The US Embassy is Mursi's BFF.

 "... the kind of relationship they are currently building with the Muslim
Brotherhood as the rulers of Egypt and a possible influential force across many
countries in North Africa and above all in Gaza.

"Of course, this relationship did not start today; I mean over the past few
years the Americans have had more than just simple or superficial talks with the
Muslim Brotherhood," said an Egyptian diplomat who served in the US capital a
few years ago."  Ahram

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/47897/Egypt/Politics-/Road-towards-USBrotherhood-friendship-trodden-long.aspx

 

"US officials met with a number of prominent Egyptian activists, bloggers and
journalists at the US embassy in Cairo on Monday.  

'Under discussion was the controversial recent visit of Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton and the broader relationship between Egypt and the United
States.

The meeting was attended by the US Department of State's Regional Deputy
Spokesperson for the Middle East, Daniel Ernst, his assistant, Ana Escrogima,
and David Linfield, the assistant press attaché at the embassy.

Ahmed Maher, founder of the April 6 Youth Movement, activist Esraa
Abdel-Fatah, TV host Bassem Sabry, Ramy Yaacoub of the Free Egyptians Party,
journalist Abdel-Moneim Mahmoud from Al Jazeera Mubashir Misr, and a number of
prominent Twitter activists were among the Egyptians in attendance.

Escrogima denied the US is playing a mediating role between the Supreme
Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and the Brotherhood, as had been claimed in
the Egyptian media.

She added that the purpose of Clinton's visit had been to listen to all
interested parties and groups, as well as the government and civil society
organisations that are playing a role in Egypt's democratic transition.

Furthermore, she said the US had made no secret deals with anybody, despite
claims in the Egyptian media that the US had backed the Muslim Brotherhood's
Mohamed Morsi in the presidential election."  Ahram

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/47941/Egypt/Politics-/No-secret-deal-with-Brotherhood,-US-officials-tell.aspx

-------------------------------------------------------

We lie.  The US, under Saudi influence, is backing Sunni islamist revolutio across the region.  This is truly folly.  The Islamists like Mursi and the Saudis themselves, know that US officialdom can be "easily moved" as Natanyahu said.  All that is needed is to tell us Americans what we want to hear.

We want to hear "progress?'  Fine, say the Islamists.  We are populists and will create a just society based on one person, one vote and social justice. 

Americans are a joke - until they become enraged. I reember all the Arabs who hautily told me in 2002 that the US  would never invade Iraq.  Why?  They said that no one had hired us to do so.  pl

 

 

Comments

[Jose]

We are the defender of Zionism and Wahhabism, not a good combo IHMO.

[par4]

"They" forgot that Exxon owns the Republican Party.

[Matthew]

Good point, Jose. And to rectify that problem, our government will consider any idea except a change in policy.

[FB Ali]

"All that is needed is to tell us Americans what we want to hear."

I would submit that there is more to it than just that. A big reason why the US and other powerful countries in the West do what the Saudis and Gulf emirs want is because of all the money that these fabulously wealthy regimes put into their banks and financial systems, and the investments they make in their economies. The emirs throw in base facilities as an extra reward.

[Fred]

"Americans are a joke - until they become enraged." I can't agree more. There are plenty of people in the ME who need to remember that. Along with a whole lot of folks in DC and on WallStreet.

[turcopolier]

FB Ali

I am disappointed that you think we are so crass and easy. Many, many possible adversaries have made that mistake. They paid dearly for the error. pl

[Mishkilji]

Americans are a joke- until they become scared, not enraged.

Red scare, confining Japanese, Islamophobia--we conflate international and domestic challenges until they become an all-consuming threat to the Republic's existence.

The Saudis and Israelis have common cause in the regional agenda you outlined.

Romney's Jacobins are chomping at the bit.

[Patrick D]

"All that is needed is to tell us Americans what we want to hear."

"Americans are a joke - until they become enraged."

I think that was the basis for the Baby Huey cartoons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_Huey

[turcopolier]

mishkinji,
"until they become scared" Merely an unjustified insult, finished here? pl

[robt willmann]

Speaking of becoming enraged, but off topic, here is the priceless video of a 71 year old man foiling an armed robbery at an Internet Cafe in Florida by pulling out his handgun and shooting at and chasing the robbers out of the place as they fall over themselves trying to get away.

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120716/ARTICLES/120719707/1109/sports?p=1&tc=pg

[elkern]

What are the chances that the KSA has finally learned how to affect US policy... from AIPAC?

FB Ali imagines that US politicians pay attention to the US economy, when in fact, their primary (haha) concern is campaign contributions. I sincerely hope that the Democrats haven't turned to the Saudis to replace AIPAC money which has been leaking from the big blue bucket into the (bigger) red one. (But if they have, I hope they don't get caught until after November).

Nah. They couldn't get away with it. They could hide it from the MSM, but not from The Lobby. Unless... (cue sinister music)... Israel is in on it too! Darn, I blew out the Klystron Tube in my tinfoil hat.

As an American who wants our foreign policy to balance Realism & Idealism, I want to hope that our current government is smart enough to do this reasonably well. Yeah, we can get all mooshy about "Democracy" and our other fetishes, and it's been a while since we've had really good bargainers in government (LBJ, Nixon?), so we could get rolled. But Feminists (certainly including HC) are unlikely to be "rolled" by Islamists, no?

I still trust BHO & HC more than RMoney, GW Bush, & Cheney.

PS: I mean absolutely no offense to FB Ali, who has consistently been an amazing source of info & perspective.

[turcopolier]

All

I should say, perhaps unnecesarily, that I revere Brigadier Ali as an exemplar of our shared profession. pl

[FB Ali]

Col Lang,

Thank you for your kind words. As you know, I reciprocate your sentiments.

I would have thought being mindful of one's interests would be better than being considered naive, gullible, or credulous -- or "a joke".

I doubt that US politicians would, generally, be mindful of Arab (or any other) investments. However, they have shown themselves to be quite responsive to pressures from the financial sector, the oil industry and powerful entities such as the Carlyle Group. These latter, in turn, are fairly sensitive to the needs and wishes of Arab oil sultans and sheikhs.

[Babak Makkinejad]

Col. Lang:

You are probably right.

Foreign leaders need to just say a few positive words about improving the status of women and have Americans grant them all sorts of favors.

[Babak Makkinejad]

Nah, the reason is that for US and EU the Middle East is sand box, a play ground.

The area is not germaine to US or EU security and the weakness of states such as Egypt, Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan enables bored foreigners to come in and play their fantasies to the hilt.

At the end of the day, they will all go home; life in US and EU is so much more pleasant.

In the mean time, this or that local state will manipulate the faranji in this or that way.