WHERE IS THE PRESS?
by Sharon Rondeau
(Nov. 25, 2012) — Exactly one year ago today, the U.S. State Department issued a statement by the press secretary at the U.S. embassy in Cairo, Egypt encouraging “Egypt’s transition to democracy” following the Arab Spring protests which began in December 2010 as citizens of repressive Middle Eastern nations decried decades of totalitarian rule.
Today, President Mohamed Morsi, who was democratically-elected in a close election last June, has attempted to assure Egyptian citizens and the world that his power grab, announced on Wednesday, would be “temporary.” Morsi declared himself above the courts’ reach, which sparked protests by those fearing that he intends to install an Islamic government after a new constitution is written.
Fox News reported on air earlier this evening that the U.S. embassy in Cairo had issued a warning to its employees because of the escalating violence which killed a 15-year-old boy. However, only one reference to the U.S. embassy is found from an internet search approximately two hours later, appearing in a pro-Morsi article.
The Muslim Brotherhood, of which Morsi is a member and derives much support, was banned from Egypt during the reign of Hosni Mubarak, who was driven from power in February of last year during Arab Spring protests. Secular protesters and Brotherhood supporters have been engaged in hand-to-hand combat since Saturday, and offices of the Brotherhood have been burned. Some are calling for Morsi to leave office with the word “Out!”
The Muslim Brotherhood does not recognize Israel’s right to exist and has vowed to “kill all Jews.”
U.S. Embassy authorities are quoted as having “advised…staff to avoid the city centre ‘to the extent possible until further notice.'”
Why are American news media not reporting the news about the U.S. embassy?
On September 11, 2012, protests arose outside of the U.S. embassy in Cairo during which the American flag was torn down and an Islamic flag flown in its place. Following the events in Cairo, a terrorist attack was launched on a building originally identified as a U.S. “consulate” but later changed by the Obama regime to “diplomatic facility,” killing the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans in a seven-hour siege.
The Obama regime has lied about the attack, insisting that it, too, was sparked by an anti-Islamic video, although news services obtained emails exchanged in real time as the violence unfolded which indicated that members of the White House staff, FBI, military and CIA knew that terrorists had planned and carried out the attack on an unprotected facility. They also watched the horror unfold from video transmitteded from two drones which flew overhead.
The statement from the U.S. embassy on its website reads, in part:
The Embassy wishes to inform U.S. citizens of sporadic clashes in the vicinity of the Embassy. Protestors have pelted police lines just outside the Embassy’s North Gate entrance, with some Molotov cocktails thrown in the same direction. While some rocks have landed on the Embassy compound, there is no indication at this time that the Embassy itself is a target. Embassy personnel have been advised to stay out of open outdoor space within the compound, and that absent an essential reason to depart, Embassy employees should remain inside until the current activity subsides. As the security situation around the Embassy remains fluid and unpredictable, U.S. citizens are strongly urged to avoid coming to the Embassy at this time.
As a matter of general practice, U.S. citizens should avoid areas where large gatherings may occur. Even demonstrations or events intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. U.S. citizens in Egypt are urged to monitor local news reports and to plan their activities accordingly.
The embassy warning was located with text which did not reflect its urgent nature.
Instead, U.S. reporters are tweeting about football games.
