The United States needs Egypt to maintain Å“its empire” which is Å“built on the market system and the American dollar”, says Eric Walberg, author of Postmodern Imperialism.
Å“[The US] is trying to portray itself as the benevolent hegemon in the world promoting democracy. At the same time, it is maintaining its empire which is not a benevolent empire,” said Walberg in a phone interview with Press TV on Thursday.
Å“Its interests are to maintain its position especially in Egypt because Egypt lies at the heart of its Eurasian empire. It needs the Suez Canal, it needs peace with Israel to maintain this empire that it has built up over the past 70 years since World War II,” he added.
There has been no sign that Washington would stop its $1.3 billion in annual aid to the Egyptian military as the latest figures show over 500 people have been killed in the recent crackdown on supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi.
On Thursday, Egyptâ„¢s Health Ministry raised the death toll from the previous dayâ„¢s clashes between security forces and Morsiâ„¢s supporters to 525, putting the number of those injured on Wednesday at 3,717.
Meanwhile, the administration of President Obama still does not show any sign that it would call the July 3 military-led ouster of Morsi a coup as such acknowledgement would trigger an automatic congressional ban on the US aid to the Egyptian military.
Å“[The US] has built up the [Egyptian] military since the 70s and all of these people performing the coup are working with their US counterparts on a very intimate level. They are in contact every day,” said Walberg.
Å“The US will not characterize this as a coup. It will just hold its nose and continue to support the secular establishment in Egypt,” he pointed out.
ISH/ISH
Republished from: Press TV