Smoke in Our Rear View Mirror

In light of the attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya on the anniversary of 9-11, I’ve excerpted the chronology of the last three days from this article by Middle East expert Juan Cole at Informed Comment. For the benefit of our astrology community, and in terrible synchronicity with the eleventh anniversary of the false-flag incident, we’re doing this to help us, once again, put the pieces together on what could be another false flag event — given the astrology and the strange confluence of characters and events during the U.S. Presidential elections, already a time of high political theater.

On Sept. 9 Egyptian television airs an Arabic-language scene from the film by a so-called Sam Bacile, The Innocence of Muslims — a derogatory depiction of the life of Muhammed and of the Islamic faith. On the morning of Sept. 11, as the U.S. observed another anniversary of 9-11, the U.S. embassy in Cairo issued a statement directed at the film, condemning all attempts to “abuse” free speech rights to offend people of any religion. Unarmed protestors gathered outside the U.S. embassy in Cairo throughout the day. By nightfall in Cairo — noon ET — some protestors scale the walls around the compound and destroy a flag inside. The incursion is contained and protests continue outside the compound into the night.

By afternoon, at 4:30 pm ET, the U.S. embassy in Cairo condemns the breach, but stands by its initial condemnation of religiously inflammatory speech, which, it noted, was “issued before the attacks.” An hour later Terry Jones — the man whose public burning of the Q’uran drew international outrage and incited a deadly altercation at a United Nations compound in Afghanistan — issues a press release: “Tonight after International Judge Mohammad Day we will be showing the Mohammad Movie Trailer, a video promoting the movie, Innocence of Muslims. It is an American production, not designed to attack Muslims but to show the destructive ideology of Islam. The movie further reveals in a satirical fashion the life of Muhammad.”

Within minutes, reporters in Libya hear shooting and see smoke rising near the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. At 7:35 pm ET Reuters confirms that an American consulate staffer has been killed in Benghazi. This staffer is later identified as Foreign Service Officer Sean Smith. At 10:09 pm ET the Romney campaign issues a statement from Mitt Romney condemning the Obama administration for the Cairo embassy’s repudiation of religiously insensitive speech. It falsely suggests that the Cairo embassy’s condemnation came in response to the attacks in both Egypt and Libya. The statement is embargoed — meaning the press cannot report on it — until midnight, Sept. 12 — the moment the Obama and Romney campaigns’ Sept. 11 truce is scheduled to end.

At 10:10 pm ET an Administration source disavows the U.S. embassy in Cairo’s statement of condemnation to Politico. Fifteen minutes later, the Romney campaign unexpectedly lifts its embargo on Romney’s statement and it becomes public. Thirty minutes later, Hillary Clinton condemns the attack in Benghazi.

Just before midnight ET, the U.S. embassy in Cairo removes some its tweets, from both before and during the protests, condemning religiously offensive speech. It does not remove one posted at 4:29 pm ET re-iterating their firm stand, even against violence it faced, to dissuade the embassy from defending freedom of speech AND criticizing bigotry. By midnight, Sept. 12, right as the campaigns’ Sept. 11 detente ends, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus tweets, “Obama sympathizes with attackers in Egypt. Sad and pathetic.”

Unlike Romney’s statement, Priebus’ tweet is silent on Libya. Ten minutes later the Obama campaign fires back. “We are shocked that, at a time when the United States of America is confronting the tragic death of one of our diplomatic officers in Libya, Governor Romney would choose to launch a political attack.” At 5:41 am ET Reuters reports that U.S. ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and three other embassy staffers were killed in a rocket attack. Two hours later, the White House issues an official statement from President Obama condemning the attack in Benghazi.

10:27 am ET: After canceling a campaign event in Florida, Romney holds a press availability to discuss the events in Libya and Egypt. In his opening remarks he reiterates his attack on the Obama administration and later directs criticism at the embassy in Cairo — not for its initial statement but for standing by that statement after its walls had been breached. He also defends his decision to issue his original statement before he knew the severity of the events in Libya. Fifteen minutes later, in live remarks at the White House Rose Garden, President Obama, joined by Secretary Clinton, condemns the attacks and mourns the loss of embassy officials, including Stevens.

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With eleven years of practice, we have become so used to the heightened brand of political theater created by the Bush Administration’s Global War on Terror that we know bullshit enough to smell it ten miles away on a cold day. Let’s set aside Romney’s drop from the Republican’s National Convention and Obama’s bounce a week later. It was an interesting coincidence that earlier this week neoconservative Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netenyahu insisted on a personal meeting with the President in the White House on the situation in Iran. Haaretz, the progressive Israeli newspaper, condemned Netenyahu for attempting to influence U.S. politics.

Our reports from the ground in Libya support Cole’s assessment of the situation in Benghazi. Well-armed religious zealots used the political conflagration created by the film to attempt to destabilize the formation of the new Libyan government in a post-Qaddafi era, and more than likely hope to attempt the same elsewhere in a Middle East transforming itself after 2011’s Arab Spring. The majority of Libyans condemn these attacks.

Thanks to Internet community sleuthing, Sam Bacile, the so-called producer of The Innocence of Muslims is a pseudonym. He doesn’t exist — not as Sam Bacile, at least, but as someone else. Even the actors who performed in the film were lied to about the film’s intent. However, Terry Jones does exist, and he is a tool as much as Romney, Priebus, the Republican Party, and fundamentalists around the world.

Locally, in political circles, this week’s events would qualify as an ‘October surprise’, a red herring used to upend your opponent’s momentum, only it is September, which makes me think Mr. Romney’s internal polling suggests his remaining option is to throw the kitchen sink at President Obama. Regardless of what it is, it is a diabolical Rube Goldberg-ian device using deadly tools of political manipulation, bigotry, and a few matches to set things off at the expense of the lives of others.

Such is the sight for those of us trying to move this world on beyond the steam, smoke and ash of fallen buildings, smashed airliners, and countless tortured and dead from pointless wars in our rear view mirror. We have to stop looking so far behind us that we end up crashing in our attempt to move forward.