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2011-02-04 Africa North

Can the military save Egypt from ElBaradei and the Muslim Brotherhood?

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Posted by ryuge 2011-02-04 09:42|| || Front Page|| [5 views ] Top

#1 Mr