Work the Problem

Remember, just because our embassies are being attacked doesn't mean the host countries are waging war on us--or that all Moslems are beyond hope.

Recall that we had a big oops moment in the Kosovo War. Unless you want to believe that the simple explanation of a mistake is less likely than a deliberate decision to hit a Chinese target.

And just because a disturbing number of Moslems can be worked up into a protest frenzy, don't forget that only a minority can be worked up that way. Even the Cairo protest was just unpleasant to see rather than an assault as the Benghazi attack was. Let's work the problem and not make it more than it is.

Further, if you want to focus on Libya and ask how they can be so ungrateful after we rescued them from Khaddafi, remember that the Libyan government apologized and that the attackers were a small group that doesn't represent that many Libyans.

If you insist on saying all Libyans should be grateful for our liberation of their country (well, by leading from behind), I have one thing to say: France.

Finally, I don't see this as a reason to discard our hopes for the Arab Spring. There is a lot that must be done between getting rid of the thug dictator and seeing a working democracy governed by rule of law. It isn't instantaneous. Don't believe that all would be great if "friendly" autocrats or dictators "we can work with" ran those countries. We have different problems now, but we have new opportunities, too.

There are elements in these countries who are friendly to us, those who are willing to work with us, those who view us with suspicion, and those who want to kill us. Plus a lot who will go whatever way the wind blows.

And they'll all soon discover that they own their countries and must endure the consequences of what they do rather than hiding behind whoever leads them claiming they have no responsibility for what happens.

Work the problems. This is tough stuff. We need to succeed. Don't make the problems worse.

UPDATE: Via Instapundit, a reminder that we must not let the jihadis get away with saying they represent all Moslems. We have friends in Libya. Let's not abandon them to the jihadis. That's what the jihadis want us to do--throw up our hands and walk away in disgust.

Oh, and Yemen's president apologized for the attacks on our embassy there.

Work the problems. Don't make them worse.