On Embassies and Consulates Being Unarmed

Burned remnants of US Consulate in Benghazi

It's become more and more apparent that the US Marines guarding the embassy in Cairo and the hired Libyan guards in Benghazi were, in fact, either completely unarmed or not allowed ammunition, which is effectively the same thing.

What good is a guard if they can't even defend what they are guarding? How many other embassies and consulates were, or all forbid, still are facing similar circumstances of not being equipped to defend themselves?

At best, this is a criminally negligent act on the parts of the State Department and the administration. Prosecution should take place. The officials who approved this should be brought to justice as willing accessories to murder. Just as those who put Fast and Furious into effect.

Granted things may not have gone better in Benghazi, their attackers were extremely well armed. However, in Cairo the only thing that saved the embassy's staff was that the crowd didn't push on. Had they gone further, nothing could have stopped them.

Marines and political staff should not have only luck to rely on. They should be equipped as best as is possible to defend themselves. This isn't something that should be debatable, it should be a natural part of having embassies abroad, especially ones in regions of turmoil.