Egyptians mad at Obama while Army is fighting Hamas in Sinai
The Washington Times reports that Egyptians are losing faith in the Obama Administration after his really cool speech there in 2009. Join the club, guys;
“Ambassador Patterson came up with statements that seemed to be dismissive of the uprising,” said Bassem Sabry, an Egyptian political commentator. “She didn’t seem to know how to react to the situation and wasn’t pleasing anyone.”
“The U.S. administration has a very bad favorability in Egypt. Even Mr. Obama’s ratings have dipped to historic lows since his speech at Cairo University [in 2009], so dissatisfaction with Anne Patterson reflects dissatisfaction with the Obama administration,” Mr. Sabry added.
Many Egyptians thought the Obama administration was interested in supporting the Morsi government only to ensure protection for its interests in the region, such as Egyptian peace with Israel.
The bloom comes off that rose pretty quickly when reality strikes home.
Meanwhile the Egyptian Army is killing and capturing Hamas fighters in the Sinai who are slipping across the border from Gaza in tunnels, says UPI;
Thirty-two Hamas activists were killed and 45 arrested in the Sinai Peninsula, where one Egyptian official said Hamas was fomenting unrest.
An Egyptian military source told the London-based al-Hayat newspaper Thursday, “Hamas is flaring up the situation in Sinai” after Muslim Brotherhood member Mohamed Morsi was ousted as Egypt’s president last week.
This is probably most concerning because we have about 400 US troops headed to the Sinai for their turn in the Multinational Force and Observers rotation.
Category: Terror War
I’d be willing to bet that the Soldiers are no longer allowed to go into Sharm El Sheikh.
MFO. What a crap assignment. Especially with no crew served weapons.
@2, I did it twice in the 90’s, when it was still an AC mission, and I loved it, although my liver wasn’t too happy. I got to see the pyramids, the Cairo Museum, Mt. Sinai, do the Holy Land tour, and party my ass off in Israel. I’m sure it is a lot different post 9/11 though.
To paraphrase von Bismarck, “There is nothing there worth the blood of one Texas grenadier.”
Hope those deploying have a better understanding than I do of who is the enemy. Maybe restrictive ROE’s will just make defining an enemy moot?
An incompetent Ambassador, appointed by an incompetent President? Who could have seen that coming?
Amb. Patterson probably thinks that Morsi is still the president of Egypt.
“Join the club, guys…” Roger that, Jonn.
Well, it’s like this. Baracka Hussein Obamaman gives a speech, talks about democracy, the universal desire of folks to live in peace, and likens the ME and No African conflicts to the US civil rights movement. He talks about Islam as a beautiful thing. (Personally, I wouldn’t know since the evidence is to the contrary.) This is insanity. Democracy is for civilized people. The US Constitution and the American experience is unique in world history. I still cannot articulate US foreign policy as it pertains to the ME and N Africa. Again, the evidence seems to suggest that fomenting rebellion and arming warmakers is the whole of it. I wish someone could explain this mess to me. I really don’t get it.
#8 – the only change I would make is a mature people – a citizenry all going “gimme gimme gimme” will break democracy.
@8 “…I wish someone could explain this mess to me. I really don’t get it.”
Amen, AC. I feel the same way. But I don’t think we’re told half of what we should know about our foreign policy. That’s why none of it makes any sense.
I don’t really care what foreigners think. Their opinions are irrelevant. This is funny ironic none the less.
Well, by way of explanation: Morsi needed the backing of the Mullahs. Without the Blind Sheik to ramrod the Mullahs, Morsi had no backup. Obama failed to provide the Blind Shiek (due to over-excited Libyans and Malis who murdered Ambassador Stevens). Now Egypt will get a Mubarak clone. Israel lives another day. Obama and children hardest hit.
I remember a line from a long ago movie, the name of which escapes me. The line went like this. Running a country sure is harder than running a revolution. Hence the problems in that region.
“The U.S. administration has a very bad favorability in Egypt…”
Wow. That’s a shocker. You can’t see it, but I’m making my shocked face right now.
The 0bamatollah screwed the pooch again? I’M SHOCKED!!!
/exit sarc mode