The U.S. embassy in Pakistan certainly has its priorities straight. After the embassy was surrounded by a sea of angry radical protesters earlier today, its official Twitter account engaged in a gag-inducing virtual apology tour:
President Obama: Since our founding, the United States has been a nation that respects all faiths.
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) September 20, 2012
President Obama: We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others.
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) September 20, 2012
#SecClinton: U.S. government had nothing to do with this video & we absolutely reject its message & contents. @StateDept #Pakistan
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) September 20, 2012
Amb. Hoagland: American people strongly support free speech, even protest, but firmly reject violence & destruction in the name of religion.
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) September 20, 2012
These tweets were merely a continuation of the embassy’s super-duper fool-proof submissive approach that began last week:
#SecState Clinton: The United States deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. http://t.co/wwnowwVG
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) September 12, 2012
#SecState Clinton: Our commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation. http://t.co/wwnowwVG
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) September 12, 2012
President Obama – We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others.
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) September 12, 2012
#SecClinton statement on Innocence of Muslims video: This video is disgusting and reprehensible. #Pakistan
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) September 13, 2012
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#SecClinton on Innocence of Muslims video: U.S. government had nothing to do with this video & we absolutely reject its message & contents.
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) September 13, 2012
#SecClinton on Innocence of Muslims video: There is no justification – none – for responding to this movie with violence.
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) September 13, 2012
The United States government has absolutely nothing to do with this video. We reject its content & its message. #Pakistan #USConsulate
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) September 16, 2012
The United States government has absolutely nothing to do with this video. We reject its content & its message. #Pakistan
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) September 17, 2012
The United States government has absolutely nothing to do with this video. We reject its content & its message. #Pakistan
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) September 18, 2012
The United States government has absolutely nothing to do with this video. We reject its content & its message. #Pakistan
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) September 20, 2012
Of course, none of these apologies calmed or appeased the angry mob. Who’d’a thunk?
Inside Serena Hotel Islamabad the talk is media ethics. Outside there are riots.With hatred on the march how do media lower the temperature?
— Aidan White (@aidanpwhite) September 20, 2012
Protestors have broken through the security cordon & are now entering the diplomatic enclave in #Islamabad #Pakistan
— Raza Ahmad Rumi (@Razarumi) September 20, 2012
Pakistan Army asked to assist the civilian authorities to protect Diplomatic Enclave Islamabad.Police failing before the violent goons.
— Raza Ahmad Rumi (@Razarumi) September 20, 2012
Protesters have already entered US Embassy's red area in Islamabad; army has been called in to stop them from entering diplomatic enclave.
— Andrew Chappelle (@andrewchappelle) September 20, 2012
Absolutely crazy scenes in footage on TV at protest outside diplomatic enclave in Islamabad. Crowds swelling, pushing aside containers.
— Rezaul Hasan Laskar (@Rezhasan) September 20, 2012
Police fire rounds and shoot tear gas into crowd of more than 1,000 students in front of U.S. Embassy in Islamabad http://t.co/qqaKrpZ8
— The Atlantic: Ideas (@TheAtlIdeas) September 20, 2012
num protestors increasing all the time outside diplomatic enclave islamabad. 1000s now. tear gas still being fired. heard live rounds too
— Aleem Maqbool (@AleemMaqbool) September 20, 2012
How thousands enter Islamabad with sticks in hands n security was on highest alert in city?They travelled miles to reach these areas..
— Dr Shahid Masood (@Shahidmasooddr) September 20, 2012
Media ethics meeting ends with useful plan of action. Outside the hotel there's a riot over the YouTube video. Pakistan in a nutshell.
— Aidan White (@aidanpwhite) September 20, 2012
Is this true? @Natrani: protestors negotiating with Serena, Islamabad asking them to hand over Americans in the hotel.
— Jemima Goldsmith (@Jemima_Khan) September 20, 2012
36 injured in anti-Islam film protest in Islamabad http://t.co/C03h7IDW
— Sanjeev Awasthi (@awasthisanjeev) September 20, 2012
Some mad pics of the day. "Protests turn Islamabad into a warzone" http://t.co/eitGPo6q via @etribune
— Nabeel (@nbl14) September 20, 2012
40 policemen and five protesters were injured as an anti-Islam film protest turned violent near the diplomatic enclave in Islamabad.
