The Real Action will be on Friday in Cairo

The US Embassy is in the lower left corner of the map.  Tahrir Square is the big rectangular space just below the Egyptian Museum.

Mursi has not  done very much to insure the embassy's safety.  He has made vague statements and has not condemned the attack on the embassy.  He has not apologized for his government's failure to protect the embassy.

His brothers in MB have called for a million people to assemble in Tahrir Square tomorrow to protest the film.  The embassy is vulnerable to those numbers.  The procedure for destruction of classified papers and evacuation of the premises should be underway NOW.

The longer this crisis continues the more the whole thing smells like an attampt to cause difficulty for BHO in the American election.  Now, who would want to do that?  pl

Comments

[PS]

According to POTUS' statement today, Egypt is neither an ally or an enemy, http://news.yahoo.com/obama-egypt-not-ally-enemy-122704386.html. Sounds like we are in for a cooling relationship unless Mursi steps up and apologizes. Egypt probably can kiss the prospects for debt relief/rescheduling goodbye in Congress, and that's just the beginning.

[Pat]

Col. Lang, acknowledging this is secondary, have you watched the video?

[TWV]

".......the whole thing smells like an attampt to cause difficulty for BHO in the American election. Now, who would want to do that?"

Boy, if the Mossad is THAT good, maybe we should shut down our politicized intelligence agencies and outsource to the Israelis.

[greg0]

Might the Generals have something special planned for Friday also?

[ThomasOfNY]

My prayers and hopes go to the people in our embassy there. I hope nothing happens...

[Dongo]

This affair has given me something of an Israeli vibe from the beginning, but I've yet to see a real smoking gun.

Any thoughts, Col. Lang?

[William R. Cumming]

Since the NAZIs tried to buy the election of 1940 and defeat FDR foreign governments have known that manipulating US elections is a fast way to influence USA policies.
With this Presidential election on knife edge IMO only too obvious that the events in MENA largely designed to influence USA policy there. The trouble I have is that neither Party or Candidate seems to have a MENA policy and hoping for the best that reactive policymaking will see US through. Slim chance.

BTW in Libya it was a Consulate building attacked!

[taras]

If Mursi does not protect our Embassy, we should pull all diplomatic staff back to Tel Aviv, expel the Egyptian Ambassador (if we have one) and cut off all $$$ until Mursi steps up to the international obligations required of his stature.
Not sure if the ships we are sending into the Med are enough to reinforce this point, but if so, we should hellfire our Embassy in order to "destroy any classified information" left behind.
I was thinking this was a blast from the past campaign by AQ, coming as it did on 9/11 and the coordination in several cities.

[turcopolier]

taras

"...back to Tel Aviv," You think they came from Tel Aviv. ?pl

[Matthew]

Col: But why would Morsi want that? Does Morsi want Romney because that would make it easier for MB-dominated Egypt to make a "clean break" with the USA?

Is this crisis another way to marginize the military?

[turcopolier]

MM

Mursi is a man of little imagination ruled by hi religious passions, not by "rational choice." We will learn tomorrow how much he is so ruled. pl

[turcopolier]

TWV

Actually, such a thing would be child's play. pl

[turcopolier]

Pat

No, and I will not. pl

[Medicine Man]

Col.: Not asking for specifics, but is there any indications that the US is now taking steps to defend their foreign service in Egypt?

[taras]

Of course not, well maybe 1 or 2. although, i was thinking more of the optics vs. the egyptians.
my belief is that this video was not made by anyone who had America's or Israel's interests at heart.
maybe Alaa and/or Gamal Mubarrak had something to do with this?

[turcopolier]

MM

In downtown Cairo there is nothing the US can do except withdraw and evacuate the buildings. The Egyptian authorities have to defend the embassy. That is true in every diplomatic and consular mission. In a small place like Tripoli or Sana' you could defend the place temporarily with marine reinforcements but not for long. pl

[The Twisted Genius]

CENTCOM,AFRICOM and DIA must be coordinating and executing NEOs out the wazoo.

[Fred]

WRC

Buying that election how? Invading France in May? FDR won that election with 449 electoral votes and 55% of the popular vote.

[Medicine Man]

I see. We'll soon see what Mursi's priorities are. God be with the embassy staff.

[doug tunnell]

NYT is running a piece out of Los Angeles that questions the existence of "the film" suggesting it may be no more than the trailer... At least some of its creators apparently are proud of their work.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/14/us/origins-of-provocative-video-are-shrouded.html?hp

[bob randolph]

The Brits were light years more effective than the Germans in manipulating American policy and influencing our sentiments toward the European combatants in both world wars of the last century. It calls to mind the "old saw" attributed to Bismarck that the tragedy for Germany was that the North Americans speak English.

[optimax]

Someone did not have the Egyptian Copts at heart either. Whoever made this piece of crap did it to blow up the ME, endanger Americans, Copts and anyone considered an unbeliever. Hope they find out who paid for it.

[Pat]

Calling it a "film" is very generous. It's not animated, but I would say it felt like some idiots impersonating a South Park episode.

[optimax]

The Daily Kos has more information about some of the people connected to The Innocence Of Muslims. Many are identified as conmen, the type of person who wouldn't be involved unless there was money to be made.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/09/12/1130900/-Tracing-the-Sam-Bacile-Network

[JoeC]

NEO's ??