Poll Position: How should Obama respond to embassy attacks?
The big story this week was the series of attacks on U.S. embassies across the Middle East and North Africa: from Libya, where our ambassador was killed, to Egypt, Yemen and, today, Tunisia and Sudan. In Libya, the government is cooperating with the investigation into the murders of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. The responses from the other countries have been mixed, but they have been rather tepid on the whole.
How should Obama respond to the attacks on our embassies?
- Cut foreign aid (255 Votes)
- Pursue the killers in Libya; otherwise, lie low (173 Votes)
- Stop issuing travel visas for people from those countries (130 Votes)
- Bomb 'em (108 Votes)
- Economic sanctions (106 Votes)
- Too soon to say (102 Votes)
- Cut diplomatic ties (91 Votes)
- Increase foreign aid (5 Votes)
Total Voters: 517
Loading ...President Obama made a mistake Wednesday evening when he said of the Egyptian government, which has been in place less than three months, “I don’t think that we would consider them an ally, but we don’t consider them an enemy.” It was a mistake because the White House on Thursday had to walk back the statement; later Thursday, the State Department had to walk back the walk back, clarifying that Egypt retains the official designation of Major Non-NATO Ally it has held since 1989.
But this post isn’t about criticizing Obama for shooting first and aiming later. (OK, maybe it’s a little bit about that.) It’s really about the question most of us have been pondering since the attacks in Libya and Egypt on Tuesday, the 11th anniversary of 9/11: What is the proper response?
Some of you took my first post on the subject to imply a military action is needed. As I tried to make clear in the comments, that’s not the case. Things would have to spiral much further out of control before we were talking about military action.
Unless, of course, you include drone flights and a possible targeted strike on the terrorists responsible for the ambassador’s death, which the Obama administration appears to be considering at the very least.
Otherwise, there are a range of options here. We could pull our diplomats from their capitals. We could expel their diplomats from Washington. We cut cut or eliminate foreign aid to these countries. We could, I suppose, increase our foreign aid to them and use it to promote and educate them about our laws and values (such as freedom of expression). We could officially remove them from our list of allies. We could stop issuing travel visas from their country to ours. We could impose some form of economic sanctions. Or we could essentially do nothing more than pursue the people who killed Stevens and the other Americans.
What should Obama’s response entail? That’s this week’s Poll Position question. Answer in the nearby poll — NOTE: unlike most of my polls, you can select more than one answer in this one — and the comments thread below.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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949 comments Add your comment
snoqualmiefalls
September 15th, 2012
2:41 pm
I would have to assume that Tban would welcome Joe Biden as our President, considering his post of 9/14 12:33 “resignation was not an option” for our President..
Way to go TBan, who knew you were such a fan of the VP. Kudos.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
September 15th, 2012
2:43 pm
Er, somewhere in Kenya a village is missing one of it’s rioters, I should say.
My bad.
I Report (-: You Whine )-: mmm, mmmm, mmmmm! Just sayin...
September 15th, 2012
2:48 pm
obozo would be throwing stones at our embassy too, if there wasn’t an election coming up.
getalife
September 15th, 2012
2:49 pm
The people that spoke English blamed the protests on the film in Egypt.
Libyans held up signs honoring the great American heroes.
Al Qaeda in Yemen urges Muslims to kill U.S. diplomats over film.
“For Romney, the first blaring sign that his reaction to the assault on the consulate in Benghazi had badly missed the mark was the application of the phrase “Lehman moment” to his press availability on the morning of September 12. Here was America under attack, with four dead on foreign soil. And here was Romney, defiantly refusing to adopt a tone of sobriety, solemnity, or seriousness, instead attempting to score cheap political points, doubling down on his criticism from the night before that the Obama administration had been “disgraceful” for “sympathiz[ing]” with the attackers—criticism willfully ignoring the chronology of events, the source of the statement he was pillorying, the substance of the statement, and the circumstances under which it was made.” The New Yorker.
LeRoi2
September 15th, 2012
2:58 pm
Getalife is it too much to ask that you respond with your own thoughts and words. Those of us on here already know you parrot liberal talking points with no thought, how about breaking the same old same old once in awhile?
We have a right in this country to free speech, freedom of expression, and it is the Federal Government’s responsibility to defend that right. Romney was the only person on the national stage brave enough to point this out, while Obama and Clinton, who also eventually took Romney’s lead, and criticized the statement and had it removed, were cowards. They kowtowed to the Islamic fascists.
Out Ambassador is dead and 3 others, because of failed Obama foreign policies, period. The Middle East is going to be inflames, and many many more are going to die because of this fool.
getalife
September 15th, 2012
3:06 pm
romney and you cons blew it when you failed to unite like your party to show patriotism and resolve.