— Zeeshan (@xe_m) September 20, 2012
Police clash with thousands of #antiislamfilm protesters in diplomatic enclave of Islamabad, Pakistan http://t.co/nn6KhocI
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) September 20, 2012
Some protesters had said they would not leave the diplomatic enclave until the US embassy was on fire.
…
Protesters burned an effigy of US President Barack Obama and threw missiles at the police.
One demonstrator told reporters: “The infidel who produced the movie should be hanged, or hand over him to the Muslims. And we don’t want any (US) diplomat or embassy in Pakistan: all relations should be cut off.”
The demonstrators have been dispersed. Guess that means everything’s OK, then, right? The genius(es) behind the U.S. embassy’s Twitter account wanted to make sure it’s all good in the Islamist ‘hood and addressed the protests by following in the cowardly footsteps of their counterparts in Cairo and apologizing for hurt feelings. After things calmed down, the embassy picked right back up where it had left off:
Additionally, the embassy in Pakistan has literally put its seal of approval on a set of ads running on Pakistani TV that feature President Obama and Hillary Clinton apologizing on behalf of the United States for offending delicate radical Muslim sensibilities with that horrible, meanypants film.
President Obama & #SecClinton remarks on film from Sep 12-13 in this Urdu-subtitled video. – http://t.co/Wx3jDPkr #Pakistan
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) September 18, 2012
#SecClinton on video: U.S. government had nothing to do with this video & we absolutely reject its message & contents.
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) September 18, 2012
#SecClinton on video: There is no justification – none – for responding to this movie with violence.
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) September 18, 2012
Marked by the US Embassy seal, advertisements condemning an anti-Islam video appeared on Pakistani television http://t.co/jsgJE6wY
— السلام (@thepeace) September 20, 2012
The advertisements appear to be an effort by the U.S. government to dampen chaos surrounding the film and undo some of the damage to America’s image in the Muslim world. Violence linked to the movie has left at least 30 people in seven countries dead, including the American ambassador to Libya. Two people have died in protests in Pakistan.
…
The television ads in Pakistan feature clips of President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton during press appearances in Washington in which they condemned the video. Their words were subtitled in Urdu.
“We absolutely reject its content and message,” said Clinton in the advertisement.
Pakistan tenuous; State Dept in Islamabad #Obama #HillaryClinton apology video http://t.co/msy8piAp Sadly, not kidding pic.twitter.com/yD1b8WL8
— Elizabeth L. Schultz (@ThinkSchultz) September 20, 2012
Unlike President Obama and his pathetic team of appeasers in the State Department, plenty of Twitterers assigned their disgust to the people who truly deserve it: the perpetually outraged Islamists.
There is no "silent" majority in Pakistan. Just a violent one. #Pakistan #islamabad
— Sehar Tariq (@sehartariq) September 20, 2012
Forgive me for being rash but this seems to be a good opportunity for the army to wipe out a bunch of nutbags in one fell swoop. #islamabad
— Shaheryar Mirza (@mirza9) September 20, 2012
Pakistan in the race for winning the gold at blasphemy protestlympics #islamabad
— Sehar Tariq (@sehartariq) September 20, 2012
Some anchors were totally pandering to the #Islamabad mobs in tonight's shows. Nearly puked a couple of times.
— Khurram Husain (@KhurramHusain) September 20, 2012
How is destroying property and terrorizing your own people going to help? Protests turn Islamabad into a warzone http://t.co/MPxmH0I0
— Sabina Khan (@ksabina) September 20, 2012
https://twitter.com/SamiSaayer/status/248845492237246464
The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in #Pakistan will be closed tomorrow (Friday, September 21) due to the national holiday. #Islamabad
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) September 20, 2012
Politicians announcing protests tomorrow in Pakistan are fanning the flames for political ends and playing into the hands of Islamophobes
— Jemima Goldsmith (@Jemima_Khan) September 20, 2012
The purpose of the “national holiday” is to allow the protesters to demonstrate peacefully.
We’re sure they’ll be on their very best behavior.
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