The US and French embassies in Damascus, Syria, were under attack by supporters of President Bashar al-Assad. Syria is in the midst of a lot of violence. The change in Tunisia has inspired the Arab world. The Arabs want change in their countries.

The attack on the French and US embassies was triggered by the visit of both ambassadors to the town of Hana, where the opposition had strong anti-government demonstrations.

The US is a victim of its own reputation. You might think that the two ambassadors would have more common sense. The last thing Western diplomats should do is show their faces in time of trouble. The US has a bad reputation in the Arab world. Pro-Assad supporters saw the actions of the US and French ambassadors as interference in their internal affairs.

We have not seen any anti-Americanism during the removal of President Ben-Ali in Tunisia or Hosni Mubarak in Egypt. The French and the Americans should not intervene or influence the repeal of Arab tyrants by their own people. As the Bedouin of Egypt say, “He who eats alone chokes alone.”