BBCNews online
13 September 2012 Last updated at 12:26 ETAnti-Islam film protests spread across Middle East
Protesters could be seen climbing over the gates of the embassy compound
Protests against an anti-Islam film made in the US are spreading across the Middle East and North Africa.
In Egypt, 224 people were injured in protests, the health ministry said. Protests were also reported in Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia.
On Tuesday, the US ambassador to Libya was killed in Benghazi.
US officials say they are investigating whether the attack in Libya was planned, citing suspicions that a militant jihadist group may have co-ordinated the violence.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned the film which gave rise to the protests as "disgusting" and "reprehensible".
Police in Sanaa shot in the air, but failed to prevent crowds from gaining access to the embassy compound and setting fire to vehicles.
Security force reinforcements used tear gas, water cannon and live fire to drive protesters back.
There were reports of injuries on both sides, although the Reuters news agency carried a statement from the embassy saying there were none.
Windows were smashed. A US flag was torn down and replaced with a black flag bearing the Muslim statement of faith, "There is no God but Allah".
Yemeni protesters, driven back by Yemeni guards firing in the air, were not able to breach the main, fortified building with its safe rooms and US Marine Corps guards.
In Benghazi, in eastern Libya, the US consulate was not so fortunate.
The security team there had worked out a fallback plan in case of an attack, evacuating staff to a second building, but this too came under attack and it is clear in hindsight that the consulate was under-prepared for the sort of concerted, heavily armed assault that killed four US staff.
The US is now investigating whether the Libya attack was sparked by the inflammatory film on the Prophet Muhammad or whether it was pre-planned to coincide with the 9/11 anniversary.
It was not immediately clear
whether the embassy was occupied. There are reports that embassy staff
have been moved to a safer location.
Police fired tear gas at crowds throwing stones.
Islamist groups and others have called for a "million-man march" in Cairo on Friday.
The Muslim Brotherhood, the Salafist al-Nour party and non-religious groups including the "Ultra" fans of Zamalek football club have invited Muslims, Coptic Christians and all Egyptian citizens to join them.
President Mohammed Mursi appealed for calm, saying Egyptians "reject any kind of assault or insult" against the Prophet Muhammad.
"I condemn and oppose all who... insult our prophet. [But] it is our duty to protect our guests and visitors from abroad," he said in a statement broadcast by state media.
"I call on everyone to take that into consideration, to not violate Egyptian law... to not assault embassies."
In other developments:
Libya's Prime Minister Mustafa Abu Shagur says there is "no justification" for the Benghazi attack and investigations are under way to find the "criminals" responsible
- Russia says it fears "chaos" in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia condemns both the film and the violence
- Iranians chanting anti-US and anti-Israel slogans stage a protest outside the Swiss embassy in the Iranian capital, Tehran, which represents US interests
- Afghan President Hamid Karzai has postponed a planned visit to Norway, fearing violence could erupt in his country
- There were small protests in Bangladesh, Iraq, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia
- Security has been increased at US embassies and consulates around the world; US officials say a marine anti-terrorism team is being deployed to Libya and two destroyers to the Libyan coast as a precautionary measure
Main flashpoints
1. US embassy in Cairo attacked, flag torn down and replaced with an Islamist banner
2. Mob attacks US consulate in Benghazi, US ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans killed
13 September
3. Protesters break into the US embassy compound in Sanaa, Yemen, amid clashes with security forces
Further violence reported in Cairo
US officials have described the
Benghazi attack as complex and professional, and suggested the attackers
may have used the film protest as a pretext for the attack.
The officials said there were also reports that al-Qaeda's North Africa-based affiliate, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, may have been involved, the news agency reports.
The obscure film which has sparked anger, called Innocence of Muslims, was shot in the US and posted online earlier this year. Clips have since been shown on Arab TV stations.
It depicts the Prophet Muhammad as a womaniser and the bloodthirsty leader of a ragtag group of men who enjoy killing.
The BBC's Alastair Leithead says the exact origin of the movie and the internet clip, and the motivation behind its production, remains a mystery.
The most offensive comments regarding Muhammad appear to have been dubbed on later, says our correspondent.
Some of the actors involved have since condemned the film, and said they had no idea it was to be used as anti-Islam propaganda.
Labels: Chaos, Conflict, Diplomacy, Egypt, Islamism, Libya, Middle East, Political Realities, Traditions, Troublespots, United States
posted by Pieface @ Thursday, September 13, 2012
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