The U.S. Marines charged with defending the American embassy in Egypt from demonstrators were not permitted by the State Department to carry live ammunition. According to reports on U.S. Marine Corps blogs, ambassador to Egypt Anne Patterson “neutralized any U.S. military capability that was dedicated to preserve her life and protect the U.S. Embassy” by restricting the use of ammunition. According to the opinion of one Marine blog, if the reports are true, Patterson did not live up to her obligation to protect U.S. interests: “She neutered the Marines posted to defend the embassy, trusting the Egyptians over the Marines.”
