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September 21, 2012 | | WHAT HAPPENED? Sources say the attack on the Libyan ambassador was pre-meditated, with the possible collaboration with a Libyan politician. The Daily Beast’s Eli Lake on the continuing collapse of the U.S. official line. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED The the 33,000 U.S. surge troops sent to Afghanistan to fight the Taliban two years ago are finally returning home, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Friday. Panetta called the re-deployment of surge troops a “very important milestone” and insisted the U.S. is on track to accomplish its goals in Afghanistan. Though the withdrawal of surge troops was complete on schedule, 68,000 U.S. troops and nearly 100,000 NATO troops still remain in the country. While Panetta underscored the “enormous blows against al Qaeda’s leadership” in Afghanistan, he also said that we remain “a nation at war” in a nod to recent attacks in the country. The U.S. has vowed to turn over security to Afghan forces by 2014. LIKABILITY PROBLEM No other presidential candidate has racked up unfavorable ratings this high during a campaign, according to a Pew Survey. Why is Romney so disliked? It’s not personal, it’s business, says The Daily Beast’s John Avlon. DEBUT Apparently the iPhone5’s poorly reviewed mapping features weren’t enough to deter customers from lining up outside Apple stores around the world Friday, with the company poised to sell a record 10 million phones during its debut. Global sales began at 8:00 AM at the Apple store in Sydney, with some waiting as long as 68 hours for the new device. Customers in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Germany, France and the Britain also snapped up the latest phone, with reports that the line outside London’s Regent Street Apple store was the longest in retail history at 1,297, surpassing the previous record of 778. Meanwhile, Apple Inc. has issued a statement vowing to improve its mapping application, a “cloud-based solution” that the company says will work better the more people use it. ANTI-ISLAM FILM With fresh anti-Islam film protests under way in Muslim countries on Friday, Pakistan’s government declared a “day of love for the Prophet” in a move that highlights the influence of religious parties in the country’s politics. Protesters set fire to a motorway toll booth outside the capital and two cinema buildings in the northwestern city of Peshawar, where a driver for a Pakistani TV station was killed when police opened fire to disperse demonstrators, reportedly wounding seven others in the process. Despite President Obama’s efforts to condemn the film, the U.S. has borne the brunt of anger in the Middle East, though a caricature mocking the Prophet Muhammad in a satirical French magazine has further incensed protesters. | | 
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