US global security alert

President Barack Obama on September 13 ordered increased security at all US diplomatic posts around the world after the US Consulate in Benghazi (Libya) was attacked and protests continued in Cairo, Egypt.

On the same day, the US embassy in Sanaa, Yemen was also attacked. Despite US security forces firing warning shots into the air, thousands of protesters broke through barricades to approach the main gate of the embassy, ​​burning cars and throwing bricks at the embassy. Only when security forces used water cannons was order restored. Protests also spread across the Middle East and North Africa. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed concern that the Middle East was at risk of falling into "chaos" in the current context. "We are concerned that the region could fall into chaos with what is happening here," Russian state television quoted President Putin as saying.

Armed security outside the US embassy in Manila, Philippines on September 13.
- Photo: AFP

Security tightened across Asia

According to AFP, from the White House, US President Barack Obama described the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens as a great tragedy. "The United States condemns the attack in the strongest terms. It is a tragedy that Ambassador Chris Stevens sacrificed himself right in Benghazi, the city he did so much to save. Justice will be done, we will coordinate closely with the Libyan interim government to bring these killers to justice" - Mr. Obama affirmed.

Reuters quoted an unnamed source from the US Department of Defense as saying that Washington had sent a counter-terrorism team of 50 Marines and two warships to Libya to strengthen security at the US Embassy in Tripoli. "Two destroyers have been sent to Libya but it is only a precautionary measure," an official stressed.

Asian governments have also stepped up security around U.S. embassies, especially in countries with large Muslim populations. Afghan President Hamid Karzai postponed a trip to Norway over fears of a repeat of the Koran-burning riots in early 2012 that left 40 people dead.

The Jakarta Post reported that Indonesia, a country with nearly 240 million Muslims, has asked Internet service providers to block all access to the film, which is considered offensive to Islam, to avoid violence. India, Pakistan, the Philippines and Bangladesh have also issued warnings for security forces to be deployed to guard outside US diplomatic buildings in their countries. The US Embassy in Malaysia asked American citizens to avoid crowded places and areas of unrest during Friday prayers (September 14).

Influence on elections

The attack in Libya has had a major impact on the ongoing presidential election in the US. In particular, the reputation of Republican candidate Mitt Romney has been severely damaged when he declared: "The Obama administration's first response is to apologize to the killers." Mr. Romney said this in response to the US Embassy in Egypt condemning the film as insulting to Islam. However, he was mistaken because the US Embassy in Egypt issued this statement before the attacks broke out and Mr. Obama did not issue any apology.

The US media, the Democratic Party and even some Republicans immediately criticized Mr. Romney for exploiting a national tragedy to score political points. The Washington Post editorial criticized Mr. Romney's statement as an act of discrediting himself and his campaign. The first thing Mr. Romney should have done was to express condolences to the victims of the attack.

In an interview with CBS, President Obama criticized Mr Romney for “having a tendency to shoot first and aim later”. “One of the things I learned as president is that you can’t do that,” Mr Obama stressed. “It’s important that your statements are based on facts.”

Many observers believe that this mistake could significantly reduce Mr. Romney's chances of entering the White House.

According to Tuoi Tre - DT