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Africa North
Cairo mob ransacks, torches Israeli embassy, staff flown out
2011-09-10
Debka. But it's happening in real time and others are reporting the story, too. So I'm trusting this.
The Egyptian government declared a state of emergency early Saturday, Sept. 10 as thousands of demonstrators using sledgehammers smashed through the wall outside the Israeli embassy, broke into the building and dumped the flag and hundreds of documents through the windows. DEBKAfile: Egyptian security forces using tear gas and shooting in the air failed to contain the howling mob led by Muslim Brotherhood adherents.   

At least 5 Egyptian soldiers killed and more than 500 police and demonstrators were injured. Ambassador Yizhak Levanon, his family and 70 embassy personnel were evacuated from Egypt by military plane.

The Egyptian government after declaring an emergency sent armored vehicles to the burning building and cut off the power in the street. The demonstrators set up barricades in the streets around the embassy building and attacked police vehicles and other vehicles with Molotov cocktails. They moved on then to attack a police station.

Ambassador Yitzhak Levanon, his family and staff were taken from their homes in Cairo to await the military plane which evacuated them. US President Barack Obama expressed concern at the attack and told Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu he was taking steps to help resolve the situation without further violence.
Sure he is. No doubt a summer intern has just dropped a stiff note written on his personal stationary into the Alexandria consulate out-box, to be mailed to the Egyptian government on Monday...only he still hasn't grasped local postage rules, so he did his best.
He called on the Egyptian government to honor its international obligations to safeguard the embassy. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak asked US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta for assistance in safeguarding the building.

The attack came two days before a scheduled visit by the Turkish prime minister Tayyip Erdogan to Cairo amid an escalating Turkish diplomatic offensive against Israel which the US is seeking to contain.

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood incited the Israeli embassy attack to show the military rulers in Cairo who calls the shots and pressure them to break off three decades of peace ties with the Jewish state. 
Posted by:trailing wife

#3  This is why you give Embassy guards flamethrowers and grenade machineguns. After the first few dozen people attacking the embassy get torched or mangled, the others will be a bit less eager.
Posted by: Silentbrick - Halliburton Lost Drill Bit Division   2011-09-10 16:49  

#2  'demonstrators'???? RIOTERS is a far more accurate term.
JPost today: Netanyahu thanked US President Barack Obama and the Egyptian forces for their help in extracting the security guards from the embassy during what he termed a "blatant violation of international norms."
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2011-09-10 11:04  

#1  We will miss Mubarak.
Posted by: Pablo   2011-09-10 04:18  

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