The US has not "kept the hell out of it" for the past 30 years. Anything other than full-throated support for the protesters will and should be interpreted as American support for the tyrant.
What's the point of immediately adopting a hostile attitude? Whoever is in the next government of Egypt, we will need to work with them and do our best to develop a workable relationship with them. Threatening them when they haven't done **** to us is hardly the diplomatic thing to do.
I doubt very seriously that Mubarack is stepping aside, because Obama said so.
The US has not "kept the hell out of it" for the past 30 years. Anything other than full-throated support for the protesters will and should be interpreted as American support for the tyrant.
That's probably true. Abandoning Mubarak will send a bad message to other country leaders too. It's a no win situation.
You can't place every culture on earth into generalized catagories. In this case, I think your mistaken.
The US has not "kept the hell out of it" for the past 30 years. Anything other than full-throated support for the protesters will and should be interpreted as American support for the tyrant.
For one thing, we have an iranian who posts on this board who's still involved. It's underground, not in the streets, but the desire of the Iranian people for freedom and democracy continues to exist.
Actually, no. I supported it initially. I'm not anti-war and I felt there were legitimate reasons to remove Hussein from power. However, i feel that the aftermath was poorly executed and planned, and I'm not a fan of Bush's position on torture.
If you can't identify him or her, he or she doesn't exist.
The can of tear gas with "Made in USA" clearly displayed on it on TV, erased all doubts, especially since our obliging reporter showed it twice during one interview.
ricksfolly
Are you a fan of Obama's policy of indirect torture through extraordinary rendition? What is the difference between torture performed by Americans and torture performed at the request of Americans?
In a straight up/one-on-one battle with Egypt's current military, I agree.
But the longer term and larger term, wider, geo=strategic situation for Israel is not good, abd defsnsibel only in a retalaitory/MAD sense.
While Egypt won't become part of the 'Shia crescent', this could 'close the circle'on Israel. With Iran to the West, Syria and Iran-backed Hezbollah to the North, and now a possibly Egypt and Egypt-supported Hamas to the West.
Even without Egypt Israel was/is vulnerble to a large and sumultaneous [even] non-nuclear missile attack. Raining thousand of high-explosive or other damaging payloads on it with Minutes. Staring with only a few minutes warning in the case of Syria, and over with 20-30 with missles from Iran. Add in a motivated Egypt and Arabs could destroy most of tiny Israel that counts quickly.
Coventional warafre you speak of would only be a remnant in this case.
I see the above scenario possible and within 2-3 years. There really is no defense except 'MAD'.
More later -posting with with weal travelling mobile onnection.
That's just silly. Why don't you do some research and see if you can figure it out.
I am not a fan of torture under any circumstances.
Well, indirect torture is the Obama method. No one on the right complains because they don't have a problem with torture. No one on the left complains because they are hypocrites only interested in supporting Obama over principle.
Everyone on the right supports torture? Really?
Well, indirect torture is the Obama method. No one on the right complains because they don't have a problem with torture. No one on the left complains because they are hypocrites only interested in supporting Obama over principle.
2010 GMT: The chant from Tahrir Square in Cairo as the crowd await President Mubarak's speech on the large-screen TVs which have been set up: "Freedom! May God make it happen! May it be tonight!"
That's not an answer and you know it. I know that many Iranians would like to change their regime. So what? They don't have the power. Their hopes and dreams are inchoate. Many American Indians would like to return to an earlier era. That won't happen because the correlation of forces in the world will not permit it. Reality is a hard edged thing.
It took over a year for the Shah to be removed from power. I believe that there is a majority of people in Iran who want freedom, and that they will eventually have it.
I want ice cream. That's essentially what you're saying.
On a street corner I met Sama Sadurhi, the dapper-looking former Egyptian ambassador to Sweden.
"We need pressure from America and Europe to make Mubarak go," he told me. "The West always talks about human rights. Now is the time for Obama to say: leave. All people here are against him."
Alla, from Cairo, put it more bluntly.
"We do not hate America," he told me. "But we have spent 30 years under the boot of Mubarak. If America continues to support Mubarak we will hate America."
"We do not support ElBaradei," another man told me.
"We have made these events ourselves. We own this. We will choose our own leaders ourselves, not have them imposed on us by others."
BBC's Kim Ghattas reports:
I just spoke to a senior U.S. official, who confirmed that Frank Wisner met President Mubarak and told him he should not seek re-election or put forward his son, Gamal, as his successor. The Americans are now waiting for an answer. However, the official also said that even if Mr Mubarak did not seek re-election, it was no longer enough. My understanding is that although they have not gone back to Mr Mubarak to say he must stand down immediately, they are hoping he has figured that out on his own.
As I said earlier in this thread, the Mubarak regime cannot survive without the support of the United States.
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