The timing of the anti-Islam video's release on the Internet, its content and the violent reaction it provoked in the Arab and Muslim countries should instigate curiosity – and even questions that do not beg answers. Did US President Barack Obama anticipate the raging fury in Muslim countries over an anti-Islam film when he promised last year that more than 30,000 American troops in Afghanistan would be withdrawn before the end of the 2012? US commanders in Afghanistan substantiated Obama's pledge by declaring that the troops would be out by the end of September this year. Did the US administration have plans at that time to deploy the same troops in North Africa and Arab countries, which would inevitably lead to anti-US sentiments? If North Africa and the Arab region had not been the American troops' new destination, where could they have been deployed? Would these troops only be sent home to increase the unemployment rate in their financially and economically shaken motherland? What was in Obama's mind when he revealed a new African development strategy aiming at a consolidation of democracy and ‘security'? Although the heavy Chinese presence on the African continent should not be scrutinised in this context, the US administration's new approach responded to growing worries that al-Qaeda affiliates had seized several areas in North Africa, particularly in Mali. The increased presence of al-Qaeda in North Africa deeply worried Senegalese President Macky Sally, who complained at the African summit this year that al-Qaeda had gained a strong foothold in his country's northern neighbour Mali (bordering Libya, where US ambassador J. Christopher Stevens was killed in an attack reportedly launched by al-Qaeda terrorists mingling with demonstrators). Immediately after the US ambassador was killed, Obama ordered the deployment of US Marines to Libya and Yemen (other countries would soon follow) to allegedly protect the US missions. In the past three months the Yemeni army has been waging a difficult war against al-Qaeda fighters. Last week, the Yemeni defence minister survived a car bomb attack. Egypt is no exception. About 16 Egyptian soldiers were killed last month on the Rafah border crossing. They were attacked by terrorists reportedly belonging to Geish el-Islam (the Army of Islam) and Mujahedeen (warriors of holy wars). The terrorists are said to be shuttling between Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula using secret tunnels. Over the past five days, Muslim protesters and mobs in Cairo have been fighting with riot police protecting the US embassy. Were the anti-Islam movie's producers collaborating with certain agencies in the timing of the release of this outrageous film? Did the US administration suspect that anti-Islam sentiments in the West subsided after the Islamists' democratic rise to power in the Arab region? It is an incontestable fact that Washington and the EU have played a major role in aiding and abetting Islamists to seize the reins in their countries after overthrowing dictators. The American people must have enthusiastically put their bets on the Islamists and hoped they would trim al-Qaeda's remaining claws after the death of its iconic figure Osama bin Laden in Pakistan on May 2 last year. But it seems that the US administration has other ideas. Is there any kind of connection between the film's release and the Dutch parliament's decision a few days ago to offer Egyptian Christians political asylum so they could escape alleged religious persecution? Considering that Holland is a member of the EU, the latter is likely to have nodded at the decision. The controversial film lampooned Prophet Mohamed in the most disgusting and offensive manner. Its release coincided with the anniversary of the tragic 9/11 attack in New York. Muslim militants allegedly belonging to al-Qaeda were accused of being behind the attack on the World Trade Centre, where thousands of civilians were killed. Since then, the American nation's psyche has been traumatised, which in turn has given rise to anti-Islam sentiments in the West. The rude film was also released to coincide with violent uprisings in the Arab countries that brought Islamists to power.
