Libya reports employee at U.S. consulate killed during protests, U.S. official says

 

From Elise Labott and Jomana Karadsheh, CNN

September 12, 2012 -- Updated 0148 GMT (0948 HKT)

A man waves his rifle as buildings burn during protests at the U.S. consulate compound in Benghazi late Tuesday.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Militants attacked the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, a State Department spokeswoman says
• State Department official: Libya has notified the United States that a consular employee was killed
• The State Department does not have independent confirmation of the death

(CNN) -- The Libyan government has notified the United States that an employee at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, was killed Tuesday, a State Department official told CNN.

The State Department does not have independent confirmation of the death, the official said. The nationality of the worker was not immediately clear.

Earlier Tuesday, a group of militants attacked the consulate, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

"We are working with the Libyans now to secure the compound," Nuland said. "We condemn in strongest terms this attack on our diplomatic mission."

Members of a radical Islamist group had been protesting at the consulate, a freelance journalist working for CNN in Benghazi said.

Protesters storm U.S. Embassy in Cairo

Protesters attack U.S. diplomatic compounds in Egypt, Libya

By David Ariosto, CNN

September 12, 2012 -- Updated 0150 GMT (0950 HKT)

Protesters pull down a U.S. flag during a protest in front of the U.S. Embassy in Cairo on Tuesday, September 11. Islamists, angered by a film they say defames the prophet Mohammed, scaled the walls of the embassy to tear down the U.S. flag and raise a black flag in an unprecedented security breach.

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Protesters storm U.S. Embassy walls

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: Libyan lawmakers condemn the Benghazi attack
• NEW: Townsend: It is unclear whether the attacks in Egypt and Libya were coordinated
• Angry protesters attack U.S. diplomatic compounds in Egypt and Libya
• Employee at U.S. Consulate in Benghazi killed, Libyan government says

Cairo (CNN) -- Angry protesters attacked U.S. diplomatic compounds in Libya and Egypt on Tuesday, citing in both instances an online film considered offensive to Islam.

In Cairo, several men scaled the walls of the U.S. Embassy and tore down its American flag, according to CNN producer Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, who was on the scene.

In Libya, witnesses say members of a radical Islamist group called Ansar al-Sharia protested near the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, where NATO jets established no-fly zones last year to blunt ground attacks from then Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi.

The group then clashed with security forces in the city, blocking roads leading to the consulate, witnesses said.

The Libyan government notified the United States that an employee at the U.S. Consulate was killed, a State Department official told CNN.

The State Department does not have independent confirmation of the death, the official said. The nationality of the worker was not immediately known.

Libya's General National Conference condemned the attack, saying it "led to the regrettable injury and death of a number of individuals." Lawmakers said in a statement Tuesday night that they were investigating.

Middle East attacks against U.S.

It was unclear whether the two attacks were coordinated, CNN national security contributor Fran Townsend said Tuesday night.

Protesters storm U.S. embassy walls

"One such breach of an embassy or consulate's walls or security on any given day would be tremendous news. ... The fact that two of them happened on the same day that is the 9/11 anniversary where Americans are remembering those that we lost, you have to ask yourself, what are American officials trying to understand about this and whether or not these two are related?" she asked.

In Egypt, police and army personnel formed defensive lines around the U.S. Embassy in an effort to prevent demonstrators from advancing, but not before the protesters affixed a black flag atop a ladder in the American compound.

The black flag, which hangs in full view from inside the complex, is adorned with white characters that read, "There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his messenger," an emblem often used by Islamic radicals.

A volley of warning shots were fired as a large crowd gathered around the compound, although it is not clear who fired the shots.

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Egyptian groups point to U.S. websites, including YouTube, that have scenes from the film. Some anti-Muslim blogs also have flagged the movie.

In a series of disjointed scenes, filmmakers depict Prophet Mohammed as a child molester, womanizer and ruthless killer.

Most of the Muslim world considers depictions of Mohammed to be blasphemous and deeply offensive.

It was not clear late Tuesday who produced the film and under what auspices.

Embassy officials issued a warning to Americans in Egypt, telling them to avoid the demonstrations which "may gather in front of the U.S. Embassy, or Egyptian government buildings such as the People's Assembly and Ministry of Interior."

"It is unclear if large numbers will take to the streets, but clashes may occur should two opposing groups come into contact with one another," the U.S. Embassy said in a statement. "Large gatherings and non-essential travel in and around downtown and Garden City should be avoided this afternoon."

Frenzied protesters could been seen Tuesday afternoon holding up bits of a shredded American flag to television camera crews while chanting anti-U.S. slogans.

