Embassy Torchings Spread

This time, the Danish embassy in Beirut, Lebanon was lit up. These are acts of war against the Denmark - as each embassy is a piece of sovereign territory of the country. The rioters aren't just protestors. They're thugs engaging in acts of war.

Security officials said at least 18 people were injured, including policemen, fire fighters and protesters. Witnesses saw at least 10 people taken away by ambulance.

A security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak to the media, said embassy staff had evacuated the building two days ago in anticipation of protests. Some 2,000 army troops and riot police were deployed around the building.

The Danish Foreign Ministry urged Danes to leave Lebanon as soon as possible.

The violence in Lebanon came a day after thousands of protesters in neighboring Syria set fire to the Danish and Norwegian embassies in the most violent of furious demonstrations by Muslims in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

One has to wonder just how involved Syrian intelligence services were in the torching of the two embassies. We have seen clear and convincing evidence that the Syrians aren't above assassinating political opponents to the Assad regime and to maintain power in Lebanon (think Rafik Harari), so torching a couple of embassies would be par for the course. Nothing proven thus far, just setting forth a theory.

The problem here, just like the problem in dealing with terrorism is that the enemy isn't a nation-state, but groups of like-minded people (potential with state-sponsorship, but no clear established links at present). Where are the moderates in these countries denouncing and calling out the thugs? Have the moderates been cowed into silence, just as many of the media outlets in the US have refused to run those cartoons for fear of what could happen to their access and own businesses?

And the situation in Lebanon may be even more dangerous:

The trouble in Lebanon threatened to take a sectarian spin as protesters stoned the nearby St. Maroun Church, one of the city's main Maronite Catholic churches, and private property in Ashrafieh, a Christian area near Beirut's commercial district. Muslim clerics were seen trying to stop the protesters.

The demonstrators also attacked policemen with stones and set fire to several fire engines, witnesses said. Black smoke was seen billowing from the area. They also burned Danish flags.

Justice Minister Charles Rizk, speaking on LBC television, called on those who hold influence with the protesters to help end the upheaval.

"What is the guilt of the citizens of Ashrafieh of caricatures that were published in Denmark? This sabotage should stop," said Rizk, a Christian.

This isn't just random violence, but an intifada using the cartoons as a pretext. The cartoons were published in September, and yet the violence occurs months later? There's a disconnect between action and reaction that doesn't quite make sense unless there were people directing the violence, the demonstrations, and the rioting.

And enough with calling this a cartoon row. It's an intifada. It's a war whether you want it or not.

UPDATE:
I'm not alone in thinking that Syria may be behind the torchings. Belmont Club reports that the White House is thinking that Syria may be behind the violence and torchings. Via the Washington Post:

"We will hold Syria responsible for such violent demonstrations since they do not take place in that country without government knowledge and support," said presidential press secretary Scott McClellan.

If it can be confirmed that the Syrians were behind these acts of war, the US should stand with the Danes and take all appropriate actions, up to and including military action. The failure to respond to these acts of war cannot be more plainly seen than when the Iranians sacked the US embassy in 1979 and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. The inaction on the part of the US to take decisive action against the Iranians led to the Islamists and terrorist groups to consider the US a paper tiger and we're still dealing with the fallout from that inaction more than 25 years later. Taking action in this instance may head off further acts of violence against the West by terrorists and terror-supporting countries (Syria, Iran, North Korea, and others not even on the horizon) by their proxy terrorist groups.

UPDATE:
Zombietime has more, including the original cartoons that were published in September that only now have caused an intifada around the world - but especially in places like Syria - which is an exporter of terror.

Technorati: Buy Danish "jyllands-posten mohammed" "muhammad cartoon" embassy torchings "muhammad image archive"