It seems that Obama supporters aren’t the only ones upset about the picture that was released of Senator Obama in traditional Somali dress. The Obama camp responded as well to the release of the photo. According to International Business Daily today: (updated with Free Republic link taken out. I had no idea it was held with such disdain around here. I'll update again as soon as more "legitimate" places pick up the story.)
Obama has battled a whispering campaign by fringe elements who wrongly say he is Muslim and his aides accused Clinton's campaign of "the most shameful, offensive fear-mongering" after the photograph was published.
But is the Obama campaign and his supporters the only ones who are upset? It appears not.
Wajir elders have submitted a complaint to the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi. They are also holding their own investigation:
They said they would also convene a traditional Somali court to investigate the matter. It can impose fines that are payable in cattle, goats or camels.
I don’t think goats are terribly expensive, but cattle and camels are another matter. With Hillary’s financial issues, will she be able to pay the fines? Can Bill buy the livestock for her with his millions? Who knows. What if they sue the campaign and she doesn’t have the money? What if they don’t show up to defend themselves? Is there any way out of this mess for her? Well, it turns out there is:
"We will go ahead with this case whether Senator Clinton or Democratic party leaders turn up or not," said Mohamed Ibrahim, a member of the clan that hosted Obama during his trip. "But this whole thing can be avoided if only an apology is made."
Whew... that was a close one...
So what are these guys so upset about anyway? Do they have a case? According to a local:
"The clan he was with have every right to be offended," said Hussein Ali, a 32-year-old unemployed man outside the main Jamia Mosque in the capital Nairobi.
"Obama's enemies are trying to portray him as a terrorist, saying all Muslims, and especially Somalis, are dangerous men."
What is the Clinton campaign saying?
Clinton's campaign denies authorizing the release of the controversial photo but says that, with 700 staffers, it could not be certain someone had not sent it out unofficially.
Is that enough? According to the story:
That has not mollified locals in Wajir, a small desert town near the Somali border, who demanded Clinton "clear her name." Other Kenyans questioned the timing of the picture's publication, days before make-or-break votes in Ohio and Texas next week.
So what's the big deal?
For many Americans, Somalia conjures up disturbing images of dead U.S. troops being dragged through Mogadishu's dusty streets during the "Black Hawk Down" battle of 1993. The U.S. military launched air strikes on the Horn of Africa country last year in its hunt for al Qaeda, including suspects wanted over the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi in 1988.
"We suspect the intent behind releasing this picture now, just before Tuesday's very critical vote," said Omar Jamal, head of the St Paul, Minnesota-based Somali Justice Advocacy Centre. His lobby group, which works with Somali immigrants in the United States, has also demanded an apology from Clinton's camp. "They are trying to make a link between a man who could be the next U.S. president and a country with al Qaeda terrorist activities. They're trying to tell citizens, look who you might be voting for," he told Reuters by telephone.
"Everyone is very upset. It's outrageous and undermining."
They say she needs only to apologize. What are the chances of that happening, especially given the fact there's a decent chance it didn't come from inside her campaign anyway?
UPDATE w/ question: As I said in the comments below, I wrote this because the image of Hillary presenting some tribal elders with some goats and a camel cracks me up. Should I tag it as snark? I'd be happy to, if that's the deal... Since everything in this story is actually happpening, I thought it would be an inappropriate tag. I'm happy to hear your input...
Nevermind... Already added snark. My apologies to any and everyone who is getting all worked up. I thought it was funny. My bad. I assumed it was a given that everyone here knows about the debate, knows she said she didn't have anything to do with it, knows Obama said he takes her at her word, etc. Just thought it was funny. I think the release of the photo is actually a problem, but that is Drudge's fault, not Hillary's. I can say for sure, lesson learned. Things are getting pretty intense and I should have made myself clear that while it is an actual story in the news, I just thought it was funny. Something that belongs in news of the weird. Anyway....