Emerging US Policy for New Egypt   

-DR. ABDUL RUFF

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In spite of uprising in Mideast, first hitting harshly Egypt, throwing out the Mubarak regime, US-Egypt relations have not been affected that badly.

These ties have survived the popular wrath of pro-American and pro-Israeli Mubarak regime although suffered serious setback. They have survived manly because of the US insistence to play a key role in Mideast to promote Zionist criminal regime. 

However, the Mursi led Brotherhood government is not very fond of either USA or its terror protégé Israel.   

American imperialist masters treat the foreign intelligence, including of the military, the crucial link to the global regimes.  Once intelligence is brought under US control, the regime and politicians automatically fall to US dictates. It is intelligence that directly contacts even the media lords abroad with projects.

Since military has playing central role in Egypt, Washington is eager to first control the military and intelligence of new Egypt where Islamic Brotherhood leaders Mursi has assumed presidency.

Americans are interested only in capitalist profits in Egypt and other Arab nations. By democracy in Mideast, America means the essential puppetry skills of Muslim rulers in promoting US imperialism. The utter cynicism and hypocrisy of US claims to promote “democracy” particularly in Mideast is indeed the hall mark of imperialism being promoted by American capitalist bosses controlling the regime in Washington.

The visit of Mrs. Hillary Clinton to Cairo before her departure to Israel to debate on the collapsing Egypt-Israel deal comes amidst an intensifying power struggle between the two competing factions of the Egyptian ruling class, the military and the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood (MB). Madam Clinton held talks with the leader of Egypt’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) junta, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, and Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in Cairo.

In a military coup shortly before the run-off in the Egyptian presidential elections, with a view to denying the full powers of the new president, the military had dissolved the Islamist-dominated parliament and taken over all legislative and budgetary powers and the drafting of a new constitution. And now by overruling the decree, issued by Mursi to reinstate the Egyptian Parliament, SCAF made clear that it seeks to defend its full control of the Egyptian state machine thereby complicating the process of a new constitution.

The mass uprising in Cairo, which led to the ouster of long-time US stooge Hosni Mubarak, shook Egyptian capitalism and imperialist rule in the Middle East to its foundations. For the USA, a strong military looking over “these guys” and looking out for US Interests in Egypt and the region is the best suited US agenda. The USA regards the Egyptian military as the main bulwark against another explosion of the masses and considers the Egyptian military the main defender of its interests and a force to control the elected Islamists and Clinton praised SCAF for “representing the Egyptian people in the revolution” and for protecting “the Egyptian nation.”

Even though Clinton assured the military (Tantawi) the full support of Washington, she also put some pressure on the generals to grant the Islamist president expanded powers, as a cover for ongoing military rule in Egypt. Since continued destabilization of Egypt is not in Washington’s interest, USA is trying to prevent an intensifying confrontation between the military and the ruling Islamists, which could destabilize Egypt.

Having received Washington’s backing, the military made clear that the generals do not intend to give up their powers.  Tantawi said that the army “would not allow anyone to discourage it from its role in protecting Egypt and its people.” This could crate tensions with presidency in due course!

Three major US concerns could have dominated the Clinton-Mursi talks. A major US demand on Mursi is that Egypt continues the Mubarak regime’s pro-US foreign policy. Also as widely speculated by Israeli pressure tactics on USA on Egypt, one of the main issues discussed is Egypt’s continuing commitment to the three-decades-old peace deal with Israel. The US also expects Mursi to continue limiting Egypt’s relations with Iran. 

Coming immediately before Republican standard-bearer Mitt Romney’s trip to Israel and against the background of criticism of President Obama by the pro-Israel community for not having visited the Jewish state since he took office, Sec. Clinton’s presence in Israel has strong political significance. President Obama said he had “not been able to move the peace process forward,” but shared the blame with the Israelis and Palestinians. “They’ve got to want it as well,” the President said.

President Mursi understands the success of his presidency and Egypt’s transition depends on building consensus across Egypt’s political spectrum; to work on a new constitution to protect civil society; to draft a new constitution that will be respected by all and to assert the full authority of the presidency.

During Mrs. Clinton’s visit to Israel, demonstrators protesting what they see as the American embrace of the new Islamist government rallied outside her hotel. It seems the US government supports no specific party in Egypt or region. Despite her rhetoric concerning the importance of Egypt moving toward democracy, it seems that the USA might as usual threaten to use its $1.3 billion in annual aid to Egypt as leverage. President Obama also promised an additional $1 billion to support Egypt’s economy.

 Undoubtedly, USA tries to  use the aid as a weapon to control the new regime in Cairo. Washington is also signaling the Egyptian capitalist class that it would accept the bloody repression of any renewed popular struggles. the Egyptian junta and the Islamists pledged to back the US war drive against Syria and Iran. 

During and after the meeting between Clinton and Mursi, thousands of protesters gathered outside the US embassy and Clinton’s hotel to denounce US interference in Egypt and the MB’s collaboration with Washington. Placards held by protesters read “Go to hell, Hillary”.

And Hillary went to Israel. 

Madam Clinton would presumably brief Israeli government leaders on her conversations with pro-Hamas government Mursi and on whether the Islamist government has any plans to alter or nullify the 1979 treaty between Egypt and Israel.

Obviously, Israel has no good news!

A Note

Madam Clinton's diplomatic discourse in Cairo with incumbent Egyptian president Mursi was essentially an tricky CIA exercise to make the Brotherhood and Mursi not just to turn pro-USA but more importantly into pro-Israel and to "respect' the  terror blockade deal between Israel and Egypt against besieged Palestinians,  deliberately pursed for decades now. All the three issue Madam Clinton discussed with Mursi converge into one theme - protection of Israel and shielding its crimes. 

Mursi signaled that he and the Brotherhood are willing to cooperate closely with Washington but has not committed to promoting or protecting the US policy of Mubarak era. Americas have just used this as a favorite trick  to make Mursi support US policy of Israel now and later bully him for  his foolish agreement not knowing the implications of "US policy". .

The very insistence of Clinton  continuing with  Egypt's pro-US policy of Mubarak is indeed the promotion of Zionist fascism- after all Americans ruthlessly pursue pro-Israeli policy as the cornerstone of US policy for Mideast. 

Is not Madam Clinton fairly cleaver enough?