Middle East and North Africa
-
Protesters climb a fence at the U.S. embassy in Sanaa September 13, 2012. Hundreds of Yemeni demonstrators stormed the U.S. embassy in Sanaa on Thursday in protest against a film they consider blasphemous to Islam, and security guards tried to hold them off by firing into the air. Yemen's embassy in Washington said no casualties were reported when the protesters stormed the U.S. embassy compound in Sanaa on Thursday. REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi
-
-
Clashes in Egypt over film, protests spread
Demonstrators, furious at a film they say insults the Prophet Mohammad, clashed with police near the U.S. embassy in Cairo on Friday before a nationwide protest called by the Muslim Brotherhood which propelled Egypt's Islamist president to power.
Protesters also clashed with police in Yemen, where one person died and 15 were injured on Thursday when the U.S. embassy compound was stormed, and crowds gathered against the California-made film in Malaysia, Bangladesh and Iraq.
Read more -
Sudanese police fire teargas at protesters near U.S. embassy
KHARTOUM, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Sudanese police fired teargas on Friday to stop demonstrators approaching the U.S. embassy outside Khartoum in a protest against a film that demeaned the Prophet Mohammad, a Reuters witness said.
More than 5,000 protesters arrived in busses and cars to gather on the main street near the heavily-fortified embassy compound. They started setting several fires on a square near the embassy, which is set away from the main street. -
-
U.S. agencies didn't issue high alert over Mideast threat
U.S. officials say they believe an Arabic talk show last Saturday showing parts of an anti-Muslim video made in the United States was the spark that set off violent attacks on U.S. missions in Libya and Egypt, but acknowledge the broadcast did not prompt a major upgrade in security precautions.
On Tuesday, four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, were killed in an attack on the American Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that U.S. officials said may have been planned by one or more militant factions. On the same day, protesters in Cairo breached the U.S. Embassy's walls, and the protests have since spread to other countries, including Yemen, Bangladesh and Kuwait.
Read more -
Libya tragedy may boost U.S. diplomatic fortifications, again
The fortifications that mark U.S. Embassies around the world are likely to grow even more impregnable after this week's killing of the U.S. ambassador to Libya, creating new hurdles for U.S. diplomats as they struggle to understand foreign societies in a period of rapid political change.
President Barack Obama said on Thursday he had ordered his administration to do whatever is necessary to protect Americans abroad, as U.S. diplomatic compounds around the Middle East faced another day of violent protests.
Read more -
-
-
-
In lawless eastern Libya, U.S. mission just latest victim
International treaties are clear. The Libyan government had a duty to protect the U.S. consulate in Benghazi and it failed utterly when the compound was overrun and four Americans, including the ambassador, were killed.
Libya's problem though, runs far deeper than just diplomatic protection: interim governments have barely governed, and the latest prime minister - named hours after the U.S. mission was torched - has no effective army or police force at his command.
Read more -
-
-
-
-
-
Middle East livestreams from Bambuser
-
-
Germany's Westerwelle condemns "hate video", embassy attack
BERLIN, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said on Friday he understood the outrage in the Islamic world over a video film that insults the Muslim Prophet Mohammad but said it was no excuse for violence.
Earlier, Sudanese demonstrators broke into the German embassy in Khartoum, raising an Islamic flag and setting the building on fire in a protest against the U.S.-made film.
"I condemn this disgraceful video, but it is no justification for violence, it is no justification for storming embassies, it is no justification for endangering human lives or killing people," Westerwelle said in a televised statement delivered in both German and English.
He described the film as an "anti-Islamic hate video" that was offensive to millions of believers. Westerwelle added that staff at the German embassy in Khartoum were safe. -
A member of the Islamist Salafis waves a flag during a protest during demonstration against a film produced in the U.S. that they said was insulting to Prophet Mohammad near the U.S. embassy in Amman, September 14, 2012. The flag reads "Only one god and Mohammed is his Prophet." REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed
-
Aerial view of protests in Tahrir
Source: YouTube/kikhote -
-
-
-
-
Protesters smash windows, set fires in U.S. embassy in Tunis
TUNIS, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Tunisian protesters jumped over the wall of the U.S. embassy compound in Tunis on Friday and broke windows and set fire to trees, a Reuters witness said.
A large fire could be seen burning inside the compound. Police fired teargas at the hundreds of protesters who were demonstrating at the embassy. -
Members of the Islamist Salafis hold up a flag during a demonstration against a film produced in the U.S. that they said was insulting to Prophet Mohammad near the U.S. embassy in Amman, September 14, 2012. The flag reads, "Only one god and Mohammed is his Prophet". REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed
-
-
About 200 protesters are burning USA and Israeli flags outside the US embassy in London #antiUSprotests #antiislamfilmby ajelive via twitter 9/14/2012 2:47:34 PM -
-
-
-
German Embassy in Khartoum partially in flames following attacks over prophet videoby Sky News Newsdesk via twitter 9/14/2012 2:53:51 PM -
A still image take from video footage shows demonstrators jumping on the emblem of the German embassy after breaking into the mission's compound in Khartoum September 14, 2012. Sudanese demonstrators broke into the German embassy in Khartoum on Friday, raising an Islamic flag and setting the building on fire in a protest against a film that demeaned the Prophet Mohammad, witnesses said. Police had earlier fired tear gas to try to disperse some 5,000 protesters who had ringed the German embassy and nearby British mission. But a Reuters witness said policemen just stood by when the crowd forced its way into Germany's mission. Employees of Germany's embassy were safe "for the moment", Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in Berlin. REUTERS/Reuters TV
-
A protester displays an empty cartridge he collected following clashes with riot police along a road leading to the U.S. embassy, near Tahrir Square in Cairo September 14, 2012. Egyptian protesters angry at a film they say insults Prophet Mohammad hurled stones on Friday at a line of police in Cairo blocking their way to the U.S. embassy, which was attacked earlier this week. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
-
-
Explosions in southern Damascus
Source: YouTube/Kaddam2011 -
Smoke rising in southern Damascus
Source: YouTube/Kaddam2011 -
-
US sends Marines to Yemen to bolster security
WASHINGTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - A platoon of Marines from with the fleet anti-terrorism security team have been sent to Yemen to bolster security at the embassy and are now on the ground in Sanaa, the Pentagon said on Friday.
"This is partly a response to events over the past two days at our embassy in Yemen but it's also in part a precautionary measure," Pentagon spokesman George Little told reporters. -
-
-
Tunisian police fire at film protesters attacking U.S. embassy
TUNIS, Sept 14 (Reuters) - At least five protesters were wounded when Tunisian police opened fire on Friday to quell an assault on the U.S. embassy compound in the capital Tunis, a Reuters reporter said.
It was not immediately clear if police fired live rounds or rubber bullets. A large fire erupted inside the compound which has been invaded by hundreds of people incensed by a U.S.-made film that demeans the Prophet Mohammad. They smashed windows and set fire to trees. -
-
Protesters smash the window of a Hardees restaurant in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, September 14, 2012. Hundreds of protesters set alight a Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Hardees restaurant in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Friday, witnesses said, chanting against the pope's visit to Lebanon and shouting anti-American slogans. REUTERS/Stringer
Spain urges Catalonia secessionists to obey Madrid
BARCELONA The Spanish government has urged Catalonians to accept direct control from Madrid and ignore instructions from the restive region's secessionist leadership once it has been removed from power. | Video