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Leyla Maker • 10 years ago

read this from an Egyptian history professor:
"AO: How do you describe what happened on 3 July?
KF: I can’t give a clear answer, but what I can say is that we had an overpowering move by the people. It sent a clear message to the regime that "your legitimacy has fallen." This is a very hard message because those who were in power were elected; their legitimacy was built upon the ballot box.
What the message implied is that the legitimacy of a regime couldn’t be merely reduced to a set of formal electoral procedures. The legitimacy of this regime fell because it violated the constitution and the state institutions, eventually building resistance against them. The huge political vacuum, as the regime lost the support of the institutions of the state, signaled the army to take action to save the entity of the state."

Leyla Maker • 10 years ago

here is a sample of the error that these jornalists do "This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: July 12, 2013Because of editing errors, an article on Thursday about suspicions among some Egyptians that the end of gas and electricity shortages since the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi was evidence of a conspiracy to undermine him rendered incorrectly a description of the military’s transition plan for Egypt given by Tahani el-Gebali, a former judge on the Supreme Constitutional Court; misidentified the interim president; and misstated his position before being appointed. Ms. Gebali discussed the plan only in broad terms and said that whoever was chief of the constitutional court would become interim president; she did not name a specific individual. The interim president is Adli Mansour, not Hazem el-Beblawi, and when he was named he was chief of the constitutional court, not the former chief. (Mr. Beblawi is the interim prime minister.)The article also included an outdated reference to a television network that publicized the drive to oust Mr. Morsi. The network was founded by an Egyptian billionaire, Naguib Sawiris, but he no longer owns it; it is not “his” network." So 
A version of this article appeared in print on July 11, 2013, on page A4 of the New York edition with the headline: S

theshadowknows • 10 years ago

The soft coup in Egypt has revealed some of the fissures in the Axis alliance waging war against Syria and Lebanon.

While Eqypt's participation in the alliance was welcomed by such as Kerry, Obama and Cameron, Morsi was seen as less than reliable by his principle patrons, the Saudis and Qatar.  Furthermore, Morsi was opposed by Israel.

So it is no surprise that the Egyptian military may have felt they had a green light.  What is surprising is that Washington D.C. was not prepared for these events.  Neither was Turkey or the French.

Turkey and Tunisia have now condemned the Egyptian military and expressed support for the Muslim Brotherhood and Morsi.

Egypt, Qatar and Israel have welcomed the overthrow of Morsi.

Obama, Cameron and France's Hollande seem to be trying to play catch up and see what influence they have in Egypt after the coup.

What they and the Axis alliance have in their favor was the appearance at the announcement of the removal of Morsi, with the military leaders and both Muslim and Christian clerics, of the western banksters man in Egypt Mohamed ElBaradei.

The big question is will Egypt continue the Morsi policy of joining the alliance in attacking Syria and Lebanon.  Or will the military be reluctant to support Al Qaeda in Syria as does this alliance.

Meanwhile, Al Qaeda has vowed to rescue Morsi and the MB in Egypt. 

According to Arab-language website Veto Gate, “al-Qaeda, under the leadership of Muhammad Zawahiri, is currently planning reprisal operations by which to attack the army and the Morsi-opposition all around the Republic [of Egypt].” ”CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Last December In December, Morsi summoned “over 3,000 jihadis from Afghanistan, Chechnya, Bosnia, Somalia and Iran to be an Islamic army to strike the police and army forces” of Egypt.  CLICK HERE

Morsi also released “jihadi convicts from the nation’s two most notorious terrorist organizations, Islamic Jihad and the Islamic Group” soon after assuming the presidency.  Now that the Islamists have tasted power – Salafis, Muslim Brotherhood, or al-Qaeda – it is unlikely that they will quietly give it up without a fight.

The globalists in this new Axis are not likely to give up, either. Egypt’s current crisis is another chapter in a protracted effort to balkanize the Middle East and divide and conquer through religious and sectarian violence.

If the Egyptian military proves reluctant to join in the Middle East wars, we can expect the CIA's & MI6s assets, the MB and Al-Qaeda to make Egypt a target for terrorism as they did against Libya and now against Syria and Lebanon. 

While this overthrow of Morsi is certainly a major setback for political Islam and its backers in Washington, Paris and London it may just be opening another nation, Egypt, to the terror of CIA/Al-Qaeda aggression.

