The New York Times and others are reporting that the Obama administration is working on a plan to get Mubarak out and usher in his Vice President, Omar Suleiman, the former head of Egypt’s feared intelligence service. That Suleiman is the embodiment of the torture regime the Egyptian people have suffered under for thirty years doesn’t seem to enter into Washington’s calculations. The administration wants to buy time — time to soften up the opposition, time to buy up the opposition, time to create their own pet opposition which will follow orders. Above all, they want to stop the example of a mass mobilization that pitched a dictator from power in spite of massive US support, because the uprising is bound to spread beyond Egypt — perhaps to the United States itself.
The idea is to isolate the protesters, make it seem like they’r radical maximalists who don’t care about the fate of the country, and wear them out to the point where they’ll just give up and go home.
That isn’t going to happen. The Egyptians aren’t going to exchange one torturer for another — not after all they’ve been through. Washington’s strategy is typical of the soul-less opportunists in the Obama White House, of which Obama is the epitome.
Sorry, guys — it won’t work. Back to the drawing board you go.
Say what we will of Egypt.. Americans deserve a better foreign policy. This sub-human behavior from our government does not benefit our society.
Well said Justin,
The several Egyptians I work with here in Los Angeles (our company also has a small office in Cairo) literally erupted in laughter at this notion. "What do they think we are, stupid?" one of them told me. No, they just don't give a rats ass what you and your people want, THEY want a compliant puppet who'll continue to carry the torch for Tele Aviv. I'm sure Washington would much rather find a sellout among the opposition to shove in, but time is presently not on their side, so they'll have to settle for Mubarak "redux". Judging from the reaction of my co-workers, I would say you're right on the money and this won't work. The Egyptians are nNOT going to allow the Americans to co-op their efforts to remove that crummy regime in Cairo.
Good for them.
Sorry guys,!sreal ain't going to allow real democracy any where near it's borders. Nasser and then Sadat–assissinated just like Arafat.When a maniac country is allowed to kill at will and the U.N. keeps blinders-nothing will change in the middle east. All the adjacent leaders know–go along or the Funerial director awaits you.
What are you talking about? Sadat, unlike Nassar, was assassinated because he made a deal with Israel (Camp David). He was a repressive ruler just like Mubarak. Arafat was another sell-out artist no matter how he died The Egyptian people want an end to corrupt, bribe infested government and accomodation to Israel. The US and EU want it to continue. A corrupt, oppressive Egypt is the cornerstone of Western policy. My message to the protestors is do not heed the Obama/Clinton style transition to "stability". That word is code for Suleiman led torture and opposition to Palestinian demands for a genuine united free State. Until now Israel has dominated the region under US auspices. If Egypt becomes truly independent that will end. Israel will then have to face reality in the form of a strengthened Hamas and Hezbollah which will gain Egyptian aid in addition to Iran. If an Egyptian revolution is successful the other autocracies and faux democracies will have to change their aliances or collapse via Egypt like insurrections.