It is still very early, but day one of the post-Mubarak Egypt has already yielded some positive signs for the future of the country and the Middle East. Those who are fearful of the revolution have said that the country could fall into the hands of radical Islamists and that Israel may be threatened by the new government of Egypt. However, according to early reports some of these fears may have been overblown.
In place of the Mubarak regime the Supreme Council of the armed forces has been put in power. Today the Supreme Council announced that they intend to honor all of Egypt's international treaties, including the 1979 treaty with Israel. The Egyptian-Israeli treaty is considered a key piece in maintaining what little stability remains in the Middle East. Israeli Primi Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the announcement from Egypt's military saying,
"The long-standing peace treaty between Israel and Egypt has greatly contributed to both countries and is the cornerstone for peace and stability in the entire Middle East."
In addition to this positive news, the Muslim Brotherhood has announced that they will not seek the presidency in Egypt in the next election. Conservative commentators have warned that the revolution in Egypt would allow the Brotherhood, considered a threat by some, to take over the country. However, in the following statement the Muslim Brotherhood announce their intention to abide by the temporary military government and not to seek the highest office in the Egypt,
"The Muslim Brotherhood ... are not seeking personal gains, so they announce they will not run for the presidency and will not seek to get a majority in the parliament and that they consider themselves servants of these decent people. We support and value the sound direction that the Higher Military Council is taking on the way to transfer power peacefully to create a civilian government in line with the will of the people."
Finally, many critics were concerned that the military in Egypt would try to stay in power permanently rather than handing over control to a civilian authority. Today the Egyptian military tried to allay those concerns by releasing a statement saying they are "looking forward to a peaceful transition, for a free democratic system, to permit an elected civil authority to be in charge of the country, to build a democratic free nation."
Of course, actions ultimately mean a lot more than words. The best test of the Egypt's democracy will be time, not statements released by various parties. Still, the initial steps of the new government in Egypt have to be at least a bit heartening to those who hope for the best.
Comments
I heard a few protesters yesterday say they wanted to be like Iraq and have free open fair elections.
If that is the case, then Bush can be proud that his invasion of Iraq has indeed done what he and others have said, spread the democracy around instead of the wealth!
The right said that a free Iraq will be seen as a model and a incentive to bring democracy to the region. He was right. We will not have to wait for the history books to prove Bush right on his invasion and effort at spreading democracy, we are seeing it now. All over the region, just as many said the overthrow of Hussein would bring.
Thank you George Bush, Dick Cheney, Mr Rumsfeld and all the fine Generals and civilian leaders who went against the left to do what has turned out so far to be a winning strategery.
What we are witnessing around the Middle East is the Bush Doctrine and how it was correct.
Democracy: If You Want to Free Your Country, First Liberate Its Land
by Fareed Zakaria
"George W. Bush's stirring rhetoric about freedom has suggested a too-simple path: just rid the country of its tyrant and the people will be free. Bush often asserts that people in every country and culture yearn for democracy and are capable of it. "
This has come to pass and Bush was right.
""It is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world," Bush said in his inaugural address after his swearing-in ceremony."
"However, he said, the United States would not impose its style of government on other countries.
"Our goal instead is to help others find their own voice, attain their own freedom and make their own way," he said."
The Bush Doctrine at work!
Thanks George!
Repeated lies are still lies.
The intellectually deprived has spoken just as expected. Can you deny that Bush said his idea was to spread democracy?
Oh nevermind. These types have no interest in civil dialog.
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from
time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Thanks George!
Dead Babies, 830,000 of them a year right here in the good ol USA and you support that, every year, year after year.
Are you better off now than you were 2-4 years ago?
Thanks George
"And then there was Bush's second inaugural address, when he pledged himself to spreading freedom and ending tyranny in the world.
The one thing all these Bush Doctrines have in common is that they are, at this point, utterly inoperative. "
"And Bush's vaunted democracy initiative was never anything but a farce, as he cozied up to one dictator after another as long as they helped us with other strategic goals, including fighting terrorism and providing us with energy. "
Dan Froomkin washingtonpost.com
Friday, September 12, 2008; 11:32 AM
The chickens are coming home to roost, to borrow a term.
Thanks George!
Thanks George!
"Saad Eddin Ibrahim, PhD, Founder and Director of the Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies, stated in a Mar. 2005 interview with Logosjournal.com:
"Removing Saddam Hussein has definitely helped the democratic forces in the [Middle East] to feel that history is on their side and when I am asked about the role of Bush in this regard I see his role are more like a midwife for democracy.
Remember, thousands, not hundreds, thousands, have been working for democracy for the last 40 years in [the Middle East], and Bush comes into this game—and I am happy that he came—and his role is not unlike a midwife for a region that was already pregnant with the yearning for democracy and he helped to deliver it, although by caesarean."
"Palin repeated standard Bush platitudes about making "every effort possible to help spread democracy for those who desire freedom, independence, respect for equality. That is the whole goal here in fighting terrorism. It's not just to keep the people safe, but to be able to usher in democratic values and ideals around this, around the world." That theory, though, has been discredited by the debacle in Iraq and years of inconvenient outcomes in the Middle East, in which elections have brought to power parties that are more extreme, not less. As a result, the Bush Administration abandoned its lofty talk about transforming the region roughly, oh, three years ago."
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1845116,00.html
Seems Palin was right.
Thanks George!
Thanks George!
Thanks George
the Obama administration has already killed more al Qaeda in two years than Bush did in seven-plus.
Thank you George W. Bush.
For what, Mick? Helping Mubarak stay in power? Funding the Egyptian dictatorship?
Bush didn't do squat to bring about the Egyptian revolution - a dead Tunisian and a dead Egyptian caused it.
Whether or not that will result in a democaracy or simply a "new boss" remains to be seen.
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