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| Iraq |
| Diplomat: U.S. Shouldn’t Impose on Iraq |
| 2003-09-26 |
| There’s just so much mockable content here... Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher urged the Bush administration Friday to back away from its goal of helping to nurture a democratic Iraq as part of broader plan to promote democracy throughout the Middle East. Thanks for the lousy advice, Ahmed, but we finally have a president who understands the word "scam". "They will not be a model and no model will be imposed on them," Maher told a gathering sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations. "We’re a better model, really -- we’ve run Egypt for thousands of years! We even think that the EU ought to adopt our model, since they’re so impressed by age!" He called on the administration to "let Iraq be itself." Uh, isn’t that the experiment we just shut down??? The administration is using its politically-dominant role in post-Saddam Iraq to try to instill democratic processes from the local to the national level as an alternative to the country’s long tradition of violent extremism. And to subsidize the Egyptian government to the tune of several billion dollars every year... don’t forget that, Ahmed! "I don’t think that countries are eager to be models," said Maher, who noted that Egypt never had good relations with Saddam Hussein and had no reason to lament his demise. Particularly if those models don’t allow our leaders to become disgustingly rich, and kill people who we don’t like... He said the U.S. role as occupier of Iraq must end as soon as possible in the interest of avoiding an unstable situation in the region. Hey, we Americans like instability -- look at what’s happening in California! On the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, Maher urged the United States to call off its "blame (Yasser) Arafat" policies and strive toward a more evenhanded approach." Okay, we’ll be glad to include you and the other local kleptocracies in the blame game, if you insist. While asserting that Arafat is not an "angel," Maher said the Palestinian Authority chairman is an essential part of the solution to the ongoing standoff with Israel. If you’re suggesting that the roadblock itself is an essential player in removing the roadblock, I’d have to agree wholeheartedly... He said it would be a mistake to regard the liberation movement Arafat has headed as incapable of living in peace with Israel once the "Liberation movements turn into governments and act differently," Maher said. "When they’re all dead, we’ll stop shooting at them!" While restating his friendship for the United States, Maher said it was "absolutely necessary" for the administration to lean on Israel from time to time instead of focusing its wrath on the Palestinians. He said Egypt does not allow the Palestinian to go "scot free" when they engage in wrongdoing and the West should do the same with Israel. "Hell no, we give them a stern talking-to and make them re-read the Protocols of Zion!" As an example of what he described as the pro-Israeli posture of the United States, he cited the examples of Israel’s destruction of seven- and eight-story buildings where Palestinian noncombatants live. They only destroy the buildings that attack them... some of those darn buildings are pretty trigger-happy. In response to those incidents, he said, "We haven’t heard any clamor in the West." We’ve subcontracted our clamoring to KCNA... He added: "Israel considers the death of an Israeli child to be one thing and the death of a Palestinian child to be another." Another subtle reference to the Protocols?? Maher also took aim at the wall that Israel is building in the Palestinian territories, contending that it shows an unwillingness by Israelis to pursue the goal of living in peace with Palestinians. It’s actually a pretty creative way to attain that goal... Beyond that, he said, the wall won’t achieve the Israeli goal of greater security because "Palestinians have missiles which can fly over walls." Sharon: "Guess what... we’re going to need a higher wall..." |
| Posted by:snellenr |
| #6 Don't think the Iraqis won't remember who their "friends" have been in the Middle East. "I don’t think that countries are eager to be models," said Maher, who noted that Egypt never had good relations with Saddam Hussein and had no reason to lament his demise. They also did nothing to help end the misery of the Iraqi people...Of course the Egyptian government isn't interested in other "models." The trouble is, the people there are going to be more and more interested...especially when they see what is happening for Iraq. |
| Posted by: R. McLeod 2003-9-27 4:28:54 AM |
| #5 B-a-r They continue to get US money because we know they are addicted to it. As a result we get to pull strings and make demands (such as threatening to take away the money!) |
| Posted by: john 2003-9-26 8:25:32 PM |
| #4 Correct if I'm wrong. This guy does not think that Iraqis are inteligent enough to handle democracy. Isn't that what he said? |
| Posted by: Raptor 2003-9-26 6:55:46 PM |
| #3 Anyone see any valid reason why these guys are still getting U.S. aid money?? |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2003-9-26 3:04:36 PM |
| #2 Typical Islamist bullcrap. Once we finish in Iraq, we'll have a secure base with good local support for other operations that may or may not need to be performed. I'm sure the Ayatollahs in Iran are finding it more and more difficult to sleep at night, knowing that combat-hardened US troops are on both their east and west borders, and that the people to the north don't like them at all. I'm sure Syria hasn't mis-understood our pulling our mobile assault troops (Marines) from Iraq, while beefing up our Army presence. I'm sure they're carefully watching as we turn several decrepit, run-down Iraqi airfields into first-class military bases. I'm sure they also understand, at the gut level, that we are going through a 'trial by fire' of our military troops, noting which ones are willing to fight, and which ones aren't. We're also doing a selective weeding of our officer corps, eliminating those that don't have the "right stuff". Most of this is under the radar of the "average American", but I'm sure there are people in Riyadh, Damascus, Cairo, Tehran, Sa'na, and elsewhere that are watching, and drawing the right conclusions. The Middle East will be a much nicer place in a year, and totally unrecognizable in five. The dictators, kings, potentates, and religious leaders know that, and understands it means their demise. They also know they're totally impotent to do anything at all about it. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-9-26 2:49:58 PM |
| #1 I didn't know Bill Maher had a brother. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2003-9-26 2:19:09 PM |