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France to close embassies in 20 countries

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    Assessing precautionary measures overseas

  • Duration 4:18
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Only played one of our top stories today the French government announcing and -- -- closure is in twenty countries this after French magazine.

Published cartoons.

Mocking the Prophet Mohammed as we continue to follow the fast moving developments in the Middle East are joined now by former US ambassadors in the US -- and -- with Fox News.

Contributors ambassador Bolton -- weekly magazine has done this before.

And didn't receive quite a reaction for publishing photos cartoons pictures of the Prophet Mohammed we -- -- this action by the French government though too close.

Their embassies.

Well as -- -- prudent security matter it would seem to me to make a lot of sense we've already seen obviously the a tragedy of Ben Ghazi -- against the American ambassador.

On September the eleventh the attack on our.

Embassy in Cairo and and riots and demonstrations all around the region so.

I think as a precautionary matter it makes a lot of sense I think it also demonstrates why.

The big reaction is hardly something provoked by one particular.

Incident one pretext or another that this is a reflection of ideological.

And religious extremism obviously shared by many people.

Around the region.

-- you think it suggests this weekly magazine that's causing the French should do this -- is it a bigger picture issue.

Well they may well have looked at the at the demonstrations and the riots around the regions and just concluded they weren't gonna take any risks and they may have additional intelligence as well we don't.

We don't know but when we've seen a week of demonstrations over over a film trailer.

If it's not at all surprising given especially in Europe the recognition of the other recollection of the at 2006 Danish cartoons.

That that the French would want to take preventive action here.

He says this is not at all surprising considering what's happening -- what what about their their other countries as well do you see.

Other embassies and other countries making the same move because we've seen these protests continue for a week.

Well I think they're got to look at it carefully you know in the Sudan last week both the British and the German embassies were attacked.

And it wouldn't surprise me if some of the local radical leaders tried to broaden.

The scope of the protest for their own reason so again that this is a security question that I think.

Each country's gonna have to decide based on the facts and intelligence.

That it has and that includes the United States -- you were reporting earlier it's still very much at risk in Cairo and throughout the middle.

He mentioned and the issue of intelligence let's talk a little bit more about that when it comes to Libya over the weekend.

Ambassador rice for the UN position that you're familiar with I continued to say there will be some Libya was spontaneous.

I just yesterday we heard this from the Press Secretary on the Libya attack with -- and.

We provide information about what we.

Believe.

Was the precipitating.

Cause of the protests in the violence.

Based on the information that we.

Have had to -- the FBI.

Is investigating.

And that investigation will follow the facts wherever they lead.

Jay Carney went on to say ambassador were not making declarations ahead of the -- And headed the facts here it why is this whole back and forth about the intelligence.

And whether or not we had it whether or not this is a terrorist attack.

Significant.

Well if we had.

Intelligence and obviously didn't take adequate security precautions that would be a real indictment of the administration's approach to the region that they had such a and unrealistic.

Appreciation.

For the environment that we've been left tragically with four Americans dead but it also undercuts the argument.

That the war on terrorism is essentially over and that we don't need to worry about it if in fact this as a pre plan.

Terrorist attack that was known in advance it also undercuts the administration.

Argument that Libya has turned out so well since -- leading from behind overthrow Gaddafi so their whole series of of of White House narratives.

That are in jeopardy here is the facts come out.

Was he with this facts are as the FBI investigates now investor -- nice this year as always thank you.

Thank you at a time.

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