Attacks on U.S. Embassies Did Not Suddenly Begin Under Obama. Foreign Affairs History 101.

By John Amaruso

In the wake of the tragic events of the Benghazi attack which left 4 Americans dead, including Diplomat Christopher Stephens, questions as to the current administration's efficacy against terrorist attacks has come into question.

Media outlets such as Fox News, and independent conservative blogs all over the blogosphere are calling the incident a direct result of poor leadership under President Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton. Moreover, claims of scandal and misinformation have plagued the story like bugs to a light.

Yes the details are murky, as all events during war usually are. Yes, they could have been more forthright with the information they had. Yes, Susan Rice should not have gone around peddling the same talking points if the informational basis of said talking points weren't still in their infancy.

But here's another question; is the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Libya an isolated event? Is this something that was a direct result of poor leadership, a lack of resources or attention to detail?

It may be one thing to say the information pool surrounding the events and the handling of the tragedy leave much to be desired. But to say that this occurred only because of this particular administration's poor policies would be to say that only people who have sky dived in the past 4 years suffer from an increased risk compared to it's history.

Strange analogy you may say, but let me explain. Sky diving is inherently dangerous. It is a field that is constantly being looked at in order to improve jumper safety, instructional efficiency, plane functionality etc.

An attack on the American Embassy in Beirut, 1983.
63 people died in the attack

Much like foreign missions conducted by the C.I.A. or the State Department, the danger is inherent. It is a field that is constantly being looked at in order to improve security personnel safety, protocol efficiency, effectiveness of operations employed etc. U.S. Embassies are a constant target for attacks from foreign agents who do not approve of U.S. presence in their country.

Now, if we are to look at it like that, under this administration, the amount of attacks on U.S. Embassies have actually declined. Benghazi has been the only attack on a U.S. Embassy in a country which is currently at peace with the U.S. (Afghanistan, Iraq, fall under countries 'at war').

Attack on the U.S. Embassy in
Nairobi left 223 people dead

Under Reagan's watch, 63 people died in an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Beirut in '83



Under Clinton's watch, 223 people died in coordinated attacks on the U.S. Embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya. Think about that to put this in perspective.



Ironically enough, in March of 2006, an almost mirror image of Benghazi happened in Karachi, Pakistan, where a U.S. Diplomat, David Foy, was specifically targeted by militants, and killed along with 4 other Embassy workers.


Here are the numbers/past attacks on U.S. Embassies since 9/11.

June 14, 2002, U.S. consulate in Karachi, Pakistan
Suicide bomber kills 12 and injures 51. 

February 20, 2003, international diplomatic compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Truck bomb kills 17.

February 28, 2003, U.S. consulate in Karachi, Pakistan
Gunmen on motorcycles killed two consulate guards.

July 30, 2004, U.S. embassy in Taskkent, Uzbekistan
Suicide bomber kills two.

December 6, 2004, U.S. consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Militants stormed and occupied perimeter wall. Five killed, 10 wounded.

Suicide Bombing outside U.S. Embassy in Karachi, killing 4, including U.S.
Diplomat David Foy

March 2, 2006, U.S. consulate in Karachi, Pakistan
Suicide car bomber killed four, including a U.S. diplomat, David Foy, directly targeted by the assailants.

September 12, 2006, U.S. embassy in Damascus, Syria
Gunmen attacked embassy with grenades, automatic weapons, and a car bomb (though second truck bomb failed to detonate). One killed and 13 wounded.

January 12, 2007, U.S. embassy in Athens, Greece
A rocket-propelled grenade was fired at the embassy building. No one was injured.

July 9, 2008, U.S. consulate in Istanbul, Turkey
Armed men attacked consulate with pistols and shotguns. Three policemen killed.

March 18, 2008, U.S. embassy in Sana'a, Yemen
Mortar attack misses embassy, hits nearby girls' school instead.

September 17, 2008, U.S. embassy in Sana'a, Yemen
Militants dressed as policemen attacked the embassy with RPGs, rifles, grenades and car bombs. Six Yemeni soldiers and seven civilians were killed. Sixteen more were injured.
 (Provided by the Daily Kos)


If these numbers don't tell you something, I'm not sure what will. It is a fact that in the past 4 years, attacks on U.S. Embassies have declined relative to our history.

To say this administration caused the attacks would be to say that only sky diving today causes death, not sky diving in the past.

Personally, I don't have any plans to go sky diving anytime soon.