Egypt rejects US, prepares diplomatic ties with Iraq.

Post #10,167 by addison 9/21/01 8:22:51 PM Reply	Egypt rejects US, prepares diplomatic ties with Iraq. This is going to get very, very nasty. [link\|http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/front_1.html\|[link\|http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/front_1.html\|http://www.worldtri...front_1.html]] Looks like that will change, so I'll quote: Egypt rejects U.S. coalition, upgrades ties with Iraq SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM Friday, September 21, 2001 CAIRO \ufffd As a policy debate rages at top levels in the Bush administrationo over attacking the regime of President Saddam Hussein, Egypt is moving to improve relations with Iraq. Egyptian diplomats said President Hosni Mubarak plans to raise the level of representation between Baghdad and Cairo to the level of ambassador. They said diplomatic ties would be raised commensurate to the level of trade relations. Egypt has refused to participate in a U.S.-led military coalition against any Saudi billionaire fugitive Osama Bin Laden or any of his government sponsors. Instead, Mubarak has called for a United Nations-sponsored conference on international terrorism, Middle East Newsline reports. Egypt has sent a new charge d'affaires to Baghdad. He is Hussein Zoghbi, a5 9-year-old former ambassador to Eritrea. In an interview to the Egyptian official Middle East News Agency, Zoghbi said Egyptian-Iraqi relations would soon be renewed at the level of full diplomatic ties. He said such relations are developing in cooperation with Iraq. Egypt and Iraq have agreed to increase trade relations, including the establishment of a free trade zone. Iraq has also agreed to increase the number of Egyptian laborers in the country. Zoghbi said his job would focus on representing Egyptian nationals in Iraq.
Post #10,255 by bluke 9/23/01 4:31:06 AM Reply	History repeating itself Once again the US has been propping up a dictator whom the US government feels is pro-American, namely Mubarak in Egypt. The fact that he is brutally suppressing the Islamists doesn't bother the US government. The fact that he is spending billions on weapons, when most Egyptians are living in poverty doesn't bother the US government. The fact that he has been President for the past 20 years and will probably not relinquish power until he dies(and then to his hand-picked successor) doesn't bother the US government. The fact that the average Egyptian on the street hates the US doesn't bother the US government. The fact that the government sponsored press is viciously anti-American and anti-Jewish doesn't bother the US government. As long as Mubarak pays lip service to the US, calims to be a moderate Arab country etc. the US will support him. The end result will be the same as in Iran, Radical Islam will take over and the US government will be shocked.
Post #10,274 by addison 9/23/01 2:57:40 PM Reply	Hrm. Once again the US has been propping up a dictator whom the US government feels is pro-American, namely Mubarak in Egypt. And this couldn't have anything to do with keeping one less country from attacking Israel, could it? Addison
Post #10,275 by bluke 9/23/01 3:19:23 PM Reply	Probably not The US policy towards Egypt started in the 1970's during the Cold war, until the Yom Kippur War (October 1973) the Egyptians had been supported by the Soviets, when Sadat decided to switch sides and make peace with Israel (to get back the Sinai) the US was more then willing to reward him. Egypt was one more pawn in the Cold War on the American side. The same applied throughout the 80's. In the 90's Egypt has been thought of as a moderate Arab country who can provide stability to the region (i.e. ensuring the flow of oil). American support for Egypt has little to do with Israel.
Post #10,315 by addison 9/24/01 1:12:33 AM Reply	Yah. I forgot. America's never done a damn thing for Israel. My bad. Addison
Post #10,319 by bluke 9/24/01 3:55:08 AM Reply	Did I ever deny that? The US has generally been very good to Israel. However, the bottom line is that the US does things that are in her interest. The fact is that in the 1970's in the middle of the cold war getting Egypt on the US side from the Soviet side was a very important.
Post #10,320 by bluke 9/24/01 3:57:17 AM Reply	Did I ever deny that? The US has generally been very good to Israel. However, the bottom line is that the US does things that are in her interest. The fact is that in the 1970's in the middle of the cold war getting Egypt on the US side from the Soviet side was a very important.

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