The unannounced crisis in Egyptian-U.S. relations: "Scobey has also been sad since her dog died of poisoning in the embassy garden. Compounding her sadness has been her anxiety about the possible reasons behind the American ambassador's dog dying poisoned. Americans in Egypt say that the ambassador's state of extreme anger has forced the embassy's security to cooperate Egyptian authorities in spending considerable time on proving that the incident was not a premeditated attack and that the embassy's security measures, employees and the ambassador's home and household are safe. After all, a successful attempt to murder the ambassador's dog sends a message that it is possible to commit the same crime against Americans working at the ambassador's home or against the ambassador herself." (thanks Samer)