Radio Sawa interviews "alleged director" of "The Innocence of Muslims."

VOA News, 14 Sept 2012: "A man who says he was behind the private film sparking demonstrations in the Muslim world is criticizing the protesters. In an interview with U.S.-government-funded Radio Sawa, the alleged director of the film says his fellow Arabs 'have to learn demonstrate peacefully against the issues on which we disagree.' He says any allegation the United States government was involved in the making of the movie is 'funny and ridiculous' and that 'America has nothing to do with the film.' Radio Sawa says the man refused to confirm his identity but that a source who provided the contact information identified him as Nakoula Basseley Nakoula." With translation of the interview. Original at Radio Sawa, 14 Sept 2012.

Forbes, 14 Sept 2012, Dorothy Pomerantz: "As with so many facts around this 'film,' these could turn out to be untrue. But the broadcasters believed they were talking to Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, a California Coptic Egyptian who is believed to be the filmmaker behind the propaganda video."

Sky News Australia, 15 Sept 2012: "Reporters and police are camped out outside Nakoula's house outside Los Angeles, but he has not been seen, although he did give an interview to Radio Sawa, a US-government station that broadcasts in Arabic."

Digital Journal, 14 Sept 2012, Ted Lipien: "Former U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe criticizes the executive staff of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) for using a weak language in describing the death of U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens. Public relations officials of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) -- the U.S. government agency responsible for broadcasts to the Middle East and other parts of the world -- referred to the 'passing' of the U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens in a statement expressing condemnation of the attacks that claimed his life and three others. Ambassador Victor H. Ashe, one of the current seven members of the bipartisan board in charge of U.S. international broadcasting, said the killings should be described as murder." -- It was not "weak language," but correct use of English. The BBG mourns the passing, but condemned the attack (see the BBG statement on 12 Sept). It would seem a bit off to mourn a murder. In any case, a news organization is behooved to be restrained in its language. See previous post.

Washington Post, 15 Sept 2012, Craig Timberg: "Google lists eight reasons on its 'YouTube Community Guidelines' page for why it might take down a video. Inciting riots is not among them. But after the White House warned Tuesday that a crude anti-Muslim movie trailer had sparked lethal violence in the Middle East, Google acted. Days later, controversy over the 14-minute clip from 'The Innocence of Muslims' was still roiling the Islamic world, with access blocked in Egypt, Libya, India, Indonesia and Afghanistan — keeping it from easy viewing in countries where more than a quarter of the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims live. Legal experts and civil libertarians, meanwhile, said the controversy highlighted how Internet companies, most based in the United States, have become global arbiters of free speech, weighing complex issues that traditionally are the province of courts, judges, and occasionally, international treaty. 'Notice that Google has more power over this than either the Egyptian or the U.S. government,' said Tim Wu, a Columbia University law professor. 'Most free speech today has nothing to do with governments and everything to do with companies.'"

@InkSptsGulliver, 15 Sept 2012: "Plenty of people saying 'it's not about the movie' ... except all the shouting protestors. Great analysis by @evanchill."