From what I’ve read, Omar Suleiman is “the keeper of Egypt’s secrets”. He apparently presided over “extraordinary renditions” into Egypt as well. My guess is that the Feds would want him to take Mubarak’s place over anyone else.
Today I read that the Feds have sent military units to the area. I’m not surprised. My prediction is that, if the Egyptian protests continue for much longer, we’ll see the American equivalent of sending tanks into Budapest in 1956 and Prague in 1968. At that point, no one will be able to say with a straight face that the Feds aren’t the new Soviets.
It seems clear to me that, despite the lip-service given to “free and fair elections”, what the Feds want is continued control. For a long time, their national-security doctrine has apparently been to keep the Third World down. I doubt they’ll change that doctrine easily – or readily.
[quoteuser=“Autolykos”]
From what I’ve read, Omar Suleiman is “the keeper of Egypt’s secrets”. He apparently presided over “extraordinary renditions” into Egypt as well. My guess is that the Feds would want him to take Mubarak’s place over anyone else.
Today I read that the Feds have sent military units to the area. I’m not surprised. My prediction is that, if the Egyptian protests continue for much longer, we’ll see the American equivalent of sending tanks into Budapest in 1956 and Prague in 1968. At that point, no one will be able to say with a straight face that the Feds aren’t the new Soviets.
It seems clear to me that, despite the lip-service given to “free and fair elections”, what the Feds want is continued control. For a long time, their national-security doctrine has apparently been to keep the Third World down. I doubt they’ll change that doctrine easily – or readily.
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I appreciate the insight and I certainly agree.
The huge military aid given to Egypt is turned around and used to purchase US manufactured military equipment. Egypt seems to be essentially a colony which advances the military-industrial-complex. The Feds justify it for the US public on the grounds of Egyptian peace with Israel, the use of their air space and the Suez Canal. As if peace is only possible via statist imperialism…
On top of CIA ‘extraordinary rendition’ connections he was also mentioned in the US embassy cable leaks as being a successor because of his military experience (a.k.a. Fed mouthpiece).
Let Rome in Tiber melt, and the wide arch
Of the ranged empire fall! Here is my space.
Kingdoms are clay… O, whither hast thou led me, Egypt? See
How I convey my shame out of thine eyes,
By looking back what I have left behind
'Stroyed in dishonor… Is come indeed, when I should see behind me
The inevitable prosecution of
Disgrace and honor, that on my command
Thou then wouldst kill me. Do’t. The time is come.
Thou strik’st not me; 'tis Caesar thou defeat’st.
(Antony and Cleopatra, William Shakespeare)
So after leaking fake stories that Mubarak is stepping down completely, he announces that he’ll delegate “some” powers to Suleiman, but otherwise won’t be leaving power until September. I’m not surprised one bit. I also think the military’s assurances to the protesters were a ploy to get them to return home – which would allow the “clean up” to begin. However, it seems to be slowly dawning on the protesters that the Egyptian military isn’t their friend. Let’s hope this continues.
Based on its latest actions, I think the regime is essentially “all in” at this point. Are the protesters? I think they should be. Certainly at least some of them are. Time will tell about the rest. My prediction is that the regime will begin a new crackdown on the protesters, and this time it’ll be conducted by the military. Then the Egyptian people will see that the military is not united with them. Either the military-led crackdown will be swift and decisive – read: a giant massacre – or the protesters will fight back. In the latter case, the struggle would become a de facto civil war.
Will the US military provide assistance to the regime? Will we see US tanks rolling into Cairo, just like Soviet tanks rolled into Budapest in 1956 and Prague in 1968? Again, time will tell, but I won’t be surprised if we see it. Any intelligent observe must then conclude that the US has essentially taken the place of the Soviets.
Just to reiterate and hopefully drive the point home: what many (if not most) Egyptians are failing to realize is that the military is the regime.
Mohamed ElBaradei has now said that the military “must save the country now”. If that doesn’t reveal him to the protesters as a “false prophet”, I don’t know what will.
Well, Hosni Mubarak has finally caved. Questions remain, though. Is Suleiman still Vice President? Will the military actually accede to the demands of the protesters? If this is an end, it’s only the end of the beginning.
From wikipedia: “President Hosni Mubarak appointed Suleiman Vice President on January 29, 2011, and he served until February 11, 2011, when Egypt’s military assumed power”
I guess I’m one of the few here that see nothing positive in what just occurred.
I’m sorry, but I don’t buy the rhetoric over at the Lew Rockwell about how this is people withdrawing their consent. This is nothing but angry socialists on the streets who think that their own brand of socialism failed because it wasn’t a social democracy. That is all. Nothing here was against political authrity per se and the State. It was all very personal in a very childish sort of way.
If they’re lucky, their quest for Democracy will fail. Or they will learn the hard way that there is nothing “free” about being looted, murdered, and raped by a mob.
Being ruled and [freely] choosing your leader is a contradictory idea.
If anything, their recent action came as close as possible to what real free choice is. The problems is that they don’t understand this and neither do people here.
I don’t think Egyptians understand freedom quite yet. I attended a rally this past weekend in Alexandria. It was actually quite fun. I took the picture below:
Yeah, it’s quite clear that these protesters aren’t Rothbardians to say the least. However, one can sympathize with their desire to rid themselves of a military junta/satellite state without endorsing their economic ignorance.
