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Obama, Egypt, and the Dawn of the Muslim Brotherhood
President Obama also seems to be very interested in what happens next, a marked departure from his aloof and uncaring attitude when the Iranian people protested against their dictator last year. In fact, Obama’s animosity towards Mubarak has led some to believe that he is more interested in seeing the Muslim Brotherhood gain control than he is in seeing order restored to Egypt. What would a power grab by the Brotherhood mean for the region? Let’s take a look and see what’s on people’s minds.
The Brotherhood awakes, Obama rejoices
Only one thing is certain regarding the future of Egypt, and that’s the fact that it’s uncertain. But this much we know – that the coup that was just accomplished in Egypt was not a “youth-based movement for peace and democracy”. It is, in fact, a very carefully orchestrated uprising staged and instigated by the Muslim Brotherhood. If you are old enough to recall the 1979 Iranian revolution, then I think you know how it’s all going to go for Egypt.
Obama said that "an orderly transition must begin now"... from stability to chaos?
President Obama also seems to be very interested in what happens next, a marked departure from his aloof and uncaring attitude when the Iranian people protested against their dictator last year. In fact, Obama’s animosity towards Mubarak has led some to believe that he is more interested in seeing the Muslim Brotherhood gain control than he is in seeing order restored to Egypt. What would a power grab by the Brotherhood mean for the region? Let’s take a look and see what’s on people’s minds.
From Fox News
Where the Muslim Brotherhood stands today, and what role it aspires to play in a possibly reconstituted Egyptian political system in the months ahead is very open, with profound ramifications for Egypt, Israel, and, of course, Gaza. Fox News
According to the most recent data available, the Egyptian people are strongly favorable towards the Muslim Brotherhood. A study conducted in 2009 by WorldPublicOpinion.org shows that 64 percent have positive views of the Muslim Brotherhood, while just 16 percent have negative views. Nineteen percent said they have mixed views. An even larger majority, 69 percent, believes that the Muslim Brotherhood favors democracy. Just 22 percent believe they are too extreme and not genuinely democratic. Fox News
From ABC News
Former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld criticized the Obama administration’s response to the Egypt crisis this past Tuesday, calling it “confusing” and telling ABC News that the US’s diplomatic effort “certainly doesn’t give one confidence.” In a radio interview with ABC, Rumsfeld was particularly critical of DNI Clapper’s description of the Muslim Brotherhood as a “largely secular” group in House testimony yesterday that his office later had to clarify. Jamie Smith, director of public affairs for the Office of National Intelligence said in a statement to ABC News: “In Egypt the Muslim Brotherhood makes efforts to work through a political system that has been, under Mubarak’s rule, one that is largely secular in its orientation – he is well aware that the Muslim Brotherhood is not a secular organization.” ABC news
From Reuters
Mubarak’s exit came a day after Obama seemed to rebuke the Egyptian leader for not going far enough in a televised speech in which he ceded some powers to his vice president but defiantly insisted he would stay in office until presidential elections scheduled for September. After Obama’s show of impatience, it was unclear whether U.S. officials, who have had constant behind-the-scenes dealings with the Egyptian government and military, helped secure Mubarak’s decision to go now. Reuters
From MSNBC
With Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepping down, many observers wonder if the Muslim Brotherhood, a banned Islamist group, could be poised take on a bigger role in the country. Even though the Brotherhood has been hammered by state security over the years, it remains a formidable force in Egyptian life. But just how formidable is an open question. Analysts tend to put its support among the population anywhere between 20 and 40 percent, but no one knows for certain because there have been no free elections and reliable opinion polls. Some fear the group could threaten U.S. interests on issues including Arab-Israeli peace efforts to counter-terrorism if they gain power. U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley has acknowledged that the hardline Islamist movement is “a fact of life in Egypt.” MSNBC
All points lead to Obama
I bet you didn't know that murdered Iranian Neda Soltani was a Christan...did you?
When the Iranian people were protesting the rigged elections in their country, with their citizens dying in the streets like Neda Soltani, President Obama had precious little to say. And he certainly did not, at any time, talk about an “orderly transition of power”.
No, he left the people of Iran twisting in the wind, and gave virtually no support of any kind, and as Christian Iranian protester Neda Soltani was murdered in the streets and lay dying for freedom – he did nothing.
But in Egypt he gave full support and even demanded that the protesters, led by the Muslim Brotherhood, be given every thing that they asked for…and now the deed is done.
The Muslim Brotherhood has already promised that if they got in power they would close the Suez Canal and break Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel.
And when that happens, you may thank Obama.
