120914.0 MTAS What Do We Do Now?

There are two types of Muslims in the world.  One type follows the Koran as peaceful adherents; the other perverts their religion into an intolerant, hate filled fanatical obsession.   I have no idea what the respective percentages are amongst the between 1.5 and 2.5 billion Muslims on the planet.  Whatever those percentages might be, there are many fanatics. 

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Is the motivating factor (read excuse) for the fanatics the movie or the eleven-year anniversary of 11 September 2011disaster?  Are the actions of the fanatics spontaneous, planned, or both?

Note that we made a fuss over the anniversary, a First Amendment option, and that also may have spurred the radicals to action.

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As of this morning, twelve US embassies and/or consulates are under assault and there are four dead Americans, one dead Yemeni, and another fatality in Lebanon.  American businesses are under attack in at least one country. 

The German and British embassies in the Sudan are under attack   The Swiss embassy in Iran under protest. 

The trouble spots are Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen. 

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The Department of Defense, in coordination with the State Department, is sending Marine security teams in varying strengths to selected embassies.  On the surface that sounds like a good idea but there are considerations that are not readily apparent. 

The primary responsibility for embassy security falls on the host nation.  Any American security forces present are there only to “hold the fort” until the host nation removes the threat.  A prolonged defense by any embassy security force is not possible.  A fifty or a hundred person security force will not have the assets necessary to repel a lengthy, well-planned, and adequately resourced siege.  Outside relief is required. 

In a completely hostile environment, assignment to an embassy is a death sentence. 

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About one hundred people in California, who produced the offending movie, are in danger of assignation by radical Islamic people be they organized or “lone wolfs”.  The mainstream media has identified many of these people.  They are in danger.  

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What do we do now?

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We could withdraw all personnel from all Middle East embassies but the fanatics would tout that as a victory over the “Great Satan”.  We could also recall all the government and non-government people that conduct humanitarian, educational, and charitable operations. 

We could terminate all foreign aid to the troubling nations but that would undermine whatever good that funding might do and, again, the fanatics would tout that as a victory over the “Great Satan”. 

We could bomb the troublemakers into the Stone Age except we do not have the resources for that. 

We could repeal the First Amendment and persecute those uttering “offensive” words.

We could apologize some more. 

We could do nothing.

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The Islamic radicals have declared war on the United States in particular and western civilization in general.  Even if our current national leadership refuses to acknowledge it, these are dangerous times and they are not going to get better in the foreseeable future.  Ramifications, economic, political, and violent, are inevitable. 

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Are you ready for anythimg?