Egyptian Presidential Election

[Mr. Perfect]

Japan, a nation trying to Westernize itself.

Sometimes Zack you really kill me.

Yeah, like I said, you guys expect so little of Arabs. Brown people and all right?

[Zack Morris]

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Imperial Japan looked to the West for inspiration. They modeled their society on Western notions of civilizations, which is a distinct difference from the situation in, say, Iraq. Japan embraced the idea of a market economy, industrialization, education and science, and even Western-inspired political structures. There was a constitution and even enumerated rights and duties of Imperial subjects (including freedom of religion, right to property, freedom of correspondence, and some degree of freedom of speech).

In short: whereas Germany was a society with a close cultural connection to the United States and other Western democracies, Japan was already culturally oriented toward modernization and maintaining a successful society within the context of a larger international order. Neither viewed their history in terms of a religious struggle against Western civilization. Neither was tribalist. And both value stability and orderliness to a degree not present in the middle east.

Maybe more importantly, Japan and Germany were already functioning societies with strong civil societies, which the middle east lacks. There's an oppressive, often arbitrary government, deeply conservative religious organizations, and a big void in between. With a thriving civil society and a tradition of stable government, a transition to democracy is not nearly as disruptive as trying to plant a modern government in a society lacking functioning civil institutions.

Comparing Imperial Japan to Ba'athist Iraq is absolutely idiotic. No wonder it didn't turn out well for your side.

[Mr. Perfect]

Wow. I can't wait for Ibrahim to find out you think Arabs don't have any functional societies, strong civil functioning. That's going to be a real fireworks show.

I'm also thrilled to learn that the wars of aggression that characterized Japan leading up to and during WWII were evidence of their propensity and preparedness for Western style Civilization. Strong civics through bloodthirsty wars of conquest. Who could argue with that. Obviously a country slaughtering everyone they can find is one step from sedate civics. Of course as opposed to (what did you call them at one point? Bedouins?) the savage Arab who cannot even build a sewer without the help of the white man, or would have been able to except for Western meddling. Admittedly I get confused which one I am supposed to believe. Arabs, living in the same place for well over a thousand years, can't even build a sewer, or figure out how to set up a court.

Re Iraq, certainly it did not turn out as hoped. No question about that. I guess though we all draw different lessons. It appears that according to you until very recently it was "unthinkable" that an Arab country had the potential for modernity (really though, insert any word you like there like say "democracy" or "civilization" but I will leave it up to you) but I certainly do not draw that conclusion. You see I don't see Arabs or Arab nations as one monolithic bloc of people who behave the same way, and are no different from one nation to the next. I would never conclude that.

What I have concluded is that Arabs are people, like you and I. And like you and I on paper, have the potential for great good or great evil and of course all points in between. In my feeble grasp of long term and short term history (I will leave a lot of that to you and Ibrahim, which group of people are better or more advanced than another) coupled with my understanding of human beings, I expect anything from Arabs that I would expect from any people, except based on my knowledge of history I have decided to applaud anything they do.

If they want to create Switzerland, fine. If they want to slaughter each other to the last child, I will weep tears of joy that they are able to act autonomously without any imperial interference. If they want to copy America I will have a fireworks party and wave flags in celebration. If they want to form a nation based on inbreeding and prostitution I will even send some foreign aid as we've done in the past. I celebrate anything at all that Arabs nations do on their own recognizance. Absolutely anything. If I've learned anything, you never interfere in the affairs of an Arab nation, never, ever, ever, ever, ever. I support anything they do or don't do.

[Zack Morris]

Wow. I can't wait for Ibrahim to find out you think Arabs don't have any functional societies, strong civil functioning. That's going to be a real fireworks show.

Ibrahim can speak for himself. I don't follow this sub-forum closely but I don't think Ibrahim has ever argued that countries like Iraq were functional societies by Western standards.

I'm also thrilled to learn that the wars of aggression that characterized Japan leading up to and during WWII were evidence of their propensity and preparedness for Western style Civilization.

War... is that the only interesting thing that happened since the Meiji Restoration?

Strong civics through bloodthirsty wars of conquest.

Wait... are we talking about the West prior to WWI, the US in 2003, or something else?

Who could argue with that. Obviously a country slaughtering everyone they can find is one step from sedate civics.

