Globe Trot 09.14

Violence continues in the Middle East over allegedly a shallow U.S.-made film and its shadowy filmmaker. Federal authorities say the man called Sam Bacile is Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, 55, a California man once convicted of financial crimes and prohibited from using computers or the internet as part of his sentence.

Violence today is spreading with protests in Tunisia, Sudan, Yemen, and elsewhere the Muslim world over.

New details on what happened in Benghazi leading up to the assassination of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens suggest two attacks: one spontaneous and the second highly coordinated, possibly with tips from Libyans on the diplomat's security detail.

Libya on Thursday arrested four people in conjunction with the attacks, and senior Libyan officials say they suspect the attacks were times to coincide with the anniversary of 9/11.

Missing papers from the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi include lists of names of Libyans working with the United States.

Necessary reads:

John Bolton on American exceptionalism (earlier this week): "Contrary to what its critics, including many in this country, say, American exceptionalism simply recognizes the reality of our distinct history. After all, a Frenchman, Alexis de Toqueville, first characterized us as 'exceptional,' and he didn't mean it entirely as a compliment!"

Heading into the weekend, a prayer reminder: As Open Doors USA points out, Christians in times of crisis in the Middle East are associated with Westerners, and many face threat of violence, especially now. Barnabas Fund reports that Christians in Syria, especially Aleppo, also are in dire straits, as fighting there continues.