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Higgins: In face of protests, U.S should lead by example

Rep. Brian Higgins says the U.S. needs to let the unrest in the Middle East "play itself out."

An privately-produced, anti-Islam film made in the America has provoked a week of unrest in predominantly Muslim countries.  But Higgins, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, says the U.S. can not impose itself in every conflict . 

"Those places aren't going to change until those people want to change. What we can do is influence our country and how we are viewed as a nation throughout the world," Higgins said.

Higgins, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, says the strongest response would be to restore the U.S. economy.

"The greatest influence we have is by example. A strong, prosperous America serves as a beacon of inspiration for the rest of the world," Higgins added. 

During a rare public appearance before thousands of protestors in Beirut Monday, Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah said the U.S. must be held accountable for the film because it was produced in America. 

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  • The violent protests in the Middle East and Africa — sparked by a film insulting Mohammad — have subsided. But there is still plenty of tension.