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2005-05-17 Africa: North

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Posted by Fred 2005-05-17 00:00|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Perhaps he just doesn't want to personally hear what he knows George Bush will say.

Posted by trailing wife 2005-05-17 01:39|| 2005-05-17 01:39|| Front Page Top

#2 The alternative to Mubarak ain't pretty. Egypt is definitely not a place we want to hold democratic elections just yet. Maybe in another decade or four. Sticking with the despot known is a better bet than what the Egyptian voters would elect to office. Mubarak is like Mousharef in Pakistan -both are our little tyrants.

Posted by Grique Omuter7633 2005-05-17 02:53|| 2005-05-17 02:53|| Front Page Top

#3 Not our tyrants -- their own people's, who choose not to become better citizens and require better from those who would be their leaders.

Posted by trailing wife 2005-05-17 08:37|| 2005-05-17 08:37|| Front Page Top

#4 Perv and Mubarak are totally different situations. Perv has only been around a little while, has little stability, has a demonstrated secular opposition which unfortunately was very corrupt, and a quasi alliance with Islamists - as well as a virtual civil war with more extreme Islamists.

Mubarak OTOH has a VERY stable regime - Egypt has had only 3 presidents in the last 50 years, and each of the last 2 was promoted from VP. And Egypt crushed the violent Islamists soundly in the 90's. So it might appear there is no threat to stability. OTOH keeping stable has been done at the price of some really nasty antisemitic propaganda, and has been associated with Egyptians going into AQ and messing around abroad. So there is real motive from the US POV to democratize Egypt. How strong the secular opposition is vs the Muslim Brotherhood, and the MB vs more overtly radical Islamists (the MB is wahabi, but doesnt advocate violence)is not clear, and wont be till theres a real election.

Posted by Liberalhawk 2005-05-17 09:55|| 2005-05-17 09:55|| Front Page Top

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