Libyan Leader Issues Apology For Benghazi Attack, Still No Response From Egypt
The leadership of Libya has issued an apology to the United States for the attack in Benghazi that resulted in the death of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Foreign Service officers:
TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — Libya’s interim president has apologized to the United States for the attack on the U.S. consulate in the eastern city of Benghazi that killed the American ambassador and three of his staff.
Mohammed el-Megarif described the attack as “cowardly” and offered his condolences on the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens and the three other Americans. Speaking to reporters, he vowed to bring the culprits to justice and maintain his country’s close relations with the United States. He said the three Americans were security guards.
Perhaps of more interest, and potential concern, though, is the fact that there has yet to be a comment of any kind from Mohammad Morsi or anyone else connected to the Egyptian Government.
As I suggested in my “Quick Pick” post on this topic, I don’t think an apology is quite enough. If Libya needs to restrain its citizens to maintain the safety of our diplomats, that’s what it needs to do. Anything less than preserving the safety of our diplomats is an inadequate response on the part of the Libyan government.
No, I agree that it isn’t enough but it’s at least the bare minimum.
Words are wind…
I find the Egyptian response disconcerting. An apology and offer of help to locate the perpetrators is the least he should offer. To say nothing implies if not tacit approval, then at least tolerance of he mob’s action.
We still provide billions in aid to Egypt, don’t we? Perhaps it’s time to rethink those policies.
Hey, the Libyan response is a good start.Tiny steps here. Come on, Egypt !
@Dave Schuler:
@Doug Mataconis:
Agreed. It’s a pretty basic matter of civil stability – if a government can’t keep citizens from literally invading foreign embassies and murdering foreign nationals, it’s not in control. Both Egypt and Libya have had a lot of upheaval in recent months, but this is really unacceptable at a nation-state level.
Breaking!
According to CNN on Twitter, attack on US Embassy was planned.
https://twitter.com/HalaGorani
@stonetools:
If that is the case (and it’s being reported by the NYTs now) — that the Libyan riot ended up being cover for a previously planned attack on the US Embassy — this really could end up blowing up in the face of the Obama administration.
The bloodless war in Libya claimed its first American victim. And given the publics general frustration with military adventurism in the NE, its entirely possible that this might shift what was a “win” for Obama (the overthrow of Qaddafi) into a “loss” in the public mind (we liberate them and this is what we get).