaign and the candidate's posture these days are reminiscent of how Romney acted and the strategy he employed last winter during the primary season after former House Speaker Newt Gingrich soundly beat him in South Carolina. Romney responded by sharpening his attacks in next-up Florida, and he benefited as an outside group unleashed millions of dollars of television advertising against Gingrich. Romney also turned in a strong debate performance just before the primary. Romney ended up winning Florida and the nomination. The next few weeks will determine whether he can do the same against Obama. Romney Heckled Over Libya RemarksBy Emily Friedman | ABC OTUS News – Thu, Sep 13, 2012FAIRFAX, Va. - Mitt Romney today was drowned out by a protester at a campaign event yelling at him for "politicizing Libya." The protester was so persistent that Romney was unable to hold a moment of silence in honor of those killed in the incident. "I would offer a moment of silence but one gentleman doesn't want to be silent, so we're going to keep on going," Romney said at the very beginning of a rally in Virginia this morning. The man started shouting at Romney just as he began to offer his condolences to the four Americans killed in Libya. Romney said, "We have heavy hearts across America today." The protester interrupted, shouting, "Why are you politicizing Libya? Why are you politicizing Libya?" People in the crowd began to chant "USA! USA!" to drown the man out, and others raised pom-poms and Romney signs in front of him. The man ripped one of the signs before being escorted out of the event. Romney's reaction to the news out of Libya has come under criticism by some who said he shouldn't have made the event fodder for a political attack. Romney himself said that he believes it is never too early for the American government to condemn these kinds of attacks. Romney finally got to speak without interruption at the rally in Fairfax. "As we watch the world today," he said, "sometimes it seems that we're at the mercy of events, instead of shaping events, and a strong America is essential to shape events. "And a strong America, by the way, depends on a strong military. We have to have a military second to none and that's so strong no one would ever think of testing it," said Romney. Obama vows to 'never retreat' from world after Libya deaths White House CorrespondenThe Ticket – 5 hrs ago
The president, speaking to silent mourners in a cavernous hangar at Andrews Air Force Base just outside Washington, D.C., said, "Even as voices of suspicion and mistrust seek to divide countries and cultures from one another, the United States of America will never retreat from the world. Even in our grief, we will be resolute." Obama spoke after Clinton addressed a crowd of mourners including Vice President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, former Secretary of State Colin Powell and his wife, Alma, and families of the deceased: Ambassador Chris Stevens, Information Management Officer Sean Smith and security agents Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods. The four were killed in an attack on the American Consulate in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi on Tuesday. Clinton deftly wove in personal details. There was Sean Smith, a passionate gamer mourned not just by his wife and children, Heather and Nathan, but also online by the "countless competitors, collaborators and gamers who shared his passion"; Tyrone Woods, known to most as "Rone," a two-decade veteran of the Navy SEALs turned registered nurse and paramedic; Glen "Bub" Doherty, another former SEAL and paramedic who left behind a wife and three children—including one born just a few months ago. And there was Chris Stevens, who "won friends for the United States in far-flung places." Clinton added that Stevens "made those people's hopes his own [and now] we will wipe away our tears, stiffen our spines, and face the future undaunted. "The people of Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Tunisia did not trade the tyranny of a dictator for the tyranny of a mob. Reasonable people and responsible leaders in these countries need to do everything they can to restore security and hold accountable those behind these violent acts," Clinton warned. "And we will, under the president's leadership, keep taking steps to protect our personnel around the world," she said. After they spoke, the Marine Band struck up first the national anthem and then "America the Beautiful," their strains filling the hangar as teams of seven Marines in dress uniforms eased the four flag-draped caskets into matching black hearses. The somber ceremony came after Panetta briefed senators on angry unrest in the Muslim world that has propelled crowds against the outer walls of American diplomatic missions from North Africa to the Mideast and Asia. Lawmakers emerging from the closed-door briefing described the onslaught as anything but a spontaneous display of religious-themed rage at an anti-Islam film on the Internet—a movie the White House has been blaming for the spike in violence. "I think it was a planned, premeditated attack," Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) said, according to Roll Call, the newspaper that covers Congress. But he said he did not know who carried out the attack. "People don't go to demonstrate and carry RPGs and automatic weapons," sad Arizona Sen. John McCain, the top Republican on Levin's committee. "This was not a 'mob' action [or] a group of protesters." McCain said it was too soon to "indict our intelligence community," but strongly suggested there had been a "failure" to detect the danger and act on it—but allowed that it could have been "one of those things that probably couldn't have been prevented." Briefing reporters at the White House