Washington must stop supporting Mubarak
Egypt is not Tunisia, as many political commentators have been saying. While the Tunisian army was relatively separate from the regime and sided with the protestors against Ben Ali, the Egyptian military is closely tied to Mubarak and heavily subsidized by the USA, to the tune of $1.3 billion a year. So far, the military seems to be supporting Mubarak--as is Washington, DC.
President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton have both made speeches that try to please everyone--they encourage Mubarak to implement reforms but want protests to remain peaceful, they proclaim the right of the Egyptian people to self-determination and yet they continue to support Mubarak, even though the protestors say they won't stop until he resigns. The reasons for this are clear--Washington sees Mubarak as an important strategic ally in the fight against Islamic terrorism.
But sacrificing democracy for the sake of stability brings neither. The USA has long propped up foreign dictators who are friendly to USA interests while hypocritically urging democratic reform. Washington's policy of supporting "moderate" Arab rulers who oppress their people has not brought reform or stability, and it never will. Mubarak's regime has lost all legitimacy, and eventually it will fall, whether to these current protests or later on. When that happens, the Egyptian people will remember who supported the corrupt, repressive regime they are so determined now to oust. If the USA wants to have a positive relationship with whatever government follows Mubarak, they must stop subsidizing the Egyptian military. Obama and HRC have said that the future of Egypt must be determined by the Egyptian people--now they have to make good on their word.
President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton have both made speeches that try to please everyone--they encourage Mubarak to implement reforms but want protests to remain peaceful, they proclaim the right of the Egyptian people to self-determination and yet they continue to support Mubarak, even though the protestors say they won't stop until he resigns. The reasons for this are clear--Washington sees Mubarak as an important strategic ally in the fight against Islamic terrorism.
But sacrificing democracy for the sake of stability brings neither. The USA has long propped up foreign dictators who are friendly to USA interests while hypocritically urging democratic reform. Washington's policy of supporting "moderate" Arab rulers who oppress their people has not brought reform or stability, and it never will. Mubarak's regime has lost all legitimacy, and eventually it will fall, whether to these current protests or later on. When that happens, the Egyptian people will remember who supported the corrupt, repressive regime they are so determined now to oust. If the USA wants to have a positive relationship with whatever government follows Mubarak, they must stop subsidizing the Egyptian military. Obama and HRC have said that the future of Egypt must be determined by the Egyptian people--now they have to make good on their word.