The Japanese originally attempted to set up a colonial system modeled on that of Europe's, complete with protections for local religions, language, and customs, and even very limited representative democracy. Perhaps more important is what was going on within Japan itself. There was a relatively homogeneous society, an established political system that could accommodate internal disputes, there was a functioning civil society, and a market economy. Imposition of a new constitution occurred after Japan accepted defeat (middle eastern nations, on the other hand, have not yet gone to war with us) and was more of a re-shuffling of an existing power structure than the creation of a new one.

Arabs, living in the same place for well over a thousand years, can't even build a sewer, or figure out how to set up a court.

You are probably familiar with the popularity of those evil 'Shariah courts' you like to rant about. I'm just trying to explain to you that the reasons for those existing also happen to make the comparisons to Japan and Germany ridiculous.

Re Iraq, certainly it did not turn out as hoped. No question about that. I guess though we all draw different lessons. It appears that according to you until very recently it was "unthinkable" that an Arab country had the potential for modernity (really though, insert any word you like there like say "democracy" or "civilization" but I will leave it up to you) but I certainly do not draw that conclusion. You see I don't see Arabs or Arab nations as one monolithic bloc of people who behave the same way, and are no different from one nation to the next. I would never conclude that.

You think the Arabic world is as modern as Japan was in the 40's?

What I have concluded is that Arabs are people, like you and I.

You and I are pretty different. For one thing, you're a violent gun nut. But we are both people. I'm drawing very different lessons from this observation than you are, evidently...

my understanding of human beings, I expect anything from Arabs that I would expect from any people, except based on my knowledge of history I have decided to applaud anything they do.

No you don't, because if you did, you wouldn't want to impose democracy on them and would give them the space to develop their own democracy. As a human being, just like them, surely you must understand the difference between finding your own way and being allowed to make your own mistakes and someone imposing an alien way of life on you, and then expecting you to be completely in sync with your beliefs.

If they want to create Switzerland, fine. If they want to slaughter each other to the last child, I will weep tears of joy that they are able to act autonomously without any imperial interference. If they want to copy America I will have a fireworks party and wave flags in celebration. If they want to form a nation based on inbreeding and prostitution I will even send some foreign aid as we've done in the past. I celebrate anything at all that Arabs nations do on their own recognizance. Absolutely anything. If I've learned anything, you never interfere in the affairs of an Arab nation, never, ever, ever, ever, ever. I support anything they do or don't do.

I think you just want to invade them and, if they fail, blame them for making evil decisions.

[Mr. Perfect]

Ibrahim can speak for himself. I don't follow this sub-forum closely but I don't think Ibrahim has ever argued that countries like Iraq were functional societies by Western standards.

Well, we will sure find out.

What about Egypt? I thought we were talking about Egypt.

War... is that the only interesting thing that happened since the Meiji Restoration?

Sort of a big one wouldn't you say?

Wait... are we talking about the West prior to WWI, the US in 2003, or something else?

I'm talking about civic minded Japan pre and during wwii.

The Japanese originally attempted to set up a colonial system modeled on that of Europe's, complete with protections for local religions, language, and customs, and even very limited representative democracy. Perhaps more important is what was going on within Japan itself. There was a relatively homogeneous society, an established political system that could accommodate internal disputes, there was a functioning civil society, and a market economy. Imposition of a new constitution occurred after Japan accepted defeat (middle eastern nations, on the other hand, have not yet gone to war with us) and was more of a re-shuffling of an existing power structure than the creation of a new one.

That sounds very similar to Azari's description of every Arab country going back hundreds of years. I think Azari will really argue forcefully protections of religion, language, customs and very limited democracy that served as a functioning civil society with market economies and trade, going back hundreds of years in the region.

I am pretty sure Azari can keep us going for 6 months. I think Ibrahims will join in. I think they are the ME experts, will defer to them.

Now you are the one that went to college so i can only tell you that from what little I know about anything the ME is not the West. But I could be wrong.

I think you may be what I heard was insular Euro-centric.

You are probably familiar with the popularity of those evil 'Shariah courts' you like to rant about. I'm just trying to explain to you that the reasons for those existing also happen to make the comparisons to Japan and Germany ridiculous.

Well I'm still waiting to hear why it would be ridiculous. I can't see why cultures hundreds of years old are assumed incapable, to the point of being unthinkable, of basic civics.

