Let Americans Never Have to Ask Ourselves, 'Who Lost Egypt?'
As Egypt approaches a crucial moment of transition, both Americans and Egyptians should take careful stock of the value of their long-standing but currently stressed strategic relationship. We must never find ourselves asking, "who lost Egypt?"
Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi's cabinet had resigned as Egypt finds itself in the midst of a political and economic crisis involving mass strikes, ongoing protests and, increasingly, terrorist attacks. Egypt is gearing up for presidential elections scheduled for mid-April, and there's widespread speculation that the Defense Minister, Field Marshal Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi, may run and win.
Meanwhile, the crackdown against the Muslim Brotherhood following the overthrow of former president Mohammad Morsi continues unabated. It has been declared a "terrorist organization." The Brotherhood insists that it has nothing to do with the terrorism that has spread out of Sinai, while the government insists it does. And it has suggestive circumstantial evidence, like demands by terrorists that only the restoration of Morsi would stop their violence.
Certainly, the threat to Egyptian national security and integrity is not merely a ruse to propel anyone into power. The prospect of a broader civic conflict is all too real.
Many in Washington have taken a dim view of Egypt's trajectory. Some criticizing Egypt's transition are clearly motivated by overt sympathy for the Muslim Brotherhood
Others are genuinely committed to of democracy and have legitimate concerns about human rights. But they tend to underestimate the existential security challenges and the lack of alternatives facing the Egyptian people and authorities. And they haven't credited them with moving quickly towards creating a new Constitution, which has already been adopted, and preparing the upcoming elections. This new political and social dynamism can be helped or hindered by outsiders, especially Americans.
Meanwhile, many in Egypt blame the United States for being "on the wrong side." Supporters of the interim government, and many others, believe that the Obama administration actively wanted the Muslim Brotherhood to take power, rather than being willing to abide by the results of an election. They note the millions of Egyptians who poured onto the streets had no means of unseating an out-of-control Morsi other than the wildly popular military intervention. They add no one is calling the uprising in Ukraine a "coup." As for supporters of the Brotherhood, they are equally convinced Washington smiles on what they deem a "coup d'état."
The Obama administration has never formally declared the ouster of Morsi to be a coup d'état, precisely because that would trigger legal obligations with dire consequences for US-Egyptian strategic relations and security cooperation. Some American aid and cooperation have been suspended, but by executive decision. Some joint military exercises, delivery of weapon systems and planned cash transfers have been postponed, but much other cooperation continues.
Let Americans Never Have to Ask Ourselves, 'Who Lost Egypt?'
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Originally Posted by jafar00
--Tyr
