Posts Tagged ‘imperialism’

VIDEO – Foreign policy of the Egyptian uprising

Business as usual

Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, Mubarak’s minister of defense and the head of the ruling Supreme Council of Armed Forces, met with US Central Command General James Mattis and his accompanying delegation during their current visit to Egypt…

VIDEO – The cost of war in Afghanistan

تراجع الدور الأميركي في العالم العربي

The US and Egypt’s military junta

Obama continues his endorsement of Mubarak’s Field Marshal Tantawi and his ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. According to the Jerusalem Post…

[T]he United States signaled this week that it plans to continue business as usual when it comes to arms sales to the Egyptian Military.
On Friday, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible sale of 125 M1A1 Abrams tank to Egypt – the first large arms deal since Hosni Mubarak was ousted from power in February – including associated weapons, equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of just over $1.3 billion.
If approved, the deal would increase the number of Abrams tanks in Egypt from around 1,000 to 1,130.
According to the notification to Congress, Egypt would receive 125 tanks parts of which would be produced in Egypt as well as M256 Armament Systems, M2 .50 caliber machine guns, 7.62mm machine guns, spare parts, maintenance, support equipment, personnel training and other related elements of logistics and program support.
The Pentagon told Congress – which has 30 days to object to the deal – that the sale of the tanks would “contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that has been and continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.”

US warns against nationalization of industries in Egypt

Margaret Scobey, the hypocrite who was publicly praising Mubarak as an ally in the past, only to change the rhetoric and become some Nelson Mandela following the revolution, is now trying to tell us what to do and what not to do about our economy, even when she’s leaving her post. Speaking to Ahram Online:

“A return to nationalisation will be a huge disincentive to investment,” the United States ambassador to Egypt said in a media roundtable held at the US embassy on Saturday.
“I think Egypt has to make its choice and find an economic policy that would solve its prompt problems; to create jobs and social justice,” said Margaret Scobey, answering a question from Ahram Online on whether Egypt’s growing appetite for nationalisation and public sector involvement would affect US aid policy towards the country.
“Yet I think the public sector cannot [solve its problems],” she said. “History proves privatisation has been very healthy, helpful and successful in helping many countries transform to democracy.”

History has proven that privatization has destroyed our lives, our economy, accumulated the wealth even more in the hands of few. Which history books do you read Scobey? The demand for nationalizing the privatized industries has topped the agenda of the strike wave over the past five years and during the revolution. And whether the American viceroy agrees or not, the campaign to reclaim the privatized factories will continue…

Obama’s speech: Yawn Zzzzz

Obama gave a speech? Really? As if I care. Coach Hassan Shehata's speeches r more important.

May 19, 2011 8:21 PM via EchofonReplyRetweetFavorite

@3arabawy

Hossam عمو حسام

Reflecting that disillusion, Egyptian activist Hossam El-Hamalawy wrote on social media site Twitter: “Obama gave a speech? Really? As if I care”…

Film: As the Stars Fall

Mubarak’s man should not become Arab League chief, say protesters

Protesters, on Wednesday afternoon, denounce Mostafa el-Fiqqi in front of the Arab League headquarters in downtown Cairo…

Nabil Fahmy: ‘This revolution actually serves Israel as well’

Mubarak’s former ambassador to the US, was interviewed by The Cairo Review of Global Affairs.

CAIRO REVIEW: We didn’t see anti-American or anti-Israel messages in Tahrir.
NABIL FAHMY: It’s an interesting point that in all of my discussions with everybody here, foreign policy was not mentioned once by the demonstrators, not once. They didn’t argue about it, they didn’t reject it, they didn’t send any messages to anybody. When the army took charge, the army said that they would respect international agreements, just to calm people’s nerves. After the demonstrations ended, the demonstrators said that they were changing Egypt domestically and that they would respect international agreements and discuss these later. So this was not about foreign policy. What’s important now, frankly, is to build a better Egypt. We will need some time.

CAIRO REVIEW: How will the revolution affect Israel and the Egyptian–Israeli peace treaty?
NABIL FAHMY: This revolution actually serves Israel as well. It may not serve the Israeli right. It definitely will not serve those who do not want peace between Israel and the Arab world, those who do not want a two-state solution. They will hear our voice much louder when they hear the Arab voice. It will be much louder when they enter east Jerusalem and try to place Jewish settlers in that part of town. Therefore, the Israeli public will realize how wrong these steps are from the Israeli right and how this will lead to postponing peace. Yes, it may worry people initially, but I think it will energize the peace movements on both sides, give a strong message to the right that if you go too far, your own people will push you out, not us.

Again, I don’t know on what basis the Review and other US media darlings like Mona el-Tahawi reiterate such claims that Tahrir was solely “domestic” and did not witness any “anti-American or anti-Israel messages.” The square during the 18-day uprising was rocked with chants labeling Mubarak and Omar Suleiman as agents of the US and Israel. Feel free to browse some of the pix in the following slide show. And I hope the DC based pundits who describe themselves as “Egypt experts” while they don’t know a word of Arabic to hire a translator to tell their sorry ignorant asses what do the signs say.

The roots of the January 2011 uprising could be traced back all the way to the mass protests in solidarity with the 2000 Palestinian intifada and 2003 mobilizations against the war on Iraq. Egyptians have been impoverished by neoliberalism, the same neoliberalism Essam Sharaf’s cabinet wants to keep in place with cosmetic changes. And the same IMF and “economists” who screwed our economy with their neoliberal recommendations from 1992 onwards, are coming out again today to congratulate us, promising us a bright future, as long we stick to their policies, again!

But all throughout the economic hardship, Mubarak’s clientalism to Israel and the US was an additional explosive factor. Not only was Mubarak’s foreign policy hated and despised by the Egyptian people, but parallels were always drawn between the situation of the Egyptian people and their Palestinian brothers and sisters. The latter have been the major source of inspiration, not Gene Sharp, whose name I first heard in my life only in February after we toppled Mubarak already and whom the clueless NYT moronically gives credit for our uprising. And even the leaders of social protests who were fighting for workers’ rights were among some of most staunch Palestine supporters.

It’s no wonder that the Zionists have been freaking out since the uprising started against Mubarak. The Egyptian people hate apartheid, and if we get a government that truly represents the wishes of the people, then Camp David will be scrapped and the natural gas supplies to Israel will stop. And no, it’s not enough to renegotiate the prices of the gas exports. All diplomatic and economic relations with the Israeli state should stop immediately.

Essam Sharaf’s cabinet which includes former Mubarak’s elements, and is controlled by the Supreme Military Council (read: Mubarak’s former generals), will not answer the aspirations of the Egyptian people in ridding their country from any ties to Zionism. And shame on Nabil Fahmy for uttering: “This revolution actually serves Israel as well.” It doesn’t Mr. Fahmy. And as we proceed to phase II of the revolution, we are aware Egypt will never be liberated if it remains surrounded by an ocean of US-sponsored Arab dictatorships and a Zionist regime.