An embassy phone operator told CNN that the compound had been cleared of diplomatic personnel earlier in the day, ahead of the apparent threat, while Egyptian riot police and the army were called in.

"This is an expression of a feeling that is thought to be an insult," said Nizih El Naggary, a spokesman for the Egyptian Foreign Ministry. "But events like this are extremely deplorable. And we have to work to get things under control."

The Foreign Ministry issued a statement Tuesday, pledging to protect embassies and warning of the protests' potentially debilitating effects on the Egyptian economy.

"There are police forces at the demonstrations," El Naggary said. "They should be protecting the embassy and asking people to leave."

Several individuals claimed responsibility for organizing the demonstrations Tuesday, including Salafist leader Wesam Abdel-Wareth, who is president of Egypt's conservative Hekma television channel.

Mohamed al-Zawahiri -- the brother of al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri -- added, "We called for the peaceful protest joined by different Islamic factions including the Islamicc Jihad (and the) Hazem Abu Ismael movement."

"We were surprised to see the big numbers show up, including the soccer Ultra fans," he said. "I just want to say, how would the Americans feel if films insulting leading Christian figures like the pope or historical figures like Abraham Lincoln were produced?"

He added that "the film portrays the prophet in a very ugly manner, alluding to topics like sex, which is not acceptable."

The U.S. Embassy in Cairo announced that it had canceled visa services for Wednesday.

It also said in a statement that it "condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims -- as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions."

"Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy," the statement said. "We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others."

Demonstrations elicited a mixture of reactions from the Egyptian street, where last year tens of thousands turned out in opposition to former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

This summer, Egypt's first Islamist president, Mohamed Morsy, was sworn into power at Tahrir Square, the scene of the nation's revolution in 2011.

Though Tuesday's embassy protests are the first that Morsy has dealt with, Egypt recently produced similar scenarios when protesters attacked the Israeli and Syrian embassies in unrelated episodes.

"These protests are a bad image for Egypt," said a Cairo street vendor named Ahmed. "Of course I'm against insulting Islam, but it's the undereducated, poor people who are out here causing problems."

"All I want for Egypt is security and stability," he said. "And as you can see this isn't it."

The incident occurred on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks as crowds gathered across the United States in somber remembrance of a day that left nearly 3,000 people dead.

Tuesday's focus on the controversial film also drew comparisons to outcry generated from a 2008 movie produced by an anti-Muslim Dutch lawmaker, which then sought to portray Islam as a violent religion.

Geert Wilders' film "Fitna," which he released online, featured images of terrorist acts superimposed over verses from the Quran.

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CNN's Ian Lee in Cairo, Jomana Karadsheh, Matt Smith, Brian Walker, Elise Labott, Paul Cruickshank and Tracy Doueiry contributed to this report

South Africa's Marikana miners defy deadline

Thousands of striking workers have refused to return to work, despite threats that some 40,000 jobs are at risk. Last Modified: 11 Sep 2012 23:45

Thousands of workers on strike at the Marikana mine in South Africa's North West province are poised to defy an extended deadline to return to work. The workers have been joined by wives, girfriends and supporters in a display of solidarity, after a government-backed effort to broker a deal between management, unions and miners failed. Another deadline has passed in the past few hours, but there is no sign of the strike breaking. Instead, the industrial action in Marikana, 100km north of Johannesburg, appears to be spreading to other mines. And what began as an industrial dispute over pay, with workers demanding monthly wages of about $1,500 - twice what they currently earn at the platinum mine - has turned into a political crisis for South African President Jacob Zuma. Cheering crowds Julius Malema, expelled leader of the ruling ANC party's youth wing, has addressed a rally at the KDC Gold Fields mine, east of Johannesburg, where most of the gold mine's 15,000 workers are also on strike. "The strike at Marikana must go into all the mines," he told cheering crowds blowing vuvuzelas and whistles. In Depth In pictures: Marikana miners Can Zuma survive? Mine Shooting: Who is to blame? Unrest spreads Will Marikana resurrect Julius Malema? Has the post-Apartheid bubble burst? South Africans react to mining 'massacre S Africa miners complain of 'living hell' "R12,500 ($1,500) is a reality. They must know, the mine bosses, that if they don't meet your demand, we're going to strike every month for five days, demanding R12,500." Al Jazeera's Tania Page, reporting from Marikana, said Malema is playing "a rather dangerous game". "He's already been charged with inciting violence by one of the mining unions, Solidarity," she said. "But it's also a very clever game, because there is a mass of people in this country who really do feel as if they have left behind, that the ANC has not delivered on promises to improve people's lives." South Africa's labour mediation committee had extended the deadline to Tuesday for workers at the world's third-largest platinum mine to return to work in order for salary negotiations to start. The committee says its "facilitation is dependent on a return to work by all workers" and threatened to leave the miners to deal with Lonmin managers. While the country's leaders have come under fire, Zuma has been hitting back at his critics, launching a judicial commission of inquiry. "This will be really, really broad," our correspondent said. "It's going to look at the police actions, how the police behaved on the day [of the killings], allegations against the police, of brutality against some of the Lonmin workers who were arrested and in custody for several weeks. "It's also going to look at Lonmin, was there anything Lonmin could have done to avoid a standoff. Also it will look at the unions' behaviour - and was there anything that the government could have done to predict events that we still see unfolding here." National strike call Tensions have been high at the mine since 34 of the protesting workers were shot and killed by police last month, some of whom may have been shot while trying to surrender. Al Jazeera's Mike Hanna reports from Marikana Malema has called for a national strike across all South African mines to demand the removal of the leadership of the National Union of Mines. "There must be a national strike. They have been stealing this gold from you. Now it is your turn. You want your piece of gold. These people are making billions from these mines," Malema said. "What you must do, you just put down the tools and stop production." Frans Baleni, NUM general secretary, told Al Jazeera that a high level of intimidation has stopped many miners from returning to work. "The workers are still scared. There have been threats that those who have reported for duty would have their homes torched," he said. "Some of the workers also feel threatened by their managers. Peace has not really prevailed at this stage, which is the main reason why workers would stay away." The ongoing industrial action has pushed down Lonmin's shares, raised world platinum prices and fuelled fears of labour unrest spreading through the mining sector of Africa's largest economy.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

US consulate employee killed in Libya attack

Angry demonstrations take place in Benghazi and Egypt's capital over amateur film deemed offensive to Prophet Muhammad. Last Modified: 12 Sep 2012 00:47

An American staff member of the US consulate in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi has died following fierce clashes at the compound, Libyan security sources said. An armed mob attacked and set fire to the building in what they say was a protest against an amateur film deemed offensive to Islam's Prophet Muhammad, after similar protests in Egypt's capital. "One American staff member has died and a number have been injured in the clashes," Abdel-Monem Al-Hurr, spokesman for Libya's Supreme Security Committee, said on Wednesday, adding that rocket-propelled grenades were fired at the building from a nearby farm. "There are fierce clashes between the Libyan army and an armed militia outside the US consulate," he said. He also said roads had been closed off and security forces were surrounding the building. Just hours earlier on Tuesday, thousands of Egyptian demonstrators apparently angry over the same film - a video produced by expatriate members of Egypt's Coptic community resident in the US - tore down the Stars and Stripes at the US embassy in Cairo and replaced it with a black Islamic flag. The two incidents came on the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks in the US. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, in a statement, condemned the attack in Benghazi. "We can confirm that our office in Benghazi, Libya, has been attacked by a group of militants ... We condemn in strongest terms this attack on our diplomatic mission." Al Jazeera's John Terrett, reporting from Washington, said the State Department had not yet confirmed the death of the consulate employee in Benghazi, but the State Department said it was still securing the consulate area with the help of Libyan security forces. Suleiman El-Dressi, Al Jazeera's producer in Benghazi, said, "A group of people calling themselves the 'Islamic law supporters' heard the news that there will be an American movie insulting the Prophet." "One they heard this, they came out of their military garrison and went into the streets calling upon people to gather and go ahead to attack the American consulate in Benghazi. Cairo incident In the day's first such incident, nearly 3,000 demonstrators, most of them Islamist supporters of the Salafist movement or football fans, gathered at the US embassy in Cairo in protest against the amateur film. A dozen men scaled the embassy walls and one of them tore down the US flag, replacing it with a black one inscribed with the Muslim profession of faith: "There is no God but God and Muhammad is the messenger of God." Demonstrators also scrawled the first part of the statement - "There is no God but God" - on the walls of the embassy compound. Al Jazeera's Sherine Tadros, reporting from outside the US embassy in Cairo, said that the protesters want the film – portions of which can be found online - "out of circulation". "Most of the people I've spoken to here, a lot of them from the ultra-conservative Salafi movement, say that they've seen the trailer to this film and that they're here outside the American embassy to stay until the film is pulled," she said. "There's also a situation with the police, where there are thousands of riot police guarding the American embassy because there of the breach earlier on, when a lot of people stormed into the inner wall of the embassy and put a black flag up." Egyptian police intervened without resorting to force and persuaded the trespassers to come down. The crowd then largely dispersed, leaving just a few hundred protesters outside the US mission. Embassy reaction When asked whether the flag the protesters hoisted an al-Qaeda flag - on the anniversary of the killing of nearly 3,000 people in Washington, New York and Pennsylvania - a US state department official said she thought not. "We had some people breach the wall, take the flag down and replace it. What I heard was that it was replaced with a plain black flag. But I may be not be correct in that," she said. "In Cairo, we can confirm that Egyptian police have now removed the demonstrators who had entered our embassy grounds earlier today," said a senior State Department official, who added that he could not confirm any connection with the incident in Libya. Egyptian activist Wael Ghoneim wrote on his Facebook page that "attacking the US embassy on September 11 and raising flags linked to al-Qaeda will not be understood by the American public as a protest over the film about the prophet. "Instead, it will be received as a celebration of the crime that took place on September 11," he said. Americans on Tuesday marked the 11th anniversary of the September 11, attacks in which nearly thousands were killed when hijacked airliners crashed into the Pentagon and New York's World Trade Center, and another was brought down in Pennsylvania. 'Sorry for the embassy' Sam Bacile, an American citizen who said he produced, directed and wrote the two-hour film, said he had not anticipated such a furious reaction. "I feel sorry for the embassy. I am mad," Bacile said. Speaking from a telephone with a California number, he said the film was produced in English and he doesn't know who dubbed it in Arabic. The full film has not been shown yet, he said, and he said he has declined distribution offers for now. "My plan is to make a series of 200 hours" about the same subject, he said. Morris Sadek, an Egyptian-born Christian in the US known for his anti-Islam views, told the AP news agency from Washington that he was promoting the video on his website and on certain TV stations, which he did not identify.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

P&P Office Waste processor converts waste

September 5, 2011

Eco Factor: Concept device uses waste paper to produce pencils. In offices all over the world printed paper sheets are often discarded when the printed document is no longer being used or needs some change. Industrial designers Chengzhu Ruan, Yuanyuan Liu, Xinwei Yuan and Chao Chen are trying to give these sheets of paper a second, more productive life, by converting them into pencil sticks. The team has conceptualized an office waste paper processor that does the task. Christened the P&P Office Waste Processor, the device allows users to slide in waste sheets of printed paper, which are then rolled tightly with pencil lead in the center. After processing a fully usable stick of pencil pops out, adding some more life to old paper and saving a few trees in the process. Via: YankoDesign

Sex, lies and Wikileaks

As once friendly news outlets report the Julian Assange story more critically, we ask if the media has lost the plot. Listening Post Last Modified: 25 Aug 2012 11:21
Sex, lies and Wikileaks: Has the media lost the plot? Plus, an interview with one of Egypt's most influential voices, Yosri Fouda. This July marked two years since the whistle-blowing website Wikileaks released the Afghan War Logs. Since then, the path for its founder Julian Assange has not been a smooth one, and it has led to an extradition battle between the UK and Ecuador. When the war logs first came out, major newspapers like the New York Times, Der Spiegel and The Guardian collaborated with Wikileaks, but two years on those relationships have changed. Once friendly media outlets are now reporting Assange's story - the allegations of sex crimes, his extradition and now his asylum - far more critically. But is this all fair comment or is Assange part of a media witchhunt? In this week's News Divide we ask if the media have lost the plot on the Wikileaks story. Quick hits from News Bytes: The press in Myanmar are handed a small victory in their battle against censorship; in Syria, a Japanese journalist is killed whilst covering the ongoing conflict there; and the Indian government clamps down on social networking sites after a campaign of misinformation forces thousands of people to flee the cities. Ever since the arrival of the Arab Spring in Egypt last February, we have been tracking the work of journalists revolutionising the Egyptian media. One man at the forefront of those changes has been Yosri Fouda. Fouda is a former reporter at Al Jazeera's Arabic news channel and now hosts an influential, late night political talk show in Cairo. We sat down with the host during his recent trip to London. As London bid farewell to the London 2012 Olympics, the city also welcomed the second part of the Games, the Paralympics. Beginning on August 29, this multi-sport event will feature competitors with disabilities. Britain's official broadcaster for the event is Channel 4 and to mark their involvement, they have produced a series of adverts featuring the athletes. The TV channel says it wants to show a different side to the Paralympian and judging by the response online, it has achieved what it set out to do. We have made it our Video of the Week ... enjoy! Listening Post can be seen each week at the following times GMT: Saturday: 0830, 1930; Sunday: 1430; Monday: 0430. Click here for more Listening Post.
Source: Al Jazeera

US pitbull threatens to raid Ecuador embassy to get #Assange - @wikileaks

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