Osama bin Laden warned Arab regimes that the United States always abandons its friends when the going gets tough. President Obama is proving bin Laden was right.
MSNBCs Chris Matthews admits he feels ashamed as an American for the way Egypts President Hosni Mubarak is being treated. Were not handling it the way Americans should handle matters like this, he said Friday. I dont feel right about it. And Barack Obama, as much I support him in many ways, there is a transactional quality to the guy that is chilling. Mr. Matthews explained that in relationship politics, You treat your friends a certain way. Youre loyal to them. And when theyre wrong, you try to be with them, you try to stick with them.
On Saturday, former Vice President Dick Cheney reminded us that Mr. Mubarak is a reliable U.S. ally. His government received billions in U.S. aid over the last 30 years and consistently lived up to expectations. During the first Gulf War, Egypt helped us get boots on the ground in Saudi Arabia rapidly and contributed over 33,000 troops for the liberation of Kuwait. That was more than twice the number sent by France, our fair-weather friend that Mr. Obama somehow views as Americas strongest ally. Cairo assisted during the second Iraq war in less visible ways but paid a price. In 2005, members of al Qaeda in Iraq kidnapped and killed Egypts former ambassador to Baghdad, Ihab al-Sharif.
Mr. Mubaraks government has been stalwart in the war on terrorism. In the 1990s, Egypt was one of the front-line states combating the rising wave of Islamic radicalism. The emergency laws the Obama administration is pressuring Egypt to lift are tools the regime used to clamp down on groups like the al Qaeda-affiliated Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Cairo works closely with Washington rounding up terrorist suspects, and the mere threat of being turned over to the Egyptians was sometimes enough to get terrorist detainees to talk.
One of the most dependable, pro-American members of the Mubarak regime is recently appointed Vice President Omar Suleiman, who since 1993 has been director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service. Mr. Suleiman has a long-standing relationship with the United States dating back to his training at the U.S. Special Warfare School at Fort Bragg and has worked closely with the CIA on critical issues such as the increasing radicalization of Hamas in Gaza and blunting Iranian influence operations in the region. He holds a dim view of Islamist parties particularly the Muslim Brotherhood and wants to keep his country on the path of Westernization and modernization.
Mr. Suleiman is spearheading current talks with opposition groups in an attempt to forestall a complete political meltdown. The Obama administration has undermined his position through inept political signaling and obdurately insisting regime change in Egypt must happen as fast as possible. Now means now, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs hectored last week. When special envoy and former ambassador to Egypt Frank Wisner suggested the United States should help Mr. Mubarak find a face-saving way out, the State Department quickly disowned his comments. If alacrity leads to destabilization and chaos, so be it.
What if the hardline Muslim Brotherhood actually takes power? The State Department simply shrugs that the brotherhood is a fact of life in Egypt. Unfortunately, no matter what government succeeds Mr. Mubaraks administration, Egypt and the rest of Americas beleaguered allies will know one thing: They cant trust Barack Obama.
#5
> Previous governments elected to dissove the people, and appoint a new one, to quote a poem from somewhere.
Bertolt Brecht: "After the uprising of the 17th of June
The Secretary of the Writers Union
Had leaflets distributed in the Stalinallee
Stating that the people
Had thrown away the confidence of the government
And could win it back only
By redoubled efforts. Would it not be easier
In that case for the government
To dissolve the people
And elect another?"
#6
ION PEOPLES DAILY FORUM > CAPITALISM IS DEAD, SAYS BRAZIL'S LULA, as due to the US-West = Capitalist-caused Global Financial Crisis, Global Warming + Climate Change. THE MAJOR CAPITALIST POWERS NOW HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE SMALLER OR NEW STATES WHOM THEY HAD HISTORICALLY REGARDED AS "PERIPHERAL", PROBLEMATIC", + EVEN "DANGEROUS"???
The president cannot simply decide who does and does not have to follow the law. I was wondering whatever happened to the Magna Carta.
The constitutional dispute over the health-care law has thus far centered on the lawfulness of the statute itself -- most dramatically when, last week in Florida, a federal judge held the act to be void. Waiting in the wings, however, is another constitutional question, one concerning not the statute, but waivers from it.
The Department of Health and Human Services has granted 733 waivers from one of the statute's key requirements. The recipients of the waivers include insurers such as Oxford Health Insurance, labor organizations such as the Service Employees International Union, and employers such as PepsiCo. This is disturbing for many reasons. At the very least, it suggests the impracticability of the health-care law; HHS gave the waivers because it fears the law will cost many Americans their jobs and insurance.
More seriously, it raises questions about whether we live under a government of laws. Congress can pass statutes that apply to some businesses and not others, but once a law has passed -- and therefore is binding -- how can the executive branch relieve some Americans of their obligation to obey it?
The dangers of inequity are obvious. Will only corporations and unions get waivers, or can individuals also get them? For example, if a family physician feels financial pressure under the health-care law to fire one of his employees, will he get a waiver to avoid adding to unemployment?
