We visited Egypt in 1990. We spent time with an Egyptian family that we knew through medical contacts in the US. Our host had a holiday house near the Suez canal. He made it a point to show us where the Israelis had crossed the Suez Canal during the Yom Kippur war. I don’t know what he thought we would think, and we stayed non-committal in our discussion. We stayed in touch. He later came to our city for surgery, following in the footsteps of many Arab potentates, and we visited him as he recovered. Since 9/11/2001, we have not heard from him. Well, that’s not quite true; when his email catches a virus we get spammed,
My father fought in Montgomery’s 8th Army in North Africa. He spent time in Egypt. Since most Arabs were supporting Hitler, there was some tension between the troops and the local populace. The troops soon learned that that the worst insult you could shout at an Egyptian was (my phonetic transcription of an Arabic phrase my father said 40 years ago) “Yehudi fon duke”, which translated into “You Jew Bastard”.
Roll forward to today’s riots. They follow recent riots against and murderous attacks on Egypt’s Coptic Christian minority. Some of the organizers of those attacks are no doubt involved in what’s going on now. They are Muslim Brotherhood and they hate Christians and Jews.
Here’s my point: Egypt is infected with a deep and virulent antisemitism that goes back generations. This infection is compounded by the fact that tiny Israel has humiliated Egypt in every war fought since 1948. The Yom Kippur defeat was the worst because Egypt had victory in its grasp, only to see humiliation as Israeli forces surged across the Suez Canal.
Mubarak was the bulwark between the antisemitism of Egypt at large and Israel. He respected and enforced the peace treaty that Begin and Sadat signed. That bulwark is under severe threat. If Mubarak’s successor cannot maintain that bulwark, war is inevitable. Yet, there is no sign of a successor that can do that. Mohamed Mustafa Elbaradei, the former Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the man of the moment, cannot be that man. He did all he could to ignore Iran’s drive towards nuclear weapons. He is a puppet of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Obama needs another Mubarak to keep the peace between Israel and Egypt. But he doesn’t have one. That’s his dilemma. Worse still, he has told Israelis they are on their own. Egypt has a far more powerful military now than it had back in 1973. It has 1000 M1 Abrams tanks, built in Egypt under license, and 2700+ older tanks of American and Soviet origin. The Air Force has 216 F16s, plus hundreds of older planes. If the Muslim Brotherhood gains control of Egypt’s vast military, they may be tempted to avenge Yom Kippur. This time, Israel might not fool around.
This time, Israel may not win. While it may not be the top of the line stuff like we have, Egypt’s main battle tank is the M1 Abrams. They have F-16 fighters as well. From what I understand Egypt’s military is far better than what was defeated years ago.
It’s interesting to note that the USA stopped pushing democratic reforms in Egypt in 2007, when the donks took over Congress. I wonder why?
I believe that regardless of the equipment levels that Egypt has, Israel can still defeat them. I’d match Israeli pilots against the best the rest of the world has (yes, even ours) and the Israelis would come out on top. I’d include tank and helicopter crews, as well.
Lots of war toys does not superior forces make. It’s also the capabilities of the troops that must be considered.
I have always had an issue with supplying other countries with almost up to date technology that we are still using especially in the middle east, never know when we will be fighting them in the future.
I just this AM watched as a morning prayer in a public square was guarded by others-than-Muslims, most likely Coptic Christians.
It was a moving sight.
But then I looked at an Assyrian (covers Coptic Egyptian news) site.
The details involved in covering the attacks and murders of 11 Coptics by Islamists in upper Egypt is stunning.
Names of the attackers (led by Islamist Ibrahim Hamdy Ibrahim in one home and Yasser Essam Khaled on the other home)
family heads (Copt Joseph Waheeb Massoud and Copt Saleeb Ayad Mayez)
victims (Joseph, his wife Samah, his 15-year old daughter Christine and 8-year-old son Fady Youssef; Saleeb, his wife Zakia, his 4-year-old son Joseph, 3-year-old daughter Justina, his 23-year-old sister Amgad, mother Zakia and Ms. Saniora Fahim)
even the names of the next door neighbors homes that were used to get up to the roofs so they could get into locked homes (Muslim neighbor Mahgoub el Khawaled and Muslim neighbor Mohamad Hussein el Khawaed)
and even the weapons used (guns).
11 dead.
And why?
Simply for not being Muslims.
Mubarak has been no friend of the Coptics, but out-and-out slaughter is on the menu now.
In Cairo there is ”solidarity.”
Coptics and Muslims of all stripes are pro-democracy.
But the Islamists are in the shadows ready to leap onto the throne, so to speak.
Muslim.net is associated with al Qaeda.
One writer there called upon the mujahedeen, or holy warriors, to “reap the fruits” of revolutions that will weaken the control of the government and security forces.
One quote:
“We call upon the Islamists to support the Muslim Brotherhood because it is the most organized group to lead the Islamic movement and to take power.”
@Nan – You said:
And to think, this is who Obama is cozying up to…
He cares not that these heinous acts against innocent people are carried out by the very same folks he wants to put into power. He railed against Bush for nation building, and now that it suits his ideology, he is attempting the same thing.
Peace has always been fragile. Israel will find itself an island in a sea of hostility. Like any dog trapped in a corner, they will fight rather and face extinction.
I wonder how much assistance the US would offer if Israel were attacked tomorrow. Obama has shown little backbone to stand up with our allies, but constantly subjugates himself to our enemies. How long does it take before the enemy becomes emboldened?
One of Obama’s top fundraisers is Jodie Evans, co-founder of Code Pink.
She gave the maximum $2300 to his respective primary and general election funds and tens of thousands of dollars more to the Obama Victory Fund, a joint Obama-Democratic National Committee fund.
What’s she/Code Pink been up to, fundraising-wise, now?
Obama fundraiser group Code Pink issued an emergency appeal on Thursday for thousands of dollars to help the group overthrow the Egyptian government of Hosni Mubarak.
Oh, and it is TAX-FREE!
Code Pink says on the appeal, “any donation you make over the $5 is a tax-deductible contribution to CODEPINK.”
That’s right. Who knew funding the overthrow of U.S. allies was a tax exempt charitable act?
One has to wonder, how will Code Pink account to the IRS for the expenditures–not that the Obama administration will investigate a group co-founded by Jodie Evans who is one of President Barack Obama’s top presidential fundraisers.
Being that 501-c3 organizations are prohibited from raising or spending money for candidates or partisan political activity, how can it be lawful to raise and spend tax exempt funds to overthrow a government? Again, Code Pink states upfront the money is to “support the Egyptian revolution!”
So, is it really a dilemma?
Obama seems to have taken sides.
His best friends seem to know which side he’s on.
Israel has nukes, and if the sh*t hits the fan, I hope they use them, and turn everything into glass.
That’ll teach these bastards to live Israel alone.