The gop house passed a spending bill to fund government until 13 by working together cordially and getting it done.
The gop will toss you cons under the bus and never listen to you again.
Rafe Hollister, suffering through Oblamer's ineptocracy
September 15th, 2012
3:08 pm
So, getalife is angry that soon to be President Romney, who has no power whatsoever, was wasting time scoring political points rather than………….. what?
Meanwhile back at the WH, no one was home, Obama was off in Las Vegas scoring campaign contributions. He the all powerful President, dithering about doing anything/something. The one who boasted that the day he was sworn in, Muslim feelings would begin to heal.
Yeah, getalife, Romney is the problem, right?
getalife
September 15th, 2012
3:12 pm
Our President reacted like a President should.
romney acted like a knee jerk get the President over your country con.
Watch the polls rise for our President.
This one is over and never thought the gop would unite with our President this cycle.
Nobody saw that coming.
getalife
September 15th, 2012
3:24 pm
If you think the gop were wrong to unite with our President vote against them.
cc
September 15th, 2012
3:28 pm
I Report @2:41 pm:
I believe I can tell them where he is now located . . . if they really want him returned!
fair and balanced
September 15th, 2012
3:28 pm
A right wing Christian group puts out virulent anti-Muslim film and blames it on wealthy Jewish donors and an Israeli. Then Mr. Ryan speaks Friday at a conference where right wing virulent anti Muslim fundamentalists are featured speakers.
“”"”"Which brings us, weirdly, to the Republican vice presidential candidate, Paul Ryan’s decision,” she said, in the midst of the crisis, to speak at the Values Voter Summit, a hard-right conference that features appearances by a a right wing agitator named Frank Gaffney.
Gaffney is an anti-Islamist who trucks in elaborate conspiracy theories, and who authored a 10-part video series called, “The Muslim Brotherhood in America: The Enemy Within,” which makes all manner of wild allegations that the U.S. government has been infiltrated by Islamic extremists, including Secretary of State Clinton’s top aide, Huma Abedin, wife of disgraced congressman Rep. Anthony Weiner.
Earlier this year, Secretary Clinton’s motorcade was attacked in Egypt after Gaffney spread a rumor through right wing websites that Clinton had rigged the Egyptian elections to favor the Muslim Brotherhood. The charges were taken seriously by parties opposed to the Brotherhood in Egypt, resulting in the eruption of violence.”"”"”"”"”"”"”"”"
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/09/15/maddow-ryan-spoke-at-fringe-conference-friday-alongside-former-terrorist/
Sounds like Bachman, Ryan and Gaffney are happy with their handiwork this week.
Lying, economic distress and religious bigotry sounds like Germany in the 1930s.All we need is a president who allies himself with extremists and warmongers and who wants to use defense spending to end unemployment.
getalife
September 15th, 2012
3:32 pm
You know you are going to lose when the gop pundits call romney nixon.
cc
September 15th, 2012
3:35 pm
fair and balanced @3:28 pm:
A better screen name for you would be ‘PMS/NBC’.
Lil' Barry Bailout - Vote American
September 15th, 2012
3:35 pm
Embassies under attack…ambassador, diplomat, and two Marines killed…Muslim nations throughout the ME showing their understanding of America as a weakened nation…and what do Democrats want to talk about? Mitt Romney’s response.
No wonder. Their Nobel-prize winning idiot messiah’s incompetence is coming home to roost.
Stephenson Billings
September 15th, 2012
3:55 pm
The Video Didn’t Do It
“It was bad enough, two years ago, that Defense Secretary Robert Gates called fringe Florida pastor Terry Jones to ask him not to burn copies of the Koran, or last week, that chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Martin Dempsey took his turn to call Jones to ask him to stop publicizing a YouTube video, The Innocence of Muslims. But then on Friday, White House spokesman Jay Carney told the world that the violent protests in Cairo and Benghazi and elsewhere were a “response not to United States policy, and not obviously the administration or the American people,” but were “in response to a video, a film we have judged to be reprehensible and disgusting.” Carney repeated the point for emphasis: “This is not a case of protests directed at the United States at large or at U.S. policy, but in response to a video that is offensive to Muslims.”
