From Washington, this is VOA News.
The Taliban claims responsibility for an attack on a British military base. And the filmmaker believed responsible for a film offending the world's Muslins questioned by authorities. I am Marti Johnson reporting from Washington.
The Taliban has claimed responsibility for an attack on a British military base in Afghanistan that killed two U.S. (marines). A spokesman for the group said today the attack was in response to a film produced in the United States that insults the Prophet Muhammad and because Britain's Prince Harry is serving at the base. NATO said militants infiltrated Camp Bastion in Helmand province late Friday attacked it with small arms, rockets and suicide bombers. The coalition says (18) militants died in the attack, one was wounded and captured. Officials said Prince Harry, who is third in line to the British throne, was deployed at the base, but never in danger.
The man allegedly behind the private the film sparking demonstrations in the Muslin world has been questioned by the U.S. government authorities in California. Police say Nikoula Basseley Nikoula was escorted from his West Coast home early today. Details are emerging slowly about the filmmaker behind this film that has (sparked) violence protests. Mike O’Sullivan reports from Los Angeles that film producer is thought to be an Egyptian immigrant with a checkered background.
The man behind the inflammatory film is widely reported to be Nikoula Basseley Nikoula, a 55-year old (immigrant) from Egypt who lives in suburban Los Angeles. He was convicted of bank fraud in 2010 and remains on parole. The film, The Innocence of Muslims, was made under the name Sam Bacile, with variations used in the spelling of the surname. Bacile is similar to one of the many aliases that Nikoula has used. The online video promoting the film sparked protests in Egypt and an attack in Libya Tuesday that claimed the lives of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three (embassy employees). Since then, protests set promotional video since an Arab version was posted online this month. Mike O’Sullivan, VOA News, Los Angles.
After days of deadly violent protests over an anti-Islamic video posted on the Internet, calm is returning to parts of the Muslim world. But there was a night of fighting between demonstrators and police that left one protester dead. The clean-up again in Tahrir Square going on today, and a day of difficulty in Tahrir Square with plumes of smoke going into the air as firefighters (douse) the fire there. In Sudan, which also saw deadly protesters, police patrolled the streets of Khartoum Saturday while traffic passed by the U.S., British and German embassies, all showing signs of damage. Other countries which had seen days of protests, including Tunisia and Yemen, were also quieter today. At least four other protesters have died this weekend, including two in Tunisia, one in Lebanon, and one in Sudan.
President Barack Obama has honored four Americans, including the U.S. (ambassador) to Libya killed at the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya this week. In his weekly radio and Internet address, Mr. Obama said America depends on people such as Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods, Sean Smith and ambassador Chris Stevens to sustain the freedoms Americans. And he said those responsible for the killings at the diplomatic post will be brought to (justice).
"Right now, we are doing whatever we can to protect Americans are serving abroad. We are in contact with governments around the globe, to strengthen our cooperation, and underscore that every nation has a responsibility to help us protect our people. We’ve moved forward with an effort to see the justice is done for those we lost, and we will not rest until that work is done."
Mr. Obama said America's resolve will not be broken. And in the (republican) address, meantime, U.S. representative Allen West of Florida accused the Obama Administration of weakening the military by not stopping spending cuts set to take effect in January.
The United Nations envoy to Syria has met with President Bashar al-Assad, and says the Syrian crisis is getting worse. Lakhdar Brahimi met with Mr. Assad in Damascus today, their first meeting since Brahimi took over as the U.N. and Arab league special envoy. The meeting took place as new reports came in of fighting between Syrian forces and (rebels) as well as civilians outside Damascus and in Aleppo. Brahimi told reporters great efforts will be made to end the conflict, but the crisis now poses a threat to the entire region and the world. Syria maintains its forces are fighting Islamist terrorists. Syrian state media quoted Mr. Assad as telling Brahimi that the crisis can only be stopped if countries that finance and train the terrorists are stopped.
Witnesses say South African police have used tear gas and rubber bullets on mine workers gathered in a shantytown near Marikana, after carrying out early morning raids on worker hostels where they seized a number of weapons. On Friday, the government vowed to crack down on illegal gatherings and strikers with weapons.
I am Marti Johnson, VOA News.