Teamwork

President Bush called on governments around the world to halt the violence that has followed the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in Europe, as three more protesters were killed in Afghanistan.

The deaths, which took place when Afghan police fired into a crowd marching on an American military base, brought the total of people killed in protests in Afghanistan in recent days to 11.

Across the globe, protests continued even as world leaders stepped up efforts to restrain the violence, which the Bush administration said had been encouraged by Iran and Syria. But there was little sign that the furor would abate anytime soon...

After a mob attacked Danish diplomatic offices in Syria last week, Bush administration officials said such an act could not have happened without government acquiescence.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice repeated that assertion today. "I don't have any doubt that given the control of the Syrian government in Syria, given the control of the Iranian government — which, by the way, hasn't even hidden its hand in this — that Iran and Syria have gone out of their way to inflame sentiment and to use this to their own purposes," she said...

It takes two to tango, baby. Consider the sustained effort behind the publication, and reiteration, and re-distribution of these cartoons, which were published first 6 months ago in a very conservative Danish magazine and not funny to begin with. It has a feel to it. Let's call it that "Orange Revolution in the Ukraine" feel.

Big bang for very little CIA buck.

It seems there's another Islamo fascist government- but one we never call by that name- that's been having these street protests- unusual in a nation where open demonstrations are government approved only.

Now, what would that other government be?

Over at Attytood, it's noticed that the agitation is getting some circulation from good friends of Dear Leader:

When the rest of the world was paying little attention to what was once a local issue over cartoons in one Danish newspaper, the Saudis were right in the thick of things, making sure it became a big deal.

When the cartoons were published in September, it was actually our other close ally Egypt seeking to make this an international incident, pushing the Danish government. From the Washington Times (of course) of last Nov. 18:

' "The Arab Muslim world must take a stand on this," said Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit, who has announced that "this caricature affair," as one Egyptian diplomat called it, will be high on the agenda in December when the Organization of the Islamic Conference meets in Mecca. '

In January, several leading multi-national Muslim groups, all based in Saudi Arabia, condemned the cartoons. Then on Jan. 24, from the Indo-Asian News Agency:

'Saudi Arabia has denounced "certain European newspapers" for cartoons "defiling" Prophet Mohammed, warning that such actions would spread hatred and animosity among people of different faiths, the daily Arab News reported Tuesday.

' "The Council of Ministers expressed the kingdom's condemnation of what is published by certain European newspapers defiling the prophet Mohammed," the Saudi daily quoted the cabinet as saying in reference to cartoons almost four months earlier in Denmark and Norway. '

Two days later, the Saudis took the fairly harsh step of withdrawing their Danish ambassador. Here, according to an AP report, was what was going on the streets of a nation where things don't happen in the streets without the government's knowledge and consent:

'The anger over the drawings was evident throughout the Saudi capital on Thursday. Outside al-Sarhan and al-Athim malls in downtown Riyadh, huge signs read: "Dear brothers, you should hold out purchasing any Danish food stuff because the Danes desecrated our prophet."

'A flurry of text messages were sent via mobile phones, urging a boycott of Danish goods, such as cheese and cosmetics. "We call on the merchant brothers to stop importing all Danish products for the sake of our beloved prophet," read one message.

'A convoy of young men drove down al-Alia Street with white cloth banners streaming from their windows. "We demand all the brothers stop buying Danish products!" one read. "Remove all Danish products from your markets," another urged.

Some bloggers on Saudi Web sites asking Saudis to boycott anything carrying the label, "Made in Denmark." '

You know the rest of the story.

It's touching when close partners work together to make something happen.

Suggested reading with more links than you can shake your moneymaker at: Top 10 'Conspiracy Theories' about George W. Bush, Part 1 and Part 2, by Maureen Farell.