Carney’s comments lie outside the range of plausible spin, even by Obama administration standards, and if his bosses believe them—as we fear they do—are simply delusional. But they are not without consequence. Nor are Gates’s and Dempsey’s phone calls. They all send the message to America’s enemies that if you kill our diplomats and lay siege to the our embassies, the first move the American government will make is to denounce . . . Americans. Our leaders apparently believe that the way to protect Americans from extremists and terrorists abroad is to tell other Americans to shut up.”
http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/video-didn-t-do-it_652387.html
Stephenson Billings
September 15th, 2012
3:57 pm
OBAMA FLASHBACK: THE DAY I’M INAUGURATED MUSLIM HOSTILITY WILL EASE
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2012/09/14/FLASHBACK-Obama-The-Day-Im-Inaugurated-Muslim-Hostility-Will-Ease
whoops…..
getalife
September 15th, 2012
4:00 pm
Carney was right but keep clinging to the rw media lies.
Everyone is wrong but rw media is delusional.
Lil' Barry Bailout - Vote American
September 15th, 2012
4:00 pm
Carney screwed the pooch on that one. But hey, you do the best to cover for the incompetence of your boss, and sometimes it just isn’t very easy.
Just Proud To Be Here
September 15th, 2012
4:02 pm
The problem getalife is that Obama has done nothing. Muslims rape and murder 4 US citizens in Libya, burn our embassies and a US citizen is being investigated for making a video. Now Obama’s state department has said it will stop answering questions the Benghazi attack. Sad truth in America is that if the media were not in the tank for their God (Obama)this past week would doomed his reelection and saved America. Obama is, was and will always be an AMATEUR!!!
Just Proud To Be Here
September 15th, 2012
4:03 pm
NEWSFLASH: Oslo repo team at White House looking for their Nobel Peace Prize.
Stephenson Billings
September 15th, 2012
4:04 pm
Guess they didn’t see Bill Maher’s film (like everyone else)
ANTI-ISLAM FILMMAKER DONATED MILLION DOLLARS TO OBAMA CAMPAIGN
“Burn the straw man!
And all at the direction of a president of the United States who has sworn to uphold the Constitution, you know, the same Constitution that treasures the right of free expression and speech above all else.
But no one asks … What about Bill Maher?
Bill Maher?
Bill Maher made a comedy/documentary called “Religulous” that’s most famous for mercilessly mocking Christianity. But what people forget is that the last twenty-minutes or so of the film make a damning case against Islam.
Bill Maher made a film that mocked Islam.
Oh, yes, he did.
Bill Maher also contributed $1 million to a pro-Obama super PAC.”
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Hollywood/2012/09/15/Obama-Contribution-Anti-Islam-Filmmaker
getalife
September 15th, 2012
4:05 pm
“Muslims rape and murder 4 US citizens in Libya”
Another rw lie.
Just Proud To Be Here
September 15th, 2012
4:06 pm
Used to be able to respect a Liberal that believed in their cause. For those supporting the ‘Bungler In Chief’ on this one, you can only feel pity.
getalife
September 15th, 2012
4:07 pm
bretbart is never credible.
Posting that lie is ridiculous.
Don’t be sore losers cons.
Chin up Americans.
Just Proud To Be Here
September 15th, 2012
4:08 pm
Where do you get your information. Denial of reality is a clinical disordger. You are a sick puppy. I suppose Chris Stevens will be having dinner with his family tonight? I pity you fool.
Just Proud To Be Here
September 15th, 2012
4:09 pm
I don’t care where facts come from, you can’t refute them so you call names. I pity you fool.
getalife
September 15th, 2012
4:10 pm
Not from drudgey, rushy or foxy fool.
rw media is a joke and not credible.
Only cons believe that crap.
Stephenson Billings
September 15th, 2012
4:10 pm
Of course we have to blame this “film”…wouldn’t want to tarnish Obama’s foreign policy “accomplishments”
President Obama’s ‘proud’ statements on improving US image might boomerang
“The protests that have spread could undercut one of the key tenants of Obama’s foreign policy argument that he has restored the U.S. image in the Middle East.
In February, Obama said, “One of the proudest things of my three years in office is helping to restore a sense of respect for America around the world, a belief that we are not just defined by the size of our military.” ”
http://thehill.com/blogs/defcon-hill/policy-and-strategy/249651-obamas-proud-statements-on-improving-us-image-might-backfire
Just Proud To Be Here
September 15th, 2012
4:10 pm
If you are in denial, please click on link.
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/54295/u-s-ambassador-raped-by-muslims-before-killing-arab-media-reports/
Just Proud To Be Here
September 15th, 2012
4:11 pm
Google ANY MEDIA SOURCE and it reports that 4 Americans were killed in Libya. What alternate universe are you living in?
Just Proud To Be Here
September 15th, 2012
4:14 pm
Americans draw up funny pictures of Obama and Dems call them racist, Muslims do it and Dems want to apologize to make friends. And why do we need to give them another 4 years.
Chin Up Americans!!!
getalife
September 15th, 2012
4:14 pm
The protests have calmed down.