almost exactly at the same moment, press secretary Jay Carney declared that "we have no information to suggest that it was a preplanned attack." "The cause of the unrest was a video, and that continues today, as you know, as we anticipated. And it may continue for some time," he said, referring to the Internet film. Asked repeatedly whether the violence might have other causes—unhappiness at the way the Obama administration has handled the "Arab Spring," for instance, or U.S. policy in general—Carney replied, "We obviously are not polling protesters to find out what their motivations are." And the spokesman suggested that criticisms of Obama's handling of foreign policy should wait for another day. "Now is a time when Americans should be coming together," Carney said. "This is a time when it's in the best interests of the country to focus on the four personnel, the four Americans that we lost in Libya and who are returning home today, and on the measures that we need to take as a nation to deal with the unrest in the region, and deal with the security of our diplomatic facilities and personnel abroad," he said. "There is certainly ample time and appropriate times to debate foreign policy approaches," Carney added. "We're very proud of the president's record on foreign policy and are happy to make the case at the appropriate time." Taliban Afghan attack kills two U.S. troops, Prince Harry unhurtReuters – 3 hrs ago
KABUL (Reuters) - Two U.S. Marines were killed and other Americans were wounded on Friday during a Taliban attack on a base in southern Afghanistan where Britain's Prince Harry is stationed, U.S. officials told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. A spokesman for NATO-led forces in Afghanistan said Harry was on the base at the time of the attack but was unharmed. "Prince Harry was never in any danger," spokesman Martyn Crighton said, adding that the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) would investigate whether his presence on the base had motivated the attack. The attack involved rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and small-arms fire, with insurgents breaching the perimeter of Camp Bastion in volatile Helmand province, U.S. officials said. Crighton declined to offer that level of detail or give the nationalities of the victims. Crighton also did not say precisely how many people were wounded in the attack. Earlier this week, the Afghan Taliban said they were doing everything in their power to either kill or kidnap Queen Elizabeth's grandson in what they dubbed their "Harry Operations. Crighton said ISAF would investigate whether his presence on the base had motivated the attack. A U.S. official told Reuters that an initial report estimated five Americans were wounded but added that the extent of their injuries was unclear. The official said that this was only an initial report and that the number could change. Crighton said the attack took place between 9 p.m. and midnight on Friday and that NATO-led forces were still securing the area in and around Camp Bastion. The motivation for the attack will undoubtedly come under scrutiny. Violence is sweeping the Muslim world over a film that insults the Prophet Mohammad, although the Pentagon earlier on Friday said protests in Afghanistan were so far peaceful. (Reporting by Phil Stewart in Washington and Jessica Donati in Kabul; Editing by Eric Beech and Will Dunham) Huntsman: Romney's Reaction to Arab Protests a 'Problem'By Matt Vasilogambros | National Journal – 16 hrs agoFormer U.S. Ambassador to China and presidential candidate Jon Huntsman said on Friday that Mitt Romney's response to the violent protests in the Middle East and North Africa posed a "problem" for the man he endorsed several months ago. As protests raged outside the U.S. Embassy in Cairo and an attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya earlier this week left four Americans dead, Romney's decision to criticize the Obama administration was ill-advised and was a lost opportunity, Huntsman said on MSNBC's Morning Joe. "This was an opportunity to instruct, to elucidate, to educate, to talk about how you put the pieces back together again in North Africa and the Middle East," he said. "Not to condemn, not to criticize, not to turn it into a political event, but to explain to the American people what we're going to do during a time of need, during a time of crisis, during a time of uncertainty." In a time where relations between the U.S. and the Arab world is strained, and questions surrounding the broader implications of the Arab Springs are prevalent, Huntsman said that Romney should have explained his position on the democratic uprisings of late. "I don't know what Governor Romney is proposing at this point," Huntsman said. While protests were still taking place outside the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, where protesters breached the compound, Romney went after President Obama for what he called "apologizing" for the U.S. The Romney campaign cited a statement by the embassy that condemned religious intolerance. The Romney campaign, however, has received some backlash since their attacks on the Obama administration after news broke of the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi. Obama has pledged to "bring those who killed our fellow Americans to justice." On Friday, Huntsman praised the president for his actions in the wake of the tragedy overseas. "The president has said that he will go after those who killed our American diplomats abroad," Huntsman said. "I think these are things that all Americans can rally around." Although Huntsman cautioned that as a "failed candidate," he was "not in a position to offer advice to anybody," he said the Romney campaign must show the "heart and soul of the candidate" in order to rebound from this week. Pope tells Syrians he admires their courageBy VICTOR L. SIMPSON | Associated Press – 2 hrs 53 mins ago
BEIRUT (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI told Syrians at a rally for young people Saturday that he admired their courage and that he does not forget those in the Middle East who are suffering. On a day of appeals for religious freedom in the region, he said it was time for Muslims and Christians to work together against violence and war. He spoke on the second day of his visit to Lebanon, a country with the largest percentage of Christians in the Middle East. He arrived amid a wave of violent demonstrations over an anti-Islam film across the Muslim world. Addressing the rally, Benedict said he understood that there were young people present from Syria in the crowd of some 20,000 people. "I want to say how much I admire your courage," the pope said, speaking French. "Tell your families and friends back home that the pope has not forgotten you. Tell those around you that the pope is saddened by your sufferings and your grief." Traveling to Lebanon on Friday, Benedict called for a halt in weapons deliveries to Syria, but he did not draw a distinction between the government and rebel sides. Lebanon has given refuge to nearly 70,000 of a quarter-million Syrians who have fled their country's increasingly bloody civil war. The turmoil stemming from the Arab Spring has deeply unsettled the Middle East's Christian population, which fears being caught between rival Muslim groups. Part of the pope's mission in Lebanon is convincing his flock to remain in the region despite war, sectarian violence and hardship. "It is time for Muslims and Christians to come together so as to put an end to violence and war," he said. Earlier Saturday, he appealed for religious freedom, calling it central to stability in a region bloodied by sectarian strife. "Let us not forget that religious freedom is a fundamental right from which many other rights stem," he said, speaking in French to government officials, foreign diplomats and religious leaders at the presidential palace in Mount Lebanon in the southern suburbs of Beirut. He held up Lebanon, which is still rebuilding from a devastating 1975-1990 civil war largely fought on sectarian lines, as an example of coexistence for the region. He said Christians and Muslims in Lebanon share the same space — at times in the same family — and asked, "If it is possible in families why not in entire societies?" Marriages where husband and wife are from different religious groups are not uncommon in Lebanon. He said the freedom to practice one's religion "without danger to life and liberty must be possible to everyone." The papal visit comes amid soaring sectarian tensions in the region, exacerbated by the conflict in Syria, which is in the throes of an 18-month-old civil war. A predominantly Sunni opposition in the Sunni-majority country is fighting to topple President Bashar Assad whose regime is dominated by Alawites, an offshoot of Shiite Islam. Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Syria's population, say they are particularly vulnerable to the violence sweeping the country of 22 million people. They are fearful that Syria will become another Iraq, with Christians caught in the crossfire between rival Islamic groups. Thousands of Christians have fled areas where heavy fighting has taken place, including the once religiously mixed central city of Homs. Rebels have controlled Homs' Christian neighborhoods of Hamidiyeh and Bustan Diwan since early February and most of the districts' residents have fled. On Saturday, a Syrian priest from Homs said the Archdiocese of Syriac Catholics in Hamidiyeh was torched this week. The motives behind the attack were unclear. The priest, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, told The Associated Press by telephone that the attack took place Thursday. He said residents tried for 14 hours to put out the raging fire because fire engines could not reach the area under rebel control. No further details were immediately available. He said around 80,000 Christians used to live in Hamidiyeh but now only 85 people remain. In Lebanon, enthusiastic crowds lined the streets and cheered along the 30-kilometer (19-mile) motorcade route to the palace as Benedict went by Saturday in the bullet-proof glass popemobile. Soldiers on horseback rode ahead of the car. As the pope arrived in the presidential compound, officials released about 20 white doves. Just hours after the pope arrived Friday, violence erupted in northern Lebanon over "Innocence of Muslims," a film that ridicules the Prophet Muhammad, portraying him as a fraud, a womanizer and a child molester. According to Lebanese security officials, a crowd angry over the film set fire to a KFC and a Hardee's restaurant in the port city of Tripoli, 85 kilometers (50 miles) north of Beirut, sparking clashes with police. Police then opened fire, killing one of the attackers, the officials said. At least 25 people were wounded in the melee, including 18 police who were hit with stones and glass. