[Red Sentinel]

Danish embassy in Beirut torched

The Danish embassy in Syria was attacked on Saturday
Lebanese protesters have set the Danish embassy in Beirut on fire in protest at the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad.
Thousands of people rallied outside the building and security forces fired tear gas in an attempt to keep them at bay.

But smoke was later seen rising from the building housing the Danish mission after demonstrators broke into it.

On Saturday, Syrian protesters angered by the cartoons, torched the Danish and Norwegian embassies in Damascus.

Denmark and Norway condemned Syria for failing to stop the attacks and urged their citizens to leave the country.

The demonstration in Beirut descended into violence when Islamic extremists tried to break through security barriers protecting the embassy.

Some 2,000 army troops and riot police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse them and fired their weapons into the air.

But the onslaught continued and the embassy building was set ablaze.

Witnesses said at least 10 injured people were taken away in ambulances, the AP news agency reported.

There were also reports of damage to property in a Christian area of the city.

Norway and Denmark criticised Syria for allowing Saturday's demonstration to go ahead.

'Inexcusable failure'

"The principle of diplomatic relations is that diplomats can work safely and the fact that this has been broken is extremely serious," Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told a news conference in Oslo on Saturday.

"It's horrible and totally unacceptable," Denmark's Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller told Danish public television.

The US also criticised Syria's approach, saying it was "inexcusable" for such damage to be inflicted on diplomatic missions.

"The United States condemns in the strongest terms the burning of the Danish and Norwegian embassies in Damascus, Syria today, which also damaged the Chilean and Swedish embassies," a White House spokesman said.

"The government of Syria's failure to provide protection to diplomatic premises, in the face of warnings that violence was planned, is inexcusable."

Thousands of protesters had scaled the Danish site amid chants of "God is great", before moving on to attack the Norwegian mission.

CARTOON ROW
30 Sept: Danish paper publishes cartoons
20 Oct: Muslim ambassadors complain to Danish PM
10 Jan: Norwegian publication reprints cartoons
26 Jan: Saudi Arabia recalls its ambassador
30 Jan: Gunmen raid EU's Gaza office demanding apology
31 Jan: Danish paper apologises
1 Feb: Papers in France, Germany, Italy and Spain reprint cartoons
4 Feb: Syrians attack Danish and Norwegian embassies in Damascus


In pictures: Protests
Cartoon row: Your views
BBC search for right balance

The cartoons sparked Muslim outrage across the world, following their publication in a Danish paper in September.

One depicts Muhammad as a terrorist. Any images of the Prophet are banned under Islamic tradition.

However, several European papers recently reprinted the cartoons, citing free speech.

The publications prompted diplomatic sanctions, boycotts and death threats in some Arab nations.

Two Jordanian editors who published the cartoons have been arrested.

On Friday, the Danish prime minister made a new bid to calm anger, by explaining his position over the publication to Muslim ambassadors.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he could never apologise for a newspaper's actions, but said he was "distressed" at offence caused.
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That's just unbelivable. post one picture (i know it's illegal for them to paint one) in a newspaper and they gone crazy and torch embassy's

[Traver]

Anders Fogh Rasmussen is an idiot, anyway.

The human race really is ignorant beyond all hope.

[©allum]

Wikipedia has the cartoons and explanations of them.

[Alpha]

kool

[Aaron]

I think this is a terribly ridiculous outburst by the Muslims in the area. If you have noticed, most violence from any religious affiliation comes from Islamic followers. Jews in the West Bank area do spark conflicts as well, but that is egged on by Muslims. I think they need to tone it down a little. Other religions, especially Christianity, are attacked in much worse ways than Islam is. I don't see too many Christians burning down embassys.

[Zziggywolf5]

I understand that they're angry, they have a right to be. Destroying property is excessive.
Does no one see the irony of burning things to complain about being called violent?

[Aaron]

Yes, definately ironic. I'm not going to go into a further rant since it possibly would get me in trouble.

[Ferret Overlord]

Wanna know what's also ironic?

Remember, this paper made no referrance to Muhammed

They're arguing that the paper printed an insulting picture of Muhammed. It's illegal for them to print any representation of Muhammed, and that's why they're angry.

But if they can't print any image of him, HOW DO THEY KNOW IT'S HIM!?

I'm having serious thoughts about nuking Pakistan and Iraq right now.

[Traver]

Wanna know what's also ironic?

Remember, this paper made no referrance to Muhammed

They're arguing that the paper printed an insulting picture of Muhammed. It's illegal for them to print any representation of Muhammed, and that's why they're angry.

But if they can't print any image of him, HOW DO THEY KNOW IT'S HIM!?

The paper certainly did make a reference to Muhammed, seeing as the headline for the page was "The face of Muhammed".

[Ferret Overlord]

That was ONE. They're protesting all of them.

The arab world is like a bunch of PMS-ey pregnant women

Star's definatley gonna kill me now. Or Charlie. I'd prefer Star though, cause Charlie'll chronicaly lie about it.

[Traver]

That was ONE. They're protesting all of them.

The arab world is like a bunch of PMS-ey pregnant women

Star's definatley gonna kill me now. Or Charlie. I'd prefer Star though, cause Charlie'll chronicaly lie about it.

Huh? Protesting all of what?

[Ferret Overlord]

The cartoons...

[Traver]

Jyllands Posten printed twelve cartoons in an issue, clearly stating they were depictions of Muhammed, and they have never stated otherwise.

[Ferret Overlord]

I don't understand why they would clearly state what the pictures are. It's a humorous image. Explaining it lowers the comedic value. That's just common knowlege.