Common wisdom (in the corporate media) is that the West and Israel want a stable Egypt (borders, Suez Canal and all) , but other motivations such as the obsession to overthrow Assad in Syria and the fear of Iran are also at play in Western capitals and among the Israeli leadership.  Syria has become the focal point of the world's contradictions and all politics is now pivoting around this war.

Under contradictory pressures and failures in diplomacy and on the battlefield, and the politics of such nations as Egypt, the fissures in the Axis alliance waging war against Syria and Lebanon may widen and others may open up.

Most eyes are on the Egyptian military and what they will do next.  Some eyes should also be watching the Axis leaders also.

truth_meet_beauty • 10 years ago

"the Axis"

A curious label for what? Western democracies? Which ones? I have not seen that termin the media. Where did you pick it up?

Guest • 10 years ago

Thank you for the coverage Bob!

I do not follow the politics in Egypt too closely. But it appears Kerry, the current Sec. of State, was all peaches during the Arab Spring singing praises about Morsi's government...now he is all peaches about a military coup?

Very confused!

Egypt, I gather, is a challenge for the US? It has no oil, but it is of some strategic importance due to its proximity to Gaza? Am I right? Or...is my ignorance of Middle East-American politics showing?

What do all these changes mean for American foreign policy? Any analysis?

theshadowknows • 10 years ago

U.S. TROOPS IN EGYPT

One of the factors convincing the Egyptian military, the SCAF, has moved so decisively against Morsi and the MB is there knowledge that Obama and his allies have sent troops to the region to prop up Morsi.  Since the protests began, the Obama administration has been working all forums to keep the SCAF from acting, so openly so, that most Egyptians now equate Morsi with Obama.  But thus far hatred of the Obama administration has not turned into anti-Americanism at least so say many of the demonstrators in Tahrir Square according to many press reports throughout the day.  The corporate media has reported that a Marine force moved from Spain to Sicily in recent days for possible deployment to Egypt but what they have not told you is that Obama already has special forces operating in the area.

On June 19, a Fort Hood press release headlined “6-9 Cav. to support peacekeeping in Sinai,” saying:

“The 1st Cavalry Division announced today a battalion task force from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team will deploy to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula this summer as part of the Multinational Force and Observers peacekeeping force.”

The MFO is composed of troops from 13 governments experienced in crowd control.

americanchild • 10 years ago

Then perhaps the 'popularity' of the coup remains to be seen.

hammy64000.com

rewiredhogdog • 10 years ago

Well, the people have spoken, and the military has listened. I find that a healthy development, and Morsi, clearly out of his depth, was ousted with his creeping escalation of a political agenda toward a modern nation-state based upon religious dogma. And if the Muslim Brotherhood continues to threaten to use violence and tries this gambit, it will probably be crushed rather quickly by the Egyptian army. So let's not read too much into this event. After all, this is only the first year in which the country has been experimenting with a Western-style democracy since it emerged from a dictatorship under Murbarak. So I'm guardedly optimistic.

Crom! • 10 years ago

I would like to hear a conversation about whether or not Egypt will just go ahead and elect another Muslim president. There are many different groups in the opposition that want morsi out and not for the same reasons. One group is angry at morsi for not calling for a jihad against Israel, another group (might be the same mentioned before) are angry at Morsi for not Islamifying Egypt fast enough, and of course you have the smaller secularist group who don't want religion mixed with government. Given the heavy religious indoctrination in Egypt I seriously don't think that the next president will be any different than morsi. Over half the population are illiterate and will practically do what ever their religious clerics command them to do: Vote for a Muslim and Islamify Egypt. 
Thoughts on this matter?

Guest • 10 years ago

Crom...I don't think you know Egypt at all. Egypt has an excellent literacy rate. Their family planning programs and maternal health services were tied to improving women's literacy since the 70s. They may not be writing in English but they are literate in Arabic. There are many young Egyptians today who speak other languages very well. In fact Abdul Khaddous, who reports from Cairo, does a lot of his interviews in English and many young people, all over Egypt, understand him well and speak to him in English. Kindly do not make Americans look ignorant and judgmental.

Old Rogue • 10 years ago

Yeah, here's a thought; catch up on your education! There is a 99.999% chance that the next President will be a Muslim. Egyptians are overwhelmingly Muslim - 90%, with the balance being Coptic or Western Christians.

