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19 June 2012

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JohnH

I have often wondered if the reason the US let Mubarak be run out of office so easily is that they knew he was on his last legs and unlikely to allow any reasonable transition. They were not keen on Jamal, the spoiled brat with no military experience.

So they let the SCAF take over on an "interim basis," which is, as often the case, looking more and more permanent.

The question is, what happens after Tantawi and his generation go? Successions in the Arab world have been known to get nasty...

oofd

CNN was going practically hysterical this morning regarding Mubarak's probable demise. Wolf Blitzer and Barbara Starr were in the vapors over that and the Egyptian military's recent action. The were practically demanding that the U.S. Government stop the billion plus-dollar subsidy to the Egyptian military if they didn't cede control.

And what then?

Brad Ruble

I don't understand. Maybe it is just a concidence. But why do all these guys seem to die before they get to write their tell all memoirs and do a book tour?

kao_hsien_chih

Well, the whole question of "justice" aside, whatever that really means, Mubarak wasn't exactly convenient alive to anyone vying for power in Egypt, especially not to the military junta. I figure that the junta wants to essentially recreate the Mubarak regime, while declaring a "clean break" simultaneously, and a dead Mubarak does provide the "clean break" for ushering in the "new era" while silencing those who wanted to see him dead.

turcopolier

JohnH

What, if anything, would persuade you that the US does not control Egyptian politics? pl

Matthew

Well, the Egyptians have elected a parliament and a president will be announced shortly. When one is announced, they can dissolve the unelected Military Council.


Matthew

This should be indisputable. If we controlled Egypt's politics, we would have found a way for the military to pass power to a hand-picked successor, like in Yemen.

Instead, we look terrible. The military is overturning the revolution on its own, and we will get the "credit" anyway. It's the worst of both worlds. No control, yet responsibility.

YT

Col. sir,

It's ALWAYS so freakin' funny how so many folks elsewhere A$$-U-ME that the U.S. of A has control over everything, events & situations alike.

Fertile fodder for conspiracy theorists.

That aside, I guess the folks in Egypt ain't gonna get their fair share of flesh (a pound each) from the former despot, now that he is in vegetable state.

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