The Truth Behind the Cartoon News

100's of thousands of people in multiple countries across various regions of the world do not rise up simultaneously with signs and banners to protest cartoons that are months old - without significant planning, coordination, and influence over the community.

 That tells me at least two things. The first is that this recent uprising is likely not a surprise to Western authorities who monitor the activities of activist Muslim groups. The second is that this coordinated effort is not a response, but is more likely the foundation for a catalyst. The timing, preparation, and organization of these banner carrying protestors suggests that this entire episode has been staged to "generate" a response, not "as" a response.

From this, the only logical conclusion is that some group or groups anticipate receiving a benefit from the protests. The question then becomes "Who is/are these groups, and what do they expect to gain?"

The organizers are obviously skilled at disseminating information and in influencing people. This suggests that their strategic goal has most likely been planned and thought out to the same degree as the planning to stage protests and to generate broad international cultural support for the effort.

Not knowing what the specific goal may be, but understanding that a great deal of planning and forethought has gone into orchestrating recent events, we can speculate at some of the possible results by asking a few pointed questions.

1. How will these protests influence Western populations? As a result, are Westerners likely to be more sympathetic to Muslim concerns, or less sympathetic?

2. How will these events influence Muslim populations - particularily in predominantly Islamic nations? Are Muslims likely to be more sympathetic to the West, or less?

3. Are these events more likely to "increase" Western public support for broader action in the Middle East, or to "decrease" Western public support?

4. Looking at the protests as a potential planned catalyst with an end game in sight, do they generally support the goals of the Middle East and the Muslim community, or do they support the goals of the Western governments seeking the further 'democratization" of the Middle East?

5. Considering the timing of events, the ultimate question here is "Are Europeans and Western populations now more likely, or less likely, to support military action against Iran or other Islamic nations?

These protests have been planned for months. Who stands to benefit the most?