Also, saying "over half the population are illiterate," is pure rubbish.  Those young people you see in Tahrir Square, 90% of males 15-24 are literate, and 84% of the females are also literate (Ave 87% literacy).

Why? because education is compulsory in Egypt, just like it is here, and from your post, I would bet that they could teach you a thing or two.

Crom! • 10 years ago

It seems I was wrong. I just looked at the stats from unesco and Egypt has an impressive literacy rate.
http://stats.uis.unesco.org...

Old Rogue • 10 years ago

 They also invented the 0 (zero), and thus, modern mathematics.

flaglib • 10 years ago

Its a big person who can admit a wrong.

theshadowknows • 10 years ago

EGYPTIAN MILITARY DEFIES OBAMA AND OUSTS MORSI

This appears to be a huge setback for the Arab dictators and the Israelis and their puppets Obama and Cameron, all of whom were counting on Morsi's Egypt playing a role in the wars against Syria and soon against Iran.  Obama met with representatives of the Morsi government just a week ago in his Middle East tour where he and his allies met to discuss the failure of the Syrian opposition to defeat the Assad military backed up by Hezbollah in the battle for Aleppo.  Reeling from that failure, the western Axis dominated by the Arab dictators and the banksters of Wall St. and London, now faces Egypt moving back to the Mubarak era position of neutrality or even opposition to the war against Syria.  The military raid on the TV stations of Al Jazeera, the network run by the Qatar oligarchy and the Brit's MI6 intelligence agency, indicates that the military is not going to support the Obama, Cameron and the Axis Powers. The military will probably preside over things for the next nine months so events will be fluid. And the war against Syria will go on for at least that long. Bob, you are going to have a lot to write about.

No doubt discussions happening right now in the White House and in London are focusing on how to turn this momentous historical event back to their favor.  This will not be easy.

The Egyptian military has its roots in the post-Civil War United States. In the 1870s, a group of 20 American Civil War veteran officers—both Union and Confederate—were invited by the Khedive (the Ottoman Empire governor general) to come to Egypt to create a modern Army, based on the West Point model. Under the leadership of Gen. Charles P. Stone, the Egyptian Army established a training system, drawing recruits from the population, not just the ruling elites. The children of the Army officers were given a first-class education in science and the principles of democracy, and it was this tradition that fed every successive effort at republican revolution in Egypt, from the beginning of the 20th Century, to the Nasserite revolt of the 1950s. This hidden history is scarcely known among Egyptians, but it is a vibrant tradition within the Egyptian Army to this day. Not surprisingly, when the British and French bankrupted Egypt in the mid-1880s through typical debt manipulation, the banksters took over Egyptian finances and immediately demanded the expulsion of the American officers. But the Stone team had been in Egypt for a decade, and had a significant, long-lasting impact.

In the past, the Army has been described by journalists, demonstrators, the intelligentsia as "protectors" of the population.  This appears to still be true.  I believe the military at this point when they say they are not taking power.  But we must watch for some general or another, operating as an agent of the Axis Powers, and trying to take power for himself.  But at this point there does not appear to be any significant division in the Egyptian military.

This is a good event for peace in the world and for the people of Egypt but everyone should look now at the next reactionary moves by the Axis Powers: Obama, Cameraon, Netanyahu and the Arab Dictators. I expect terrorism from the Morsi camp backed by the Axis Powers. I hope I am wrong.

theshadowknows • 10 years ago

OBAMA FOREIGN POLICY FACES DEFEATS

 P.S. Obama had another defeat this week as European nations are responding to Snowden's revelations about NSA spying on them by withdrawing from a variety of economic and military meetings.  The European parties are rethinking their alliances with the U.S. and the U.K. in light of the spying scandals. 

Again this has been a good week for democracy and peace and a not so good week for imperialism and war.

They must be really sweating in the White House situation room right now.