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. Lebanese authorities tightened security for the pope, suspending weapons permits except for politicians' bodyguards and confining the visit to central Lebanon and northern Christian areas. In the evening, Benedict will address thousands of youths from across the Middle East. ___ Associated Press writer Albert Aji contributed to this report from Damascus, Syria. Protests sweep Islamic world, fueled by domestic politics, anti-US angerProtesters who attacked embassies and clashed with police in at least 17 Muslim countries outraged by more than an anti-Islam video.By Scott Peterson | Christian Science Monitor – 23 hrs agoAnti-American protests continued their sweep across swathes of the Islamic world today, sparked by a low-budget video deliberately denigrating the prophet Muhammad that was made in the US. From Mauritania to Indonesia, protesters took to the streets in anger over the video, which portrays Islam's most sacred figure as a sexually loose and ruthless buffoon. Yet the protests were about much more than the video. They were a reflection of a deeper, wide-ranging discontent, rooted not only in anger at the US for such things as its pro-Israel policies, drone strikes, and the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, but also in frustration at domestic leaders who have not been able to effect rapid change in the wake of the Arab Spring. Analysts also point to a wider power struggle under way between mainstream Islamic groups and ultra-conservative Salafist elements, believed to be behind the Sept. 11 attack in Libya that killed the US ambassador. "There is a battle going on for the soul of these states," says Salman Shaikh, director of the Brookings Doha Center, contacted in Qatar. "People are offended [by the movie], but with regard to the Arab world, a lot of it has to do with internal domestic politics between the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafism," says Mr. Shaikh. "It's domestic politics mixed with an attempt to make new nation states and political systems and institutions that are so vital, he says, arguing that it's not a coincidence that new governments are being challenged most. "And that is a pretty heady mix." RELATED: Blasphemy riots: 6 examples around the world US officials were quick to denounce the video as "reprehensible" this week, but that was not enough to tamp down the fury felt across the globe. On Thursday, the high walls of US embassies in Sudan and Tunisia were scaled and breached by crowds; Salafists in Tunis replaced the embassy's US flag with their own black one, and the American school there was set alight. American flags were torched from Tehran to Amman to Kuala Lumpur. Egyptian protesters fought street battles with security forces. In Afghanistan, which was otherwise surprisingly quiet, an effigy of Barack Obama was burnt in an eastern province. In India-administered Kashmir, the top Islamic cleric told all Americans to "immediately leave" because Muslim sentiments "have been hurt by these pictures." Iran's supreme religious leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, condemned a historic string of Western insults, saying that an "evil chain – namely Salman Rushdie, the Danish cartoonist and Quran-burning American priests," showed that the US and "evil Zionist groups are furious at the increasing brilliance of Islam... in the world today." In Khartoum, where antigovernment protests earlier this year were easily crushed, security forces did not prevent crowds from attacking the downtown British and German embassies before driving farther out to the US embassy. IN YEMEN, A PRESIDENT'S APOLOGY In Yemen, security forces were significantly reinforced today to prevent a repeat of yesterday's breach of the US Embassy compound. President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi issued an apology to President Obama and the American people, and vowed to investigate. Hundreds of Yemenis nevertheless converged today toward the embassy compound after Friday prayers. Security forces held them back with tear gas and warning bullets at a barrier a mile from the embassy. While the protests were sparked by the anti-Islam film, Yemenis have long resented what they consider American "meddling" in Yemeni affairs. Many Yemenis bristle at continuing American drone strikes in the country, one of which left 10 civilians dead last week. US Ambassador Gerald Feierstein was singled out yesterday as protesters chanted, "Today is your day, oh ambassador!" as they stormed the embassy walls. Today they carried placards with the same words, and another which read: "America is the devil." GAZA LEADERS RALLY THE CROWDS In the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, Islamic Jihad and Hamas leaders encouraged a strong display of anti-Americanism. In Gaza City, thousands chanted "Death to America" and "Death to Jews," and heard speeches from party leaders blaming the US for allowing the release of the film. Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya told protesters that "The criminals behind the release of the film must be brought to justice. This film is meant to ignite a sectarian war in the Middle East." The US is widely demonized in Palestinian territories for its staunch pro-Israel policies. Many marched today to express anger at those policies, burning US and Israeli flags along the way. "We are here to show America and Israel that we will not stay our hand," said Mohammed Dahman, who carried a green Hamas flag. "Mocking our prophet is a red line. We may be silent at some issues ... but we will get so violent when it comes to our prophet and our creed." He said he admired the Libyans who sacked the consulate in Benghazi and killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens. "It's a great loss that there is no American embassy here so we could pour out our fierce anger on them," said Mr. Dahman. "I would have killed them all if I had the chance." But Majed Aadas, an English teacher, said killing is against the teachings of Islam. "Our religion does not urge us to kill innocent people," says Mr. Aadas. "Today's demonstration is a message to the Western regimes in general and it is not directed against the people. We know that many Americans sympathize with the Palestinians and I have met many of them personally in Gaza." FUNDAMENTALISM EMERGES ON THE POLITICAL SCENE Anti-US grievances vary from country to country, and are compounded