Libya: Death of U.S. Ambassador And Romney’s Folly

At a time when the U.S. was under attack Romney’s priority was to criticize action by the U.S. embassy.

 [EDITORIAL]
 
The killing of the United States ambassador Christopher Stevens and
three other diplomats in Benghazi highlights the state of general
lawlessness in Libya.  
 
Since the collapse of the Muammar
al-Quathafi regime by the NATO-backed insurgents last year real power
has been exercised by the armed militias. Libya has no effective
government today.  The militias are all beneficiaries of the vast
arsenal that became available after the regime collapsed. 
 
The
attack against the Benghazi embassy together with a separate one on the
U.S. embassy in Cairo comes at a time of heightened tensions in the
region with Israel’s leaders pushing for a U.S. strike against Iran to
knock out Tehran’s nuclear program.  
 
The Libya and Egypt
attacks came as reaction to a film posted online that reportedly
denigrates the prophet Muhammad. The U.S. embassy in Cairo, while it
was still enduring attack, issued a statement condemning the assault while also
criticizing the film that spurred it. The maker of the film, a California resident, is reportedly now in hiding.
 
Rather than waiting for
all the facts to emerge, Republican candidate Mitt Romney, attacked the
statement by the beleaguered U.S. embassy and claimed it fell within the
pattern of President Obama “apologizing” on behalf of the United States
and in this particular case even “siding” with the attackers. 
 
Romney’s
campaign is trailing President Obama’s but his reaction to the attack
against the U.S. embassy shows he’s not ready for primetime. At a time
when the U.S. is under attack –the embassy is technically an extension
of U.S. territory– Romney’s priority was to criticize action by the
U.S. embassy. 
 
It’s not a secret that Israel’s Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu is meddling in U.S. domestic politics. He wants an
outcome that favors his friend, Romney, the Republican candidate. The
two men worked together as consultants when Netanyahu resided in the
U.S. 
 
It was no accident that when Romney visited Israel a few
months ago one of his aids basically gave the green light for an attack
by Israel on Iran. 
 
The Romney campaign’s foreign policy
position is being shaped by the same group that controlled George W.
Bush’s; the Dick Cheney neo-Con wing. 
 
Libya and Egypt are both
still very unstable following the change of leadership in those
countries. Libya is much more volatile given the proliferation of
militias. Much of Libya is run by brutal militias, including those from
Misrata who have ethnically cleansed the city of Tawargha of its 35,000
Black-skinned Libyan citizens, killing many and driving some into
refugee camps.  
 
Reports that the U.S. may send as many as 200
marines to bolster security at the embassy in Benghazi, presents risks
as well. It could also draw the U.S. into direct involvement on the ground in
Libya, with unforeseen or unintended consequences. 
 
Combine all these developments with the continued violence in Syria, it’s easy to see how a regional conflagration can erupt. 
 
That’s
why it’s very sad to watch Romney launch his political attack while
events still evolve on the ground in the region in his desperate attempt
to close the gap between his campaign and Obama’s.

“Speaking Truth To Empower.”

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