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Hi, I found some interesting notes related to this Beacon article. It’s from a site called Nightwatch. I’d be interested in your take on it. There are notes from seemingly knowledgable people in the field.

http://www.kforcegov.com/Services/IS/NightWatch/NightWatch_12000175.aspx

Here’s a sample (my apologies for the length, though, it is only a piece of what’s there)

NightWatch Special Comment: Ambassador Anne Patterson’s April Glaspie moment.

Ambassador Anne Patterson, the US Ambassador to Egypt, experienced her ‘April Glaspie’ moment yesterday when she blamed Americans instead of Egyptians for attacking, storming and desecrating the US Embassy in Cairo and the US Flag.

Old hands will remember, April Glaspie, who was a rising star in the State Department’s constellation of diplomats. Her notorious conversation with Saddam Hussein in early 1990 led Saddam to believe that the US encouraged and condoned an Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.

Having worked closely with US officials for a decade in the struggle and war against Iran, Saddam understood that everything after the Glaspie talk was plausible deniability by US President Bush, 41.

Glaspie misunderstood and misjudged the Iraqi leadership and the situation in Iraq. Patterson’s operations at the US Embassy in Cairo bespeak a comparable misjudgment of the Egyptian Arab situation, its volatility and the depth of anti-American sentiment.

She did not permit US Marine guards to carry live ammunition, according to USMC blogs. Thus she neutralized any US military capability that was dedicated to preserve her life and protect the US Embassy.

In this respect, she did not defend US sovereign territory and betrayed her oath of office. She neutered the Marines posted to defend the embassy, trusting the Egyptians over the Marines

Thanks. I read those comments. No where does it state that Amb Patterson was not in the country at the time. She had nothing to do with the Press Release. Supposedly, according to buck passer Obama, the PR was strictly a product of Embassy PAO Schwartz and was not approved by Washington, only by the Charge' in Cairo. In fact, Obama said that Washington didn't want it released with that language.

When, as I noted previously in a earlier post, this source contains such misinformation, I am skeptical about some of the other statements made without any real sourcing. I want to see more information before jumping to any conclusions.

Based on my personal experience of serving abroad at seven embassies and visiting many more, I have a hard time believing that it is embassy policy not to allow MSGs to carry loaded weapons. If that is the case, then something is very, very wrong.

FWIW,,there are some reporting they do not believe the statement put out by the State Dept about the ammo.

I guess I’m too old for this board...I remember the same correction coming from the Pentagon regarding the US Marines in Beirut back in 1983 when their barracks were bombed at Beirut’s airport...The reports coming out of Beirut said that the Marines in Beirut were not even allowed to put empty magazines into their M16s, let alone lock and load live rounds...The Pentagon “corrected” that initial report...Later it was found that the initial reports were true...

So let me think...A Marine officer says that the postings of individual soldiers are incorrect...From what I remember during my time in uniform, the enlisted-ranks told the truth, and the officers said what their higher ups told them to say..

I’m going to believe the enlisted-ranks over the press releases from the officer corps...Call me crazy, but experience is a better teacher than wishful thinking...