The Sunday, August 18, edition of The New York Times detailed the United States’s attempts to divert the military action of the interim Egyptian government from becoming violent. Obviously, these diplomatic attempts totally failed. The death toil is now approaching 1,000.
However, the turn of events is instructive. Republican senators Lindsey Graham and John McCain came at the request of President Obama. (Although McCain tried to make it sound like it was basically his idea) When pressing for a deal with the interim Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi, they were brushed off. After a similar unsuccessful meeting with General Sisi, they were again shown the door and left perceiving a violent showdown was looming.
In other words, the Egyptians told the senators to keep their noses out of Egypts business.
The attack on the Moslem Brotherhood pushed President Obama into a corner and in a no-win situation. Israelis, Saudis and Arab allies are lobbying him not to press the generals as a more insidious Moslem threat could result if the generals fail. On the other hand, both liberal and conservative American politicians are together urging a more forceful position. In between these two pressure groups is the fact that Egypt has been a major ally for 35 years and American financial support for Egypt is vital to the security of Israel. No matter how he turns, Obama will be in a hard place.
If America withdraws its financial support from Egypt, the USA will damage its own relationship with an important ally. Whether we like their actions or not, punishing Egypt will not stop the military crack down on the Muslim Brotherhood. The best solution?
Keep our nose out of their business.
What the current actual head of the government, General Sisi told the Washington administration was that Egypt could not negotiate with the Brotherhood. The radicals would rather die that retreat. The last week has proven that they would turn their followers into canon fodder before they would face the fact they were defeated. Their suicidal resistance demonstrated Sisi’s point.
Americans fundamentally don’t understand this form of radical religious reasoning. Nevertheless, this extreme anarchist thinking has plunged Egypt into deadly turmoil. General Sisi and the military understand the the Brotherhood doesn’t negoiate or keep its promises. For this reason, they will no longer tolerate their defiance.
And it is why they are telling us to keep our nose out of their business.
Morsi promised to make a Coptic Christian and a woman a vice-president. This did not happen. Further, the Brotherhood is a secret organization with no public list of membership. They have always practiced violence. For example, they assassinated President Anwat Sadat. Even Al Zawarhiri, Bin Laden’s successor, was part of the Brotherhood. During the past week 100 policemen have been killed.
How would the USA work with the Republican Party if they were discovered to have assassinated John Kennedy? Sure, such a suggestion sounds preposterous, but that if what the Egypt government is faced with today should they not crackdown on the Brotherhood. Because the American government has a hard time understanding these facts is one more reason for America to back off.
And keep our nose out of their business.
Dr. Robert L. Wise 