by Juan Lynum – Guest Columnist
The Syrian crisis has distracted the world, at least the United States media, from the Egyptian coup d’état that removed President Mohamed Morsi, suspended the Egyptian constitution and arrested many in the ruling Muslim Brotherhood. Since Morsi’s July 3, 2013 removal, over one thousand protesters, bystanders, and officials have lost their lives in the fighting, leaving the country in turmoil. Despite the law against sending aid to countries whose governments are overthrown in military coups, the U.S. has provided not just financial aid but ammunitions to the Egyptian military.
But if President Obama says it was not a coup, then it must not have been a coup and the entire world is just mistaken. Understanding U.S. foreign policy along these lines is difficult, so we must take a look at what’s at stake to understand Obama’s willful blindness.
It may be rhetorical to say oil, but it’s oil and influence in the region. Since President Jimmy Carter brokered the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, the U.S. has used the relationship to secure the Suez Canal by providing money and military assistance. The Suez Canal needed securing because U.S. warships and oil ships need passage. Since then, Egypt has received over $40 billion in U.S. aid. But this aid is more military assistance than it is economical. So, U.S. relations with Egypt are primarily military and defense oriented.
When the Egyptian army first began its offensive against Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, it is hard to believe the United States was not aware or powerless to influence the coup. Obama’s first trip to the Middle East as president in 2009 was to Cairo where he gave a big speech. He’s been given credit for inspiring the 2011 revolution that removed President Mubarak. Still, President Obama will not call what happened a coup. Meanwhile, Egyptian President Adly Mansour is announcing new relations with Russia and China. The foundation is being laid for them to play the three superpowers for more money and support as they jockey for first place.
Pushing the United States out of contention is Rep. Michele Bachmann, who joined fellow tea-party Reps. Louie Gohmert and Steve King on a trip to Egypt, where they praised the restoration of military dictatorship and the overthrow of a democratically elected government. So much for portraying American values in Egypt; this fool connected Egypt to the 9-11 attacks. Perhaps, this explains why the White House has been overly polite to Egyptian authorities.
The Obama administration is in a difficult position with its Egypt policy. Canceling some military exercises, seemingly falls far short of what U.S. law requires. A promise by the Egyptian military-backed government to return to democracy next year sounds good, but perhaps American interests lie in getting just what we want from this military-backed government. Does it really matter when the Egyptian people overwhelmingly support their military’s degrading of the Muslim Brotherhood? Egyptian authorities are cracking down on Islamists and there are discussions of banning the Muslim Brotherhood. Fear of a new generals’ republic in Egypt is not untenable. History does repeat itself.
Juan Lynum is an Attorney-at Law. He can be reached at: [email protected]
