The United States on Friday fortified embassies around the world following the deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya. Four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, were killed in the assault, which took place on the anniversary of 9/11.
In Jakarta, hundreds of police were on alert while demonstrations over the low-budget, anti-Islamic video “Innocence of Muslims” rocked Egypt and Yemen. Anti-U.S. protests also erupted in Iraq, Iran and the Gaza Strip. Security forces clashed with hundreds of protesters early Friday in Yemen as water cannons and shots were fired in efforts to break up the crowd. Most were reportedly upset about the film.
So far, at least five protesters were killed in Yemen. In Iran, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Swiss embassy, shouting “death to America.” Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood announced via Twitter they would only hold a symbolic protest against the film and cancelled nationwide protests.
Muslim Brotherhood: Islam Forbids Attacking Embassies in Any Way goo.gl/fb/b95jd #ikhwan
— Muslim Brotherhood (@ikhwan) September 13, 2012
Meantime, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton denounced the film as the administration sought to pre-empt further violence. On Wednesday, two Navy warships headed to the Libyan coast.
Four suspects were arrested in the Benghazi attack., at least one of them is a Libyan national, CNN reported. According to The New York Daily News, Investigators were looking into the possibility that a mole might have helped Libyan terrorists attack the consulate.
Sources: The New York Daily News, BBC, CNN