Protesters chanting "death to American" stormed the US embassy in Yemen, managing to breach the outer wall, but were unable to enter the inner main building housing, this morning. Protester in Cairo attempted again to seize the embassy but were fought off. Also, protesters in Baghdad marched demanding the closure of U.S. embassy in Iraq, reports, Ahmed Al-Han, of the Associated Press, in Yemen Protests: Demonstrators Angered By Anti-Islam Film Storm U.S. Embassy In Sanaa.
SANAA, Yemen (AP) — Chanting "death to America," hundreds of protesters angered by an anti-Islam film stormed the U.S. Embassy compound in Yemen's capital and burned the American flag on Thursday, the latest in a series of attacks on American diplomatic missions in the Middle East.
American missions have been attacked in three Arab nations — Yemen, Egypt and Libya — that have faced persistent unrest and are struggling to restore law and order after last year's revolts deposed their authoritarian regimes.
Protesters assumed to be responding to the inflammatory film "Innocence of Muslims," burned the Americans flag, and tires, and tore down the embassy sign, replacing it with a black banner inscribed with "There is no God but Allah." But, Yemen is home to al-Qaida's most active branch, and the government announced,Tuesday, that the number 2 al-Qaida leader had been killed there in an air strike, so anger may be from other sources, as well. Systematic U.S. predator drone strikes have decimated al-Qaida top leadership over recent years.
Egyptian protesters clashed Thursday with police near the U.S. Embassy in Cairo for the third day in a row. Police used tear gas to disperse the protesters and the two sides pelted each other with rocks. But unlike Tuesday, the police kept the protesters away from the embassy's compound. ...
US officials are investigating whether the attacks have been coordinated, and the results may determine our response. Two additional U.S. Warships are reported headed for Libya, and surveillance drones are looking for clues.
Lolita C. Baldor reports Warships Headed To Libya, U.S. Officials Say
WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon ordered two warships to the Libyan coast in the aftermath of the attack in Benghazi that killed the U.S. ambassador and three others, U.S. officials said Wednesday.
One destroyer, the USS Laboon, moved to a position off the coast Wednesday, and the USS McFaul is en route and should be stationed off the coast within days. The officials said the ships, which carry Tomahawk cruise missiles, do not have a specific mission. But they give commanders flexibility to respond to any mission ordered by the president.
Pentagon spokesman George Little said: "Without commenting on specific ship movements, the United States military regularly takes precautionary steps when potential contingencies might arise in a given situation. That's not only logical in certain circumstances, it's the prudent thing to do."
And, CNN reports,
Pro-al Qaeda group seen behind deadly Benghazi attack. The Omar Abdul Rahman Brigades are suspected after claiming responsibility for an earlier explosive device and calling for revenge for the assassinations of top al-Qaeda leadrs. (I've spelled al-Qaeda in two ways following the lead of articles being discussed.)
(CNN) -- A pro-al Qaeda group responsible for a previous armed assault on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi is the chief suspect in Tuesday's attack that killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya, sources tracking militant Islamist groups in eastern Libya say.
They also note that the attack immediately followed a call from al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri for revenge for the death in June of a senior Libyan member of the terror group Abu Yahya al-Libi.
The group suspected to be behind the assault -- the Imprisoned Omar Abdul Rahman Brigades -- first surfaced in May when it claimed responsibility for an attack on the International Red Cross office in Benghazi. The following month the group claimed responsibility for detonating an explosive device outside the U.S. Consulate and later released a video of that attack.
Noman Benotman, once a leading member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group and now based at the Quilliam Foundation in London told CNN, "An attack like this would likely have required preparation. This would not seem to be merely a protest which escalated."
The U.S. military has been tracking suspected al-Qaeda camps in rurul regions of both Yemen and Libya for some time. Yesterday, reports suggested that U.S. drones would identify targets and leave it to the Libyan government and tribal leaders to make retaliatory strikes if deemed appropriate. However, Yemen is considered by some to by a failed state, and the U.S. military has been concerned about suspected al-Qaeda training camps there for some time.
The seriousness of this ongoing crisis continues to escalate.