The only institutions in Egypt capable of preventing the revolution from galloping towards anarchy are the Army and the Muslim Brotherhood. Whether the revolution ends with democracy for Egyptians or just a different police state depends on whether the Army or the Brotherhood is able to grab the reins of the revolution, and in which direction it decides to guide it. But either way, the outcome does not bode well for Obama.
On January 25, as thousands of Egyptians poured into the streets to demand the end of the Mubarak regime, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said that the government of President Hosni Mubarak was stable and trying to respond to the needs of protesters. Today she said “We want to see free and fair elections and we expect that will be one of the outcomes of what is going on right now."
If the Army and/or Muslim Brotherhood succeed in preventing anarchy and institute significant democratic reforms in Egypt, Clinton’s former remark will set the tone for the media. The Obama administration will be portrayed as having backed the loser, and blamed for backing an unpopular dictatorial regime rather than the Egyptian people.
If the revolution ends with a hostile police state in Egypt, the latter Clinton remark will set the tone for the media. The Obama administration will be portrayed as a reincarnation of the Carter administration, led by a naïve President whose administration aided and abetted the replacement of a friendly government with one hostile to the strategic interests of the United States.
No comments:
Post a Comment