US Pulls Embassy Staff in Tunisia, Sudan

Local Editor


Washington ordered all non-essential staff to leave Tunisia and Sudan after embassies were stormed by Muslims protesting the offensive film against Islam and as Al-Qaeda called for more attacks on US targets following the same reason.

US officials have already deployed counter-terrorism Marine units to Libya and Yemen and stationed two destroyers off the North African coast.

But Sudanese Foreign Minister, Ali Karti, on Saturday flatly rejected a US request to send special forces to protect the Khartoum embassy, the official SUNA news agency said, quoting his office.

Hours later, US officials announced Washington would evacuate all non-essential staff and family members from Sudan and Tunisia and warned US citizens against travel to the two countries.

Despite Tehran's hostility to Washington and its own condemnation of the defamatory movie, Iran's Revolutionary Guards commander General Mohammad Ali Jafari said the killing of the US ambassador to Libya last Tuesday was unjustified.

"Definitely this did not warrant killing," Jafari told a news conference in Tehran. He said that "due to their anger (of protesters), this incident (the killings) happened."

In the worst violence sparked by the film, the US ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, and three other Americans died when suspected militants fired rocket-propelled grenades at the US consulate in the eastern city of Benghazi.

In cities across the Muslim world protesters have since vented their fury at the film called as "Innocence of Muslims" -- by targeting symbols of US influence ranging from embassies and fast food chains.


River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian  
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