{"id":47926,"date":"2013-07-05T08:35:21","date_gmt":"2013-07-05T07:35:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/breaking-news\/whats-next-in-egypt\/47926\/"},"modified":"2013-07-05T08:35:21","modified_gmt":"2013-07-05T07:35:21","slug":"whats-next-in-egypt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/breaking-news\/whats-next-in-egypt\/","title":{"rendered":"What's Next in Egypt?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nWhat’s Next in Egypt?<\/b><\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nby Stephen Lendman<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nMorsi’s out. Junta power rules. Generals have final say. Democracy’s verboten. Popular interests don’t matter. They never did. They don’t now. What’s next?<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nHeadlines said Egyptians celebrated Morsi’s ouster. Fireworks lit up Cairo’s sky. On February 12, 2011, jubilant crowds reacted the same way. Millions hailed Mubarak’s removal. People overthrew entrenched power, they believed.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nHoped for change didn’t follow. So-called Arab spring didn’t bloom. It wasn’t meant to. Expect nothing different this time.\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nWealth, power and privilege alone matter. It’s de rigueur. It’s true throughout the region. It’s how things are in Western and most other societies.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nWashington largely dictates Egyptian policy. One to two billion dollars annually buys lots of influence. Imperial power assures it most of all.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nEgyptians want real change. They want vital concerns addressed. They want real democracy, not pretense. They want respect, not repression.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nThey want decent jobs and pay, affordable prices, and better services. They want longstanding corruption ended. They want poverty alleviated.\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nThey deserve it and much more. They’ve been denied much too long. They put their bodies on the line for change. They showed courage doing so.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nMorsi’s stripped of power. He and his presidential team are under house arrest. They’re held at a military intelligence facility. Warrants were issued for hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood members.\u00a0<\/div>\n
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\nSome already are in custody. Freedom and Justice Party head Saad el-Katatni was arrested. So was Muslim Brotherhood deputy head Khairet el-Shater.<\/div>\n
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\nSupreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said:<\/div>\n
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\n“The address of the president (Tuesday) did not meet the demands of the people.” He added that talks remain ongoing to agree on an interim transition.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nBefore his ouster, Morsi said he didn’t recognize coup authority. He urged mass opposition. He’s out of office. He’s out of luck. He may end up in prison. He’s powerless to prevent what’s planned.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nCoup d’etat power rules. Martial law was declared. Egypt’s constitution was suspended. A new one will be written.\u00a0<\/div>\n
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\nParliamentary elections were promised. SCAF said soon as possible. Perhaps months will pass before held. They’ll lack legitimacy like last time.<\/div>\n
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\nMilitary.com<\/a><\/span> headlined “Marines Put on Standby to Respond to Egypt Unrest,” saying:<\/div>\n
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\nMarines in Spain, Italy and perhaps elsewhere are poised to intervene. Military.com said they may be sent to Cairo to protect and\/or evacuate US citizens. They’ll guard Washington’s embassy.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nPerhaps Obama has something else in mind. Pentagon spokesman George Little said:<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n“We do believe we have taken steps to ensure our military is ready to respond to a range of contingencies.” He stopped short of elaborating.<\/div>\n
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\nOn July 3, a White House statement<\/span><\/a> was typically duplicitous. It expressed support for “core (democratic) principles (and) universal human rights.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nObama’s words rang hollow. They always do. He deplores what he claims to endorse. He “urge(d) all sides to avoid violence and come together to ensure the lasting restoration of Egypt\u2019s democracy.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nEgypt never had democracy. It has none now. It won’t no matter what happens going forward. Entrenched power rules. Washington supports it.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nObama’s right saying “(t)he longstanding partnership between the United States and Egypt is based on shared interests and values.” He didn’t explain. He means power, not populism.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nMorsi was Washington’s man. He became damaged goods. He fell from grace. SCAF’s coup followed Obama’s approval. Good relations with America matter. Much depends on them.\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nOusting Morsi required permission to do so. Defying Washington is a bad idea. It risks trouble. It assures retaliation. SCAF knows how things work. Going along to get along is fundamental.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nObama effectively endorsed Morsi’s removal. He duplicitously requested Egypt’s military to “move quickly and responsibly to return full authority back to a democratically elected civilian government as soon as possible through an inclusive and transparent process.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nOn July 4, Voice of Russia<\/span><\/a> headlined “Judge to lead Egypt after army ousts Morsi,” saying:<\/div>\n
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\nSCAF chose Adly Mansour. He’s interim president. He’s an establishment figure. He heads Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court.<\/div>\n
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\nHe helped draft legal procedures ahead of Egypt’s June 2012 election. On June 1, he was appointed SCC chief justice. Now he’s interim president.<\/div>\n
