Protests Calm Down; al-Qaeda Calls for More

Al-Qaeda's branch in Yemen today praised the killing of the US ambassador in Libya and called for more attacks to expel American embassies from Muslim nations. The statement, posted on Islamic militant websites, suggested al-Qaeda was trying to co-opt the wave of angry protests over the anti-Islamic movie whose trailer surfaced this week. The statement said the killing of Ambassador Chris Stevens was "the best example" for protesters. Most cities around the Muslim world reported a calm day, however, after the deadly protests spread to more than 20 countries yesterday.

In Egypt, for example, police cleared out protesters who had been clashing with security forces for days near the US embassy, and they also cleared Tahrir Square. One exception to the quiet: Riot police clashed with about 200 protesters at the US consulate in Sydney, Australia. President Obama, meanwhile, said in his weekly radio address that while he respected all faiths and condemned the denigration of Islam, "there is never any justification for violence (and) there is no excuse for attacks on our embassies and consulates." (More al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula stories.)