With the political and media frenzy around Friday's Paris attack, we should remember that on Thursday there were Islamic State suicide bombings in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, targeting Shia Muslims and Hezbollah. Initial reports said there were 43 dead and more than 200 wounded, with the number of dead expected to rise.
The United States government condemned it ("in the strongest possible terms," of course) in a one-paragraph, three-sentence statement of less than one hundred words attributed to "NSC Spokesperson Ned Price."
It appears Mr. Price was too busy to actually pronounce the words himself or even send out the statement, which instead was posted in the press office's section of the White House web site, the last of eight posts on Thursday on the "statements and releases" page. It had been preceded by two on a presidential "emergency board" to look into a labor dispute at New Jersey Transit Rail, and "readouts" on phone calls between Obama and such important world leaders as Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nayhan.
The president condemning the Lebanon attack himself would, of course, have been below Obama's dignity as an honorary white person. And having the vice-president do it would only raise uncomfortable questions about why Obama didn't do it.
Secretary of State John Kerry could have spoken out, or failing that, Anne W. Patterson, who as head of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, is one of only 23 people holding the rank of Assistant Secretary of State, or even just the State Department mouthpiece.
But the terrorist attack did not even rate a mention at the regular Foggy Bottom press briefing, which was conducted by Mark C. Toner, a "deputy spokesperson." And, no, it wasn't mentioned at the regular White House briefing either.
So when it falls to the NSC mouthpiece in a case such as this, there is a very clear message. In case you don't get it, here's a translation of the U.S. Government statement into the vernacular:
"Go f*ck yourselves you towel-headed sand n****rs. We're glad you got bombed."