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\nFormer IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei is Egypt’s interim prime minister. He heads the so-called National Salvation Front. He does so jointly with former Arab League secretary-general Amr Moussa and Egyptian Popular Current leader Hamdeen Sabahi.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nIt’s an anti-Morsi umbrella group. It represents divergent views. It defends privilege against populism. It’s pro-Western. It offers no change.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nOrdinary Egyptians are entirely left out. Soon enough they’ll know. Celebratory exuberance won’t last. Widespread anger will again erupt.\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nMansour and ElBarardei represent same old, same old. They’ll govern until parliamentary elections are held. ElBaradei looks like Washington’s choice to lead. If elected, Egyptians will again be cheated.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nHe’s a longstanding establishment figure. Populism’s not his mandate. It’s not his concern. He represents what Egyptians deplore. Soon enough they’ll know.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nHe’s a pro-Western stooge. His credentials are worrisome. He’s connected to the International Crisis Group. In 1995, it was founded by former World Bank vice president Mark Malloch Brown and former US diplomat Morton Abramowitz. It supports power, not popular interests.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nCurrent and former top officials include Zbigniew Brzezinski, General Wesley Clark, Kofi Annan, Javier Solana, Larry Summers, George Mitchell, Thomas Pickering, George Soros, Kenneth Adelman, Stanley Fischer, and Carla Hills among others.<\/div>\n
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\nAhead of Mubarak’s ouster, ElBaradei supported the US-backed April 6 Youth Movement. Egypt’s so-called revolution was more color than real. Its strategy was fomenting unrest.\u00a0<\/div>\n
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\nIt’s objective was regime change. It’s about installing pro-Western puppets. When previous ones fall from grace, they’re replaced. ElBaradei’s a reliable imperial ally.\u00a0<\/div>\n
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\nHe’s a 2005 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Nearly always it’s for establishment figures. It reeks of hypocrisy. Disreputable recipients win. It’s more about war, not peace.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nSteven A. Cook is a Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) senior fellow. He specializes in Middle Eastern studies. On March 26, 2010, he headlined<\/span><\/a> “Is ElBaradei Egypt’s Hero?”<\/div>\n
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\n“Egypt’s close relationship with the United States has become a critical and negative factor in Egyptian politics,” he said.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n“The opposition has used these ties to delegitimize the regime, while the government has engaged in its own displays of anti-Americanism to insulate itself from such charges.”\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n“If ElBaradei actually has a reasonable chance of fostering political reform in Egypt, then US policymakers would best serve his cause by not acting strongly.”\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n“Somewhat paradoxically, ElBaradei’s chilly relationship with the United States as IAEA chief only advances US interests now.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nElBaradei’s a useful stooge for good reason. He won’t be accused of being one. He’s part of Washington’s plan going forward.\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nHe’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He’s connected to America’s power elite. They’ll present him as a unifying figure. The new boss resembles previous ones. It’s true for reasons mattering most.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nElBaradei looks like Washington’s new man in Cairo. Watch for scoundrel media endorsements. Foreign Policy<\/span><\/a> associate editor David Kenner asked “Could (he) be Egypt’s Next Ruler?”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nRumors suggest maybe so. Ahead of Morsi’s ouster he told Kenner “John Kerry had raised the possibility with him.” At the time, he denied interest.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n“At this stage,” he said, “I think I would be more effective frankly being outside the system and try to focus on the bigger picture.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nSaying it perhaps was diplomatic coyness. At the same time, he didn’t discount the possibility. He stressed getting Egypt on the “right track” going forward.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nDoing so requires Washington-endorsed leadership. Maybe he has himself in mind. His agenda isn’t what Egyptians want or deserve. They’ll know soon enough.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nStephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nHis new book is titled “Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity.”<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.claritypress.com\/LendmanII.html<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nVisit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nListen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nIt airs Fridays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\nhttp:\/\/www.progressiveradionetwork.com\/the-progressive-news-hour\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Republished with permission from: Stephen Lendman<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What’s Next in Egypt? by Stephen Lendman Morsi’s out. Junta power rules. Generals have final say. Democracy’s verboten. Popular interests don’t matter. They never did. They don’t now. What’s next? Headlines said Egyptians celebrated Morsi’s ouster. Fireworks lit up Cairo’s sky. On February 12, 2011, jubilant crowds reacted the same way. Millions hailed Mubarak’s removal. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[487],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-47926","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-breaking-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47926","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47926"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47926\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}