I thought they would go on for a few more days.
Looks like the arrest of the meth dealer and fraud convict did the trick.
Stephenson Billings
September 15th, 2012
4:14 pm
As Middle East attacks on US intensify, Politico focuses on critiquing GOP
“On a Friday when the rest of the news media trained its sights on the rapidly deteriorating Middle East, the news website Politico focused on critiquing Republicans who don’t control America’s foreign policy apparatus.
The foreign policy stewardship of the Obama administration has come under harsh questioning this week in the wake of an armed assault on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that left four dead, including the America’s ambassador to that North African country. In an earlier incident, Islamist rioters attacked the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt, raising an al-Qaida banner in place of the U.S. flag.”
http://dailycaller.com/2012/09/14/as-middle-east-attacks-on-us-intensify-politico-focuses-on-critiquing-gop/
Stephenson Billings
September 15th, 2012
4:20 pm
Arrested? Nope….
LA SHERIFF: FEDS INTERVIEW CALIF. FILMMAKER
” A Southern California filmmaker linked to an anti-Islamic movie inflaming protests across the Middle East was interviewed by federal probation officers at a Los Angeles sheriff’s station but was not arrested or detained, authorities said early Saturday.”
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_EGYPT_FILMMAKER_PROBATION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-09-15-06-44-20
Just Proud To Be Here
September 15th, 2012
4:20 pm
History behind the film maker: Nakoula had been registered to vote as a Democrat from 2002-2008, according to the L.A. County Registrar Recorder’s office. In April of 2008, he changed his political affiliation to American Independent. You know with his rap sheet and hatred of religion he had to be a Liberal
getalife
September 15th, 2012
4:21 pm
romney was losing bad on foreign policy so he desperately attacked our President and lost.
Now he is losing on the economy so he will pivot back to the economy and concede on foreign policy.
Just Proud To Be Here
September 15th, 2012
4:23 pm
Romney was not losing on the economy and if it weren’t for the media’s covering for the Bungler In Chief, he would be kicking his butt on foreign policy. He may yet…there is always hope for America.
Towncrier
September 15th, 2012
4:24 pm
“On a Friday when the rest of the news media trained its sights on the rapidly deteriorating Middle East, the news website Politico focused on critiquing Republicans who don’t control America’s foreign policy apparatus.”
They should perhaps rename their site to “Red Herring”.
Just Proud To Be Here
September 15th, 2012
4:27 pm
Unfortunately for Politico, this is about failed Liberal policies in the ME, not Republicans.
getalife
September 15th, 2012
4:28 pm
Thank you for uniting with out President to show patriotism and resolve gop.
Country first.
Towncrier
September 15th, 2012
4:28 pm
“In February, Obama said, “One of the proudest things of my three years in office is helping to restore a sense of respect for America around the world, a belief that we are not just defined by the size of our military.”
I should imagine that if things get worse in the ME over the next several weeks, this boast (if I may call it that) will appear in Republican oriented political ads.
Stephenson Billings
September 15th, 2012
4:28 pm
The libs and their pals in the media have been doubling down with the Red Herrings since this began. Anything to cover for Obama. After all, the Muslims were supposed to love us now.
Stephenson Billings
September 15th, 2012
4:31 pm
“Thank you for uniting with out President to show patriotism and resolve gop.”
Wait, what? I thought dissent was the ultimate form of patriotism.
Just Proud To Be Here
September 15th, 2012
4:32 pm
Uniting with Obama doesn’t show patriotism if uniting with him means more Americans getting killed. I put America first by being against Obama and his failed policies. Besides, I will always believe in American Exceptionalism and not apologize when we are right. Therefore, I will probably never stand behind Obama’s foreign policy. I pity the fools who do.
Just Proud To Be Here
September 15th, 2012
4:33 pm
Saint Hillary says I am a true American if I disagree with the President. Which is it Lib?
Lil' Barry Bailout - Vote American
September 15th, 2012
4:34 pm
You gotta be either a fool or a tool to support Hussein.
getalife
September 15th, 2012
4:35 pm
I pity you fool.
Not a time to play politics but if you think the gop were wrong, vote them out.
Your choice.
Just Proud To Be Here
September 15th, 2012
4:35 pm
Town, don’t ya miss Fred and JamVet…at least they are entertaining when they are so off base
Just Proud To Be Here
September 15th, 2012
4:37 pm
Is that why Obama cancelled his fund raising in Las Vegas as Americans died because this is no time for politics? What color is the sky in your world?
Just Proud To Be Here
September 15th, 2012
4:37 pm
Is that why Obama cancelled his fund raising in Las Vegas as Americans died because this is no time for politics? What color is the sky in your world?