Indeed, can even a small corporation get a waiver? Small businesses provide most new jobs, but the answer is obvious: Waivers are mostly, if not entirely, for politically significant businesses and unions that get the special attention of HHS or the White House. The rest of us must obey the laws. More interesting facts at link. Although, I don't know why anyone is still surprised at this. This IS the Chicago way of doing politics and Bambi is a Chicago politician.
#2
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
#3
Why not? They already decide which laws they will enforce - for example Immigration. And even file suit against states to force them to violate federal law.
#6
Oh I think he knows it - he just believes that he, himself, is the highest law in the universe and the Constitution simply does not apply to him or his policies
#3
NET > NOTED ANALYSTS argue that, in addition to
a steadily increasing LEGAL MUSLIM IMMIGRATION PER ANNUM to the US, + the large number of Muslims already positions of power + high influence in WASHINGTON DC = US GOVT. + WALL STREET, A "JASMINE/COLOR REVOLUTION" LED COLLAPSE OF PRO-DEMOCRACY MUSLIM US ALLIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST + AROUND THE WORLD MAY INDUCE NEW MASSIVE FLOWS OF ILLEGAL MIGRATION TO THE US = CONUS-NORAM BY MUSLIMS SEEKING PEACE, FREEDOM, + BETTER QUALITY-OF-LIFE, ETC. FLOWS WHICH LIKELY WILL BE EXPLOITED BY DEDICATED TERRORISTS INTENT ON ILLEGALLY INFILTRATING THE US + ATTACKING DOMESTIC TARGETS + INTRODUCE VIOLENT JIHAD [Random Terror + protractive Armed Insurgency]UNTO AMER SOIL.
* See also NEWS KERALA > EGYPT UNREST MAY SPARK [mass] "ILLEGAL MIGRATION" TO UK + EU, WARNS NATO CHIEF.
#5
OOOOPSIES, forgot NEWS KERALA > POSSIBLE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD GOVT. IS "MOTHER OF ALL FEARS" FOR EGYPTIAN CHRISTIANS. Egypt's Christians comprise approxi 10% of the national population - many same proclaim themslves to be PATRIOTIC EGYPTIANS whom also DISLIKE = HATE MUBARAK + REGIME, POLICIES, BUT AT THE SAME TIME THEY DO NOT TRUST THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD + ALIGNED AT ALL TO BE AS TOLERANT OF THE EGYPTIAN CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY AS MUBARAK WAS. They believe the MB IS, + WILL REMAIN, MANY TIMES WORSE THAN MUBARAK + REGIME AS PER PROMOTING GOVT-PUBLIC INTOLERANCE, PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS + OTHER NON-MUSLIMS.
IIUC, POTUS BAMMER risks making the same mistake that the CARTER-ERA US made as per the PRE-1979, PRO-US SHAH OF IRAN, SAVE FOR INDONESIAN-MALAYSIAN-STYLE VIOLENCE AGZ CHRISTIANS + NON-MUSLIMS, ETC. NOW IN THE MIX???
Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, responded, as it is entitled to do, to what had been said by a number of Egyptian media outlets, regarding its role in the recent Egyptian crisis. However, The infamous However... the manner in which the Islamist movement responded resembled a political joke: A senior Hamas figure, Salah al-Bardawil, warned the Egyptians of exporting their crisis to the Gazoo strip!
Oh God...are Egypt's problems now being imported to the Gazoo strip instead of the other way around? Or is Hamas now afraid that its affairs will be uncovered by many in Egypt? Hamas is also concerned about the internal Gazoo situation itself. After Egypt experienced a political tremor last week, the Paleostinian Islamist movement announced that it had no objection to the presence of cinemas in the Gazoo Strip [in order to appease the people].
Yet the pressing question that requires a clear answer is this: How did Hamas prisoners flee Abu Zaabal Prison, and make their way to safety in the Gazoo Strip, in a moment of chaos caused by a suspicious collapse of Egyptian security? It is true that the chaos was overwhelming, and it is natural in such circumstances for imprisoned members of Hamas, and likewise members of Hezbullies, to escape. However, The infamous However... it was unusual for the prisoners to arrive in the Gazoo Strip at such speed, having traveled a great distance without a problem, at a time when Egyptians were complaining of how difficult it was to even return to their homes, and they were in Tahrir Square, central Cairo. Is it conceivable that an Egyptian protestor was struggling to return to his house, whilst jugged Hamas members managed to flee at such speed to Gazoo, from the middle of Egypt? It is even more surprising that beat feetHezbullies members arrived in Beirut's southern suburbs, or anywhere in Leb for that matter, at such a speed, especially considering that there are no adjacent borders between Egypt and Leb!
It is true that the Egyptians are facing a long list of priorities right now, the most important of which is to get their own house in order, and restore organization to the Egyptian state at all levels, whether political, economic, and of course social, days after the storm. Yet there is also the urgent priority of dealing with internal security. The Egyptians demand to know what happened on the day when security collapsed in their country. There must be both an investigation and verification, regarding the extent of foreign groups' interference into Egyptian security. How were Hamas and Hezbullies able to facilitate the escape of their prisoners, fleeing abroad with such speed and ease, whilst Egyptian prisoners could not do the same? This is not an easy operation at all! The Egyptians should not be concerned with lodging accusations at the moment, but what is even more important now is to get a grip on security, and take note of the wolves circling around Egypt, whether they are states or militia groups.