in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, and Syria by a strong fundamentalist element that has emerged on the political scene. The assault on the US Consulate in Benghazi occurred just hours after Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri called on pro-Al Qaeda groups to "kill the crusaders" to avenge the death in a drone strike of a Libyan leader of the Al Qaeda. Many Libyans have responded with shock, sadness, and embarrassment to Tuesday's attack. In Benghazi, people took to the streets, with one sign reading in English: "Sorry People of America this is not the behavior of our ISLAM and Profit [sic]." "It may have been last minute, but people felt they should do something that very day," says Lamia Abusedra, a culture ministry official from Benghazi. In the days since the attack, Libyans have come forth to voice their regret and insist that Islam is a peaceful religion. Partially as a result of the US-led NATO effort that ensured the fall of dictator Muammar Qaddafi last year, Libya remains one Arab nation with widespread pro-American sentiment. But Salafist groups and armed militias, the Islamists often harboring anti-US feelings, continue to roam Libya, though authorities today announced the arrest of four suspects in the Benghazi attack. "In today's sermon, the sheikh spoke against what happened on [Sept. 11], and about the rights of both citizens and foreigners," says Talal Giuma, co-founder of a children's health charity and teacher on Muslim-Christian relations at Tripoli's Algeria Square mosque. "There's a religious principle that not to thank those who bring you into being is like ingratitude toward God," says Mr. Giuma. "America supported the rebels in the war against Qaddafi, and we should be grateful." Other Libyans have taken to the Internet to send messages of condolence – and to address those who supported the attack. "The victory of the prophet is not through breaking, burning, looting, and theft," says one Arabic message that circulated on Facebook. "Those who truly want his victory will make known his mores, life and message." Ahmed Aldabba in Gaza City, Gaza; John Thorne in Rabat, Morocco; and Adam Baron in Sanaa, Yemen contributed reporting. Nakoula May have Violated Probation by Making MovieBy SYDNEY LUPKIN | ABC News – 3 hrs ago
Federal probation officers interviewed Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, a California filmmaker responsible for creating an anti-Islam film that sparked protests in more than 30 countries, late last night. The man, who served 21 months in prison on fraud and identity theft charges, could face more prison time if it is determined his involvment in the film was a violation of his probation, which barred him from either owning or using devices with access to the Web without prior approval from his probation officer. Nakoula left his Cerritos home with his head wrapped in a towel and wearing a hat, apparently trying to hide his appearance. But he was not under arrest and went to the police station willingly during the overnight shift, Los Angeles County Deputy Sherriff Kim Manatt told ABCNews.com. The Sherriff's Department provided transportation, but was not involved in questioning Nakoula, Manatt said. The movie, "The Innocence of Muslims," the prophet Mohammed, portraying him as a buffoon, womanizer and child-molester. Nakoula is the identity of Sam Bacile, an alias he used to claim credit for writing and directing the film, the ABC News Investigative Unit reported this week. Nakoula denied this and said he worked on logistics for the film, but an anonymous official told The Associated Press that the two are one and the same. Nakoula was charged with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft in 2009. According to the criminal complaint, his other aliases included Mark Basseley Youssef, Thomas Tanas, Ahmad Hamdy, Erwin Salameh, and Nicola Bacily. He had credit cards, social security cards, passports, leases and driver's licenses to match. As a result of the felony proceedings, Nakoula was sentenced to 21 months in prison, ordered to pay $794,700.57 and was placed under supervised release for five years following his release. Bureau of Prison records indicate that he was released in June 2011. Before "Sam Bacile" was identified as Nakoula, he told the AP, in an interview in which he used the pseudonym: "Islam is a cancer, period." ABCNews.com reported on the mismatching claims surrounding "Bacile" earlier this week. Although he claimed to be a Jewish Israeli, other reports called him an Arab Christian U.S. citizen. There is no record for a "Sam Bacile" in ABC's research databases. As "Bacile," he also told reporters from different publications that he was different ages. He told the AP he was 56 and the Wall Street Journal that he was 52. His YouTube profile lists him as 75. Nakoula said he is "scared to death" for his family, though most threats have been directed at him, the ABC News Investigative Unit reported. Protesters in foreign nations have blamed the United States for the film, prompting hundreds of them to storm U.S. embassies around the world. They've also to set fire to American flags as well as a Christian School in Niger and a KFC in Lebanon, which are considered symbols of the United States. Two are dead in Tunisia as a result of the protests. Although Egyptian police report that they've restored calm after clashing with protesters, at least six people were killed earlier in the week, according to the AP. President Obama spoke at a ceremony this week to pay tribute to four Americans who were killed Tuesday when militants stormed the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. The dead there include U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens. |
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