Guest • 10 years ago
theshadowknows • 10 years ago

NETANYAHU'S NOT-SO SECRET ALLIANCE WITH THE ARABS

Israel has been aligned with the Saudis and Qatar for some time now under Netanyahu.  Commandos from the IDF and the Saudi army have been doing joint training exercises for attacks on Iranian installations for years now.  Israel Air Force planes now regularly land at Saudi air bases for exercises.  Israel has even built an airbase in Saudi Arabia for the future war with Iran about 5.5 miles from Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.  Mossad and the Saudi intelligence services now regularly share information.   Israel is part of what the Saudi's call a "Grand Coalition" that includes many of those you name.  To achieve this, several Saudi princes opposed to the alliance with Israel were assassinated by their own government over the past few years.  Anyone who has been in that part of the Middle East in recent years knows that the talk of Israeli and Saudi cooperation is all the talk in the cafes.  The world press has been full of articles in the past year alone about Israeli's working with the Arabs and the Western imperialist powers to attack Iran.  Are the blogs here at The Nation the only thing you read, Deksoft?   You, Deksoft, seem to be the only one in the world who does not know that the Likud government is squarely opposed to Iran more than it is opposed to the Arabs and that the Sunni Dictatorships are more opposed to Iran than they are to the Israelis.  It is a marriage made of convenience and opportunity not ideology. 

I have never said that Hezbollah, Assad, Putin and the leaders of Iran are nice guys.

But I will say that Syria, Lebanon and Iran are sovereign nations and anyone who calls themselves American and a supporter of our Constitution should respect that sovereignty. 

It is no fantasy, sadly, that Obama, Cameron, the Saudi Dictators, the puppet governments in France and Turkey and their ally Netanyahu are co-conspirators in the attack on sovereign nations in the Middle East.  The neocons called this the Clash of Civilizations and have been trying to organize this Axis alliance for years.  Now they have succeeded under Obama.   No, not a fantasy, but a global tragedy.

Israel is in support of an Egyptian government that will protect the borders, honor agreements with Israel, protect the Suez Canal and join in the war against Syria and Iran.  We will have to see which way the military in Cairo now goes.  I suspect they will do all but join in the war against Assad and Iran.  But the new military government will have pressure on them from the Arabs, from Cameron, from Obama and from the Israelis to join in the attacks on Syria and Lebanon and the upcoming war with Iran.

What you supporters of Israel need to realize, need to wake up to, is the Israel of today is not the Israel of Ben-Gurion or Meir or Dayan and certainly not of Rabin or even Begin.  This is the Israel of Netanyahu who is much more interested in Israeli's next war (he already has troops inside Syria) than he is in Israeli's living normal lives.

simplexaf • 10 years ago
Guest • 10 years ago
theshadowknows • 10 years ago

MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD & AL QAEDA WORK WITH THE CIA & MI6

DEKSOFT, your understanding of history is badly fragmented.  The Muslim Brotherhood was established by the British after WWI.  The Taliban in Afghanistan/Pakistan share only a few superficial ideas with the Moslem Brotherhood; they are both fundamentalist but are not counterparts.  But, yes Al Qaeda did began with recruits from the Moslem Brotherhood and from fanatical Saudis who fought in the CIA's war against the Russians in Afghanistan but AQ was organized by Saudi intelligence, the Brit's MI6 and the CIA and has been funded by the Saudi kingdom, the Thani family in Qatar, certain British transnational corporations and the CIA, ever since.  Go back through the archives here at The Nation, DEKSOFT, and read every article in the past couple of years on events in the Middle East or the attack on the World Trade Center here in NYC and you will learn ample proofs of who actually runs the MB and AQ.

But you are correct that congratulations are in order to the Egyptian people.  They now have a chance to get their republic back.  But they must be vigilant and watchful of foreign intrigues to once again undermine Egyptian democracy.

jedi_mindtrick • 10 years ago

Oh...by the way, Bob Dreyfuss. Please refrain from here on out from claiming (sheepishly?) that the Nation magazine has not been practicing occasional senseless, and hamhanded censorship upon its blog comment spaces.

Either you haven't been paying adequate attention, or you've been more than a little bit disingenuous.

Now, as you were. And keep up the good work you've been doing, on balance.

Thanks, in advance,

~jed t.

:-)

jedi_mindtrick • 10 years ago

Wake the HeII Up, Americans

I love the beauty in Morsi's ironic outcry consisting of, "B-b-but, I was democratically elected, therefore I have legitimacy". Well, Mo, take a look at the crowds in Tahrir Square.

You've just been democratically rejected, Bub.

Now....if only Americans can learn a trick or two from the Egyptian playbook for self-determination.

;-)

----

Here's a sample slogan for you listless folks back here at home:

"Down, DOWN with corporate whores of war....Up, UP with peace, jobs and MORE!"

Now get out there and sing it, people.  

:D