As I mentioned above, the Hamas warning to Egyptians today, namely that Egypt's problems must not spread to Gazoo, is a humorous one, but we do not know whether to laugh or cry. We must remember, and be aware of the fact that there is often disinformation in our region, as a result of certain media and states. Groups such as Hezbullies and Hamas are not only deepening the concept of division in our region and countries, they are part of the problem, not the solution.
Posted by: Fred ||
02/08/2011 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
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Top|| File under: Hamas
#1
See also DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS/TOPIX > INDONESIA:
ANGRY MUSLIM CROWD ATTACK [three] CHRISTIAN CHURCHES, burning down two, heavily damaging one after earlier deadly attack on rival Minority Muslim Sect where several men were publicly dragged off + killed; + MUSLIM MOB BURN CHRISTIAN CHURCHES.
IIRC the national Govt had recently REMOVED OR VOIDED FATWAS USED IN PAST TO PROTECT NON-MUSLIM MINORITIES + OTHER.
Which I guess now means ITS OPEN SEASON ON NON-MUSLIM ANDOR RIVAL MUSLIM COMMUNITIES [e.g. MILF Split in Philippines]???
-----------
IIRC also from DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > ILLEGAL INDIAN IMMIGRANTS [Sikhs] BAFFLE LOCAL/BORDER OFFICIALS IN TEXAS. Hundreds of illegal Sikh immigrants proclaiming to be members of persecuted BJP Party are sneaking into Texas = Tehas oer the Tex-Mex Border via Guatamala. THUS FAR US AGENCIES HAVE NOT FOUND ANY CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE THAT DEDICATED TERRORISTS HAVE COVERTLY SNUCK INTO TEXAS WID THEM.
SAME THREAD > POSTER = claims as per NET Artics that MANY SOUTH ASIANS, espec from Pakistan + India + Bangladesh, are SIMIL SNEAKY SNEAKING INTO AFRICA, mainly for ECONOMIC REASONS.
Meet Ashley Bell, a young man who looked to have a bright future in the Democratic Party. Now he looks for a brighter future -- as a Republican. The former national president of College Democrats of America has joined an exodus of moderates and conservatives from the Democratic Party in the South after the midterm elections:
For Democrats, Ashley Bell was the kind of comer that a party builds a future on: A young African American lawyer, he served as president of the College Democrats of America, advised presidential candidateJohn Edwards and spoke at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston.
But after his party's midterm beat-down in November, Bell, a commissioner in northern Georgia's Hall County, jumped ship. He joined the Republicans.
Bell, 30, said he had serious issues with the healthcare law and believed that conservative "blue dog" Democrats in Congress who shared his values had been bullied into voting for it.
Bell's defection is one of dozens by state and local Democratic officials in the Deep South in recent months that underscore Republicans' continued consolidation of power in the region -- a process that started with presidential politics but increasingly affects government down to the level of dogcatcher.
The defections in Louisiana gave the GOP its first legislative majority in over a century. In Alabama and Texas, they created Republican supermajorities. The Democrats may have chosen Charlotte, North Carolina for their 2012 convention, but the South has increasingly become hostile territory to Democrats, as former Blue Dogs feel the party has become hostile to them.
This shows that the midterm elections were no fluke. What we saw was a genuine realignment, not just a hiccup, at least in the South. The pretense that the current Democratic Party leadership of Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid welcomed diversity of thought on policy died hard in the 111th Session of Congress. Instead of paying attention to conservatives and moderates in their ranks that expressed skepticism over ObamaCare and demanded the focus remain on the economy, Pelosi and Reid steamrolled them into voting for the deeply unpopular health-care bill -- and consigned most of them to electoral losses last fall.
Politicians like Bell and Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell understand what Beltway Democrats apparently want to ignore, which is that their leadership has lost touch with Americans across the country. Not only is there no room for what used to be known as Blue Dog Democrats in the Democratic coalition, they have seen outright hostility towards their positions from the Democratic Party. These politicians understand that surviving means aligning themselves with the GOP.
When Reagan won his two big victories, he did so with the support of what were called Reagan Democrats, especially in the South, who backed Reagan but stayed with the Democratic Party. Obama and Pelosi have done what even Reagan couldn't do -- convert Southern Democrats to the GOP. As all the pundits, including HotAir have said, "Don't get cocky". There are still thousands of ways the RNC and the elite leadership can cock this up.
#1
Obama and Pelosi have done what even Reagan couldn't do -- convert Southern Democrats to the GOP. Don't forget to include Reid with BO and Queen Nancy.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
The president cannot simply decide who does and does not have to follow the law.
Meet Ashley Bell, a young man who looked to have a bright future in the Democratic Party. Now he looks for a brighter future -- as a Republican. The former national president of College Democrats of America has joined an exodus of moderates and conservatives from the Democratic Party in the South after the midterm elections:
