Pointless Protests

From a Western viewpoint, these protests over the film are misguided and pointless.  I just saw a protester holding a sign that said: 

"Obama!  Our patience has its limit!  Don't blame us if your citizens die!  Blame yourself!  You started it!"

What did Obama start?  If they are referencing the video - Obama had nothing to do with that video.  0%.  Zip. Nada.  You can not hold one individual accountable for the actions of another individual.  And why are you killing people anyway?  How is that solving anything?

"The US charge d'affaires Richard Hoagland was summoned to the Pakistani Foreign Office and an official protest was lodged with him. He is reported to have responded that the US government had nothing to do with the film."

This is true.  You can't complain to the US government about free speech.  Even if it hurts your sensibilities.  If a person in the US says something that legally doesn't harm anyone - for example - Mother Teresa was a child abuser and did witchcraft.  The US is not responsible for that statement.  The individual is.  Therefore, protesting against the US government is 100% pointless, misguided, ineffective, and quite frankly childish. 

Oh, and when a group of men attack Benghazi, rape and kill the US Diplomat Chris Stevens who loved & helped your country, that makes you evil gay sodomizers.  Why in the world would a man rape a man?  Isn't that forbidden in Muslim countries/Islam?  In my Western mind - that is much worse than insulting a prophet.  I guess that shows how much Libyans appreciate the assistance they got from the US last year? 

*disclaimer:  Mother Teres was not a child abuser and did not do witchcraft.  That was just an example.*

World leaders react to the killing of Christ Stevens and other consulate staff

World leaders and other international figures have been reacting to the killing of the US ambassador to Libya and three other Americans in an attack on the US consulate in Benghazi.

US President Barack Obama

"I strongly condemn the outrageous attack on our diplomatic facility in Benghazi, which took the lives of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. Right now, the American people have the families of those we lost in our thoughts and prayers."

President of Libya's national assembly Mohammed Magarief

"We apologise to the United States of America and to the American people and to the whole world for what happened, and at the same time we expect the rest of the world to help us face these cowardly criminal acts."

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton

"I am deeply shocked by the despicable attack. I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms. I call on Libya to take all necessary measures without delay to protect the lives of all diplomats and foreign staff."

Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen

"I strongly condemn the attack on the US mission in Benghazi. Such violence can never be justified. I welcome the Libyan president's condemnation and condolences and his pledge of his government's full cooperation."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague

"The UK condemns the brutal and senseless attack. We send our condolences to the people and government of the United States and stand with them in this. These diplomats were serving not only their own country but the people of Libya and were working for the peace and stability of Libya in the future."

French President Francois Hollande

"France demands that the Libyan authorities shed all possible light on these odious and unacceptable crimes, identify the culprits and bring them to justice."

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti

"We will continue to support the government of the new democratic Libya, which we are sure will spare no effort in preventing Libya's new course from being hijacked. We condemn with maximum firmness this brutal act."

German government spokesman Steffen Seibert

"The federal government condemns in the strongest terms the attacks on American diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt. Such violence against diplomatic facilities can, and may, never be a means of political debate, of political action."

Russian foreign ministry

"We strongly condemn any attacks on foreign diplomatic posts and their staff as terrorist acts which can have no justification."

US starts Agent Orange clean-up in Vietnam!

The US has begun a project to help clean up Agent Orange contamination at one area in Vietnam - the first such move since the war ended in 1975.

The work is taking place at the airport in the central city of Danang.
The US sprayed millions of gallons of the toxic defoliant over jungle areas to destroy enemy cover.
Vietnam says several million people have been affected by Agent Orange, including 150,000 children born with severe birth defects.
'Injustice'
Agent Orange Victims Association Vice Chairman Tran Xuan Thu told the BBC that although the clean-up activities were "a little late", they were "greatly appreciated".
"They show that the US government now is taking the responsibility to assist us. I hope these efforts will be multiplied in future," he said.
"However we consider that the clean-up is separate from the issue of compensating Vietnamese Agent Orange victims, who are still suffering from injustice. These victims will carry on with their lawsuits, no matter what."
A lawsuit brought by a group of Vietnamese nationals against US manufacturers was dismissed in 2007.
On Thursday, a ceremony was held at the Danang airport where the defoliant was stored before being sprayed over forests hiding fighters from the Viet Cong, guerrillas backed by the Communist government of North Vietnam.

The US sprayed Vietnam's jungles to deprive the enemy of places to hide

The US government is providing $41m (£26m) to the clean-up project, which is being carried out by two American companies in co-operation with the Vietnamese defence ministry.
The US has in the past helped fund some social services in Vietnam, but this is its first direct involvement in clean-up work.
The contaminated soil and sediment is to be excavated and then heated to a high temperature to destroy the dioxins, a US embassy statement said.
Frank Donovan of USAID told Radio Australia the project would last until 2016.
"We expect it will be cleaned up to rid the contaminated areas of dioxins down to harmless levels that are accepted both by the government of the US and the government of Vietnam, and so safe for industrial, commercial or residential use," he said.
There are dozens of other contamination hotspots where the defoliant was stored, including two more airports.
The US and Vietnam resumed full diplomatic ties in 1995 and have grown closer in recent years amid concerns over China's assertiveness over disputed territories in the South China Sea.
The US compensates its veterans exposed to the defoliant, but does not compensate Vietnamese nationals.
Nga Pham, of the BBC's Vietnamese service, says Agent Orange is a very bitter legacy of the war, and most Vietnamese think the US should do more to help.