Egyptian Crisis Continues

The crisis in Egypt continues unabated, even after the announcement by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak that he will step down in September, after the countries election in the fall. This statement failed to quite the demonstrators, who want his immediate removal from office.

The situation is tense and precarious, as the U.S. is treading a fine line in pursuing a strategic balance in its involvement in Egyptian internal affairs, but not wanting a fundamentalist regime to take hold in Egypt. Too often national security and foreign policy strategists are so rigidly ingrained in their focus, that the situation is reminiscent of the Iranian Revolution of 1979, which brought a Islamic fundamentalist government to power.

History has shown us that the U.S. has supported these repressive secular governments, in fear that failure to do so would bring in radical Islamist governments to power. Often mentioned is Hamas, gaining power in Gaza in a 2006 election, but what is flawed in this reasoning is that the Palestinians voted for Hamas, as a rebuke to the corrupt Palestinian Authority.

The Palestinians didn't embrace Hamas's ideology, but voted for them because at least they provided jobs, education, health care for the people where the Palestinian Authority only provided for themselves. To prevent this scenario, the U.S. needs to use its leverage, which it has considerable options at its disposal, and ensure that the next government provides a quality life for its citizenry and not focus on straightening its hold on power.

Ask yourself this question, do U.S. policymakers understand this.

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