You think the Arabic world is as modern as Japan was in the 40's?

I think Japan did not have twitter. I think. Maybe we just haven't used a nuclear bomb, maybe that's the difference in the level of co-operation. Something to think about, now that it occurs to me.

You and I are pretty different. For one thing, you're a violent gun nut. But we are both people. I'm drawing very different lessons from this observation than you are, evidently...

I am a gun nut. Not sure where you got the idea I was violent, haven't been in altercation since 18yo. However liberalism says we're all the same, color, gender, age, we're all people, and we need to apply that to Arabs as well. Arabs are people too.

No you don't, because if you did, you wouldn't want to impose democracy on them and would give them the space to develop their own democracy. As a human being, just like them, surely you must understand the difference between finding your own way and being allowed to make your own mistakes and someone imposing an alien way of life on you, and then expecting you to be completely in sync with your beliefs.

I've been for the Milo Doctrine since like 2007. Full withdrawal from the ME, including Iraq, AFG, and all embassies from the region. I was forcefully against getting involved in Libya and Egypt, and Syria, and any of the other recent hotspots. Even Ibs knows this Zack. Even Ibs, and he says he doesn't read my posts. I argued with Ibs about going into Libya.

Sometimes I think you don't follow along very closely.

I think you just want to invade them and, if they fail, blame them for making evil decisions.

As I said, anyone, even Tinker, will tell you I have been for complete non involvement in the ME since approx 2007. I co-wrote the Milo Doctrine actually, although I cannot take credit for it. I certainly did not come up with it first.

No, I think you believe that because you need to hate something, and I provide that for you. Don't worry I have done with others too. I do such services. But in the end it says more about you than me.

But what I propose is that you spend lots of time, effort, and money if you can to make sure the Egyptians don't fail. Maybe I just need to see how you would do it.

[AzariLoveIran]

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Morsi to visit Tehran in late August

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During the summit in Tehran Morsi will hand over the NAM presidency to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

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[Typhoon]

AFP | Egyptians throw tomatoes, chant ‘Monica’ at Secretary Clinton

Egypt is full of . . . Republicans?

I would have never guessed.

[monster_gardener]

AFP | Egyptians throw tomatoes, chant ‘Monica’ at Secretary Clinton

Egypt is full of . . . Republicans?

I would have never guessed.

Thank you Very Much for your post, Col. Typhoon Sun.

Islamic Republicans maybe............

Wonder what type of tomatoes......... If they are local grown in Egypt they are probably heat resistant.......
Tomatoes like heat but don't set fruit if the temperature is consistently over 95degF........ its OK if the temp drops enough at night........
Link has other useful tomato info...........

http://dallas.tamu.edu/news/tomatoes-and-the-heat/

But back to the Hill..........

Maybe Hilary can spin it as a complement..........

After all..........

Sacks* are for Potatoes..........
Not Red Hot Tomatoes........
Like Her......... **

*Sacks like those dreary shapeless rags that the dirty dogs those S.O.B.s of the MUTTawen, their Muslim Bro Tahrir Square Sexual Assault Team Wannabes in Egypt and the Iranian Fashion Police want women to wear............

But to be fair the article claims these demonstrators are anti Mo Bro..........

** OK... I'm being a little kind............
in the interest of rime..........
Or close to it..........

Hat tip to a Mad Magazine Dress Ad... decades ago............

[AzariLoveIran]

AFP | Egyptians throw tomatoes, chant ‘Monica’ at Secretary Clinton

Egypt is full of . . . Republicans?

I would have never guessed.

.

Thank you Very Much for your post, Col. Typhoon Sun.

Islamic Republicans maybe............

Wonder what type of tomatoes......... If they are local grown in Egypt they are probably heat resistant.......
Tomatoes like heat but don't set fruit if the temperature is consistently over 95degF........ its OK if the temp drops enough at night........
Link has other useful tomato info...........

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For Us or Against Us: Egyptians Confront Clinton with Conspiracy Theories.

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While secular activists worry the U.S. may be supporting an Islamist rise, the only thing certain is that Washington is losing influence over Cairo

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One U.S. official confided to TIME on Sunday that the Secretary of State’s first postelectoral visit was challenging in large part due to the lack of obvious counterparts for Clinton and her staff to meet with amid the ongoing power struggle, since Morsy has yet to appoint a Cabinet. Another official said that within the status quo, it’s also sometimes unclear — even among military leaders and within the presidency — which individuals are the real decisionmakers.

Egyptians have long propagated conspiracy theories to explain the generally opaque doings of their corrupt government. And their suspicions of the U.S. have only grown in the past 18 months, as U.S. officials have sought to promote democracy in the country, while simultaneously seeking guarantees from the unelected junta of respect for U.S. interests, particularly Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel. U.S.-Egyptian tensions hit a new high in January when Egypt’s prosecution of several prominent American NGOs had Washington threatening to halt Egypt’s $1.3 billion in annual military aid. But the retrospective emptiness of those threats — despite the lack of a resolution to the NGO crisis, and recent moves by the military to consolidate rather than cede power — may have only bolstered the generals’ confidence, and hammered in another uncomfortable truth for U.S. officials: American influence in Egypt is waning.

Perhaps in acknowledgement of that fact, Clinton struck a decidedly softer tone on the military during her visit, compared with the statements made by the State Department last month after the generals dissolved the country’s elected parliament and seized legislative control for themselves. After meeting with President Morsy on Saturday, Clinton told reporters that the U.S. continues to support Egypt’s “full transition to civilian rule with all that entails,” and she outlined a $1 billion debt-relief package. But she trod cautiously around the military’s recent power grab, saying: “The issues around the parliament, the constitution have to be resolved between and among Egyptians.”

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what Morsi wants from US and Saudi, is Money .. that is all

but

the real stuff

comes when he in Tehran for summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) nations to be held in Tehran in late August


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[Ibrahim]

AFP | Egyptians throw tomatoes, chant ‘Monica’ at Secretary Clinton

Egypt is full of . . . Republicans?

I would have never guessed.

At least her next stop was Israel, where I'm sure she was greeted with... oh. Never mind.

[Ibrahim]

Woah.


http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/i ... EL20120812

Breaking free, Egypt's President Mursi removes generals
By Edmund Blair

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's Islamist President Mohamed Mursi dismissed Cairo's two top generals and quashed a military order that had curbed the new leader's powers, in a move that further stamped his authority on the country and its army.

There had been much debate over the fate of Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, 76, who until Mursi's election in June had ruled Egypt as head of a military council since Hosni Mubarak was toppled last year. The timing of Sunday's announcement to replace him as armed forces head was nevertheless a surprise.

[Hans Bulvai]

No need for the ancient Generals anymore.
Mursi will do the job just fine.

http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/ga ... -lifelines

Gaza - For the past six days, more than one and a half million people in Gaza have been isolated from the outside world. They are prisoners inside the 360 square kilometers that make up the coastal Strip.

They are now under siege by land, sea, and air following the decision of the Egyptian government to close down the Rafah land border crossing, the only official gateway for Gazans to the outside world.

[Hans Bulvai]

http://atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/NH15Ak01.html

Shifting truths in Sinai
By Ramzy Baroud

Two Toyota Land Cruisers filled with about 15 well-built gunmen in ski masks and all-black outfits appear seemingly out of nowhere. Behind them is vast, open desert. They approach a group of soldiers huddled around a simple meal as they prepare to break their Ramadan fast. The gunmen open fire, leaving the soldiers with no chance of retrieving their weapons.

...

Juxtapose that scene - where a historical milestone has finally been reached - with an Agence France-Presse photo of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister, Ehud Barak, standing triumphantly next to a burned Egyptian vehicle that was reportedly stolen by the Sinai gunmen. The message here is that only Israel is serious about fighting terror. Israeli newspaper Haaretz' accompanying article started with this revelation: "Israel shared some of the intelligence it received with the Egyptian army prior to the incident, but there is no evidence Egypt acted on the information." This was meant to humiliate Egypt's military further.

Naturally, Israel blamed Gaza, even though there is no material evidence to back such accusations. Some in Egypt's media jumped on the opportunity to blame Gaza for Egypt's security problems in Sinai as well. The loudest among them were completely silent when, on August 18, 2011, Israel killed six Egyptian soldiers in Sinai

[Azrael]

Woah.


http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/i ... EL20120812

Breaking free, Egypt's President Mursi removes generals
By Edmund Blair

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's Islamist President Mohamed Mursi dismissed Cairo's two top generals and quashed a military order that had curbed the new leader's powers, in a move that further stamped his authority on the country and its army.

There had been much debate over the fate of Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, 76, who until Mursi's election in June had ruled Egypt as head of a military council since Hosni Mubarak was toppled last year. The timing of Sunday's announcement to replace him as armed forces head was nevertheless a surprise.

According to this in Foreign Policy magazine, Morsi is doing what new leaders usually try to do: consolidate power.

[Ibrahim]

Military rule is intolerable to any democratically elected government. This is a positive evolution in the sense that the elected head of state wields real power, but problematic if you think that the military would impose better policies than Morsi will.

[Hans Bulvai]

http://dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-Eas ... z24NrqHfqO

CAIRO: A Cairo court has ordered the chief editor of an Egyptian daily detained pending trial on charges of insulting the country's president and "spreading lies."

http://cpj.org/2007/02/egyptian-blogger ... mubara.php

New York, February 22, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns an Egyptian court’s verdict sentencing an Egyptian Internet writer to four years in prison for his online criticisms. The case represents the first time that an Egyptian blogger has stood trial and been sentenced for his work.

Abdel Karim Suleiman, who goes by the online moniker Karim Amer, was today convicted of insulting Islam and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. A criminal court in the northern city of Alexandria sentenced him to four years in prison, according to international news reports.

[Hans Bulvai]

http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2 ... 33994.html

The closing down of an online magazine catering for the gay community in Egypt, believed to be first of its kind, has stirred concerns from rights activists about the status of homosexuals in the country.

Ehna, which translates from Arabic to “us,” halted its online circulation earlier this year in hushed circumstances, with an abrupt statement, after launching its first issue.

On the magazine’s Facebook page, once abundant with empowering slogans, links and screenshots from the magazine’s web pages, a lone message posted on May 27, reads:

“We have been forced to shut down the online magazine due to security reasons. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.”




Ehna had a bold mission statement: To become the voice for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Questioning (LGBTIQ) communities in Egypt. The magazine attempted to defend their rights, tackle homophobia in the country and raise awareness on issues such as HIV, spotlighting celebrity members of the gay Egyptian community.

[Ibrahim]

Oh no, it isn't utopia yet!

[Hans Bulvai]

On the contrary.
The only good news from Egypt yet.

[Ibrahim]

Well, you support dictatorship, but at least you also hate homosexuals. What a sweetheart!

[Hans Bulvai]

Well, you support dictatorship, but at least you also hate homosexuals. What a sweetheart!

Hate...

[Ammianus]

Since this seems to be the default Egpyt thread....

Archaeologically related:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/3371199 ... 2/members/

Our last excavation season at Hibeh was 2009. For various reasons we were delayed returning until now. After the January 2011 revolution I contacted people, mostly to make sure they were okay, but also to find out about the site as I had heard stories of much looting. And in fact I was told that the site was "very bad." I didn't know what that meant until I was sent pictures taken in May by a group that had visited the site and were so appalled they took the trouble to look up who was doing fieldwork there. I was sent additional pictures of the looting in June, December and January 2012. I had heard that there was still looting going on at night, by someone from El Ogra, the village north of the tell, and that no one could catch the person. That's where things stood when I came to Egypt in February.

I arrived in Egypt in mid-February, signed my contract with the SCA, and was ready to go to work with my team. The day before we were supposed to start work I received a phone call telling me that local Beni Suef security had yanked our permission to work. The upshot was that a local "gangster", whose name is known, from El Ogra, the village north of the site, had formed a sort of mafia focused on looting the site. This "criminal" is evidently a murderer who got out of prison after the revolution. His "gang" is looting the site non-stop, on a massive scale. When I returned to Cairo from our dig house last week and our van passed the site heading for the eastern desert highway, we saw about ten men openly looting the mound and desert behind (we have pictures of some of them), with conveniently parked motorcycles nearby. One of our drivers took the same road this past Friday and reported that again numerous men were busy with wholesale looting of the site in broad daylight. This is an on-going crisis. They are destroying the site. The SCA officials have tried everything they could to get the looting to stop. Nothing seems to be having any effect. This is something police and security seem to be ignoring, turning a blind eye to, or worse. We started the Save Hibeh facebook page because we are at our wits end as to what else to do .

Photos of the Site:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... 130&type=1

Before and After:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... 673&type=1

There is not enough words that can convey the hatred and loathing for those accursed looters and the associated antiquities markets,or to express the heartburn one experiences as these event unfold almost in realtime.

[Ibrahim]

Isn't that the tradition in Egypt? You win a war there and you start looting. Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Turks, French, British, and now finally Egyptian.

[Sparky]

I think the tradition is that you loot the *other* guy - but it's early days - give the Mamelukes a chance, eh?

In other news...

Egypt underlines Iran's isolation at Non-Aligned Movement summit

Mohamed Morsi's condemnation of Syrian regime at Tehran summit will boost Sunni unity at expense of Assad's ally

Iran's leaders clearly hoped this week's gala summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Tehran would serve as an antidote to the diplomatic isolation imposed on them by the US and Britain. But Mohamed Morsi, Egypt's wonderfully unpredictable new president, making the first visit at this level since the 1979 Iranian revolution, had other ideas.

Morsi's fierce condemnation of the Syrian regime, Iran's close ally, was as eloquent as it was piercing, and it came like a bolt from the blue. He didn't just rain on the Iranians' parade. It was as if Hurricane Isaac had taken a sharp turn north across the Caspian and unleashed its wrathful furies on an unsuspecting Tehran.

The Syrian delegation walked out. The Iranians did not have that option – they could hardly boycott their own meeting. Instead they were forced to listen as Morsi, a Muslim Brother, an Arab, and lifelong critic of western policy in the Middle East, thumped out an uncompromising speech that could have come straight from Hillary Clinton's playbook.

"We should all express our full support to the struggle of those who are demanding freedom and justice in Syria and translate our sympathies into a clear political vision that supports peaceful transfer (of power) to a democratic system," Morsi told the 120-country summit.

Morsi said the world had a "moral duty" to back the Syrian opposition, whom he provocatively likened to the Palestinians, in their struggle "against an oppressive regime that has lost its legitimacy". Forceful intervention (he did not propose military action) was essential to prevent a further descent into civil war and sectarianism, he said. The fractured Syrian opposition must unite under one banner.

More

[Ibrahim]

I think the tradition is that you loot the *other* guy - but it's early days - give the Mamelukes a chance, eh?

Now that I think about it, Egyptians were looting their own tombs in the ancient era, and may have invented grave-robbing. Everybody else from the Romans to the British Museum and now the Arab mafia are copying the masters.

In other news...

Egypt underlines Iran's isolation at Non-Aligned Movement summit

Mohamed Morsi's condemnation of Syrian regime at Tehran summit will boost Sunni unity at expense of Assad's ally

Iran's leaders clearly hoped this week's gala summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Tehran would serve as an antidote to the diplomatic isolation imposed on them by the US and Britain. But Mohamed Morsi, Egypt's wonderfully unpredictable new president, making the first visit at this level since the 1979 Iranian revolution, had other ideas.

Morsi's fierce condemnation of the Syrian regime, Iran's close ally, was as eloquent as it was piercing, and it came like a bolt from the blue. He didn't just rain on the Iranians' parade. It was as if Hurricane Isaac had taken a sharp turn north across the Caspian and unleashed its wrathful furies on an unsuspecting Tehran.

The Syrian delegation walked out. The Iranians did not have that option – they could hardly boycott their own meeting. Instead they were forced to listen as Morsi, a Muslim Brother, an Arab, and lifelong critic of western policy in the Middle East, thumped out an uncompromising speech that could have come straight from Hillary Clinton's playbook.

"We should all express our full support to the struggle of those who are demanding freedom and justice in Syria and translate our sympathies into a clear political vision that supports peaceful transfer (of power) to a democratic system," Morsi told the 120-country summit.

Morsi said the world had a "moral duty" to back the Syrian opposition, whom he provocatively likened to the Palestinians, in their struggle "against an oppressive regime that has lost its legitimacy". Forceful intervention (he did not propose military action) was essential to prevent a further descent into civil war and sectarianism, he said. The fractured Syrian opposition must unite under one banner.

More

Post-Mubarak Egypt should join the anti-Persian fest you see across the Arab world, but cause bigger hassles with Israel. So as far as the West is concerned a push.