Earlier Tuesday as protests grew in Cairo, the US embassy there tweeted that “Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of our democracy.” Later, it tweeted “We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others.” That tweet has now been deleted, as has a follow-up tweet: “This morning’s condemnation (issued before protest began) still stands. As does our condemnation of unjustified breach of the Embassy.”
Unfortunately for the tweet deleters, it’s not difficult to get screenshots of deleted tweets. Here are screenshots of both.
The question now is, did @USEmbassyCairo delete the tweets on its own, or on orders from Washington?
h/t Buzzfeed
Update: The deletes just keep on comin’.
Update: The US embassy had to take the tweets down once the Obama administration disavowed their statements.
“The statement by Embassy Cairo was not cleared by Washington and does not reflect the views of the United States government,” an administration official told POLITICO.
It took them about 17 hours to take this action.
Update: Now the US State Department comes out with a statement condemning the Benghazi attack, but saying nothing about Cairo. The statement echoes, then condemns, the earlier @USEmbassyCairo tweets. What. A. Mess.
Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
September 11, 2012
I condemn in the strongest terms the attack on our mission in Benghazi today. As we work to secure our personnel and facilities, we have confirmed that one of our State Department officers was killed. We are heartbroken by this terrible loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and those who have suffered in this attack.
This evening, I called Libyan President Magariaf to coordinate additional support to protect Americans in Libya. President Magariaf expressed his condemnation and condolences and pledged his government’s full cooperation.
Some have sought to justify this vicious behavior as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet. The United States deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. Our commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation. But let me be clear: There is never any justification for violent acts of this kind.
In light of the events of today, the United States government is working with partner countries around the world to protect our personnel, our missions, and American citizens worldwide.
We have malaise.
We have terrorists storming embassies.
We have an inept President at the helm.
It is 1979 all over again!
The only variable is whether Romney can step up and play the part of Reagan. If not, the 80′s are gonna suck.
Cowardice, behind-kissing of the attackers… major uncool.
Hey,what is the big deal? All this fuss about mohammed, who was nothing but a child molester and a pig f**ker.
Glad Hillary clarified that so well.
These are acts of war.
– Bill could give a speech.
Is there even an adult 50 miles of DC?
Seriously. Where have all the grownups gone?
“Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of our democracy.”
Yeah?
I respect the religous beliefs of Al Qaida members and other Muslim fanatics about as much as I respect what I just had to scrape off the bottom of my shoe (I’m trying to housebreak a puppy).
This is no bueno. Apparently, the US Ambassador to Libya was killed in last night’s attack in Benghazi as well.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/09/20129112108737726.html
Too little.
Too late.
Ironically, both Obamee and Hillary got the 3 AM phone call this time and enither one of them could handle it. Both failed. Our Ambassador in Libya is now dead, our best ally in the Middle East Israel has washed their hands of this administration, and Obamee’s foreign policy “advantage” has vanished in the last 24 hours over a bungled and truly stupid response.
This is what you get when America-hating liberals are in charge. We don’t whether or not to apologize or to bluster ineffectively.
Every ad from here on out for the Romney camp has to have Jimmy Carter’s response in 1979. It is literally the same chain of events now, both foreign and domestic.
Obamee’s done. Romney wins in a Reagan landslide. Guarantee.
I wish I could make a $10,000 bet with you that Romney loses.
Not because I disagree with you, but because if Obama wins I am going to be so despondent that winning $10,000 will at least soften the blow.
If I could pay $10,000 right now to guarantee a Romney win, I would.
No guarantees, but it couldn’t hurt.
We now have the Ambassador and three other Americans dead in Libya. For which Obama says, oh, sorry about that video. What?! Does anyone with an ounce of brains really believe that the video was the real cause? Does anyone believe this was not a well planned and coordinated attack carried out to “commemorate” 9/11?
How can anyone possibly “insult” the image and memory of a well documented pedophile/rapist/murderer/slaver? Anyone? Anyone?
Looks like Al Queda never gave Obama the courtesy to have to negotiate over hostages, they just went ahead and killed the American Ambassador and 3 other Americans in a coordinated attack, on the anniversary of 9-11 no less.
They know America is a weak horse in the Middle East, and are rubbing our noses in it.
Our response is going to be? (I’ll bet a strongly worded scolding, a round of golf, then a couple fundraisers.)
“The United States deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others.”
Funny, I don’t recall the US “deploring” the stream of slurs about Christians, Jews, Hindus, etc. coming out of the Islamic world, including from Egypt. What’s laughable is this foreign policy amateur – Obama – suggesting Romney doesn’t have the foreign policy experience to be President. Hillary isn’t much better, given her string of failures as Sec’y of State.
Welcome to the Arab Ice Age. William Kristol should have known better.
“The United States deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. UNLESS, of course, the ‘others’ are Catholics, and the ‘beliefs’ we’re denigrating are their beliefs on birth control and abortion.”
There FIXED it for you, Hilary.
There were not protests over a movie. They were planned coordinated attacks by Islamists to mark 9/11. The video is just a cover up to stir up the mobs and justify the attacks.
Funny how nobody got killed over “Piss Christ.” Seems to me that ended up in a museum as a “piece of art.” Being tolerant of a religion that is intolerant of our way of life as one of its main tenets is societal suicide. Looks like you finally got that 3AM phone call, Hillary – how’s that working out for you?
Oh yeah – one other thing.
Meanwhile Obama snubs Netanyahu so he can go on Letterman…again. Kinds of shows you his priorities in bold relief, wouldn’t you say?
If only these were Christians upset about being forced to fund abortion instead of Mulims pissed off over a home movie. THEN we could expect a forceful response from this White House.
lost in the egypt and libya turmoil is the okinawa story. 100,000+ okinawans protesting against us. clearly of less importance than libya and egypt, but not of NO importance which is how it has been treated.
Both of those embassy riots created a target rich environment IMO.
Tell the Egyptians and Libyans that we no longer need those embassies, right before a B2 bomber obliterates them.
Then mention that there will be a future lack of foreign aid from the evil Great Satan.
That’s the kind of response the muslims understand. Appeasement/apologies are nothing more than a sign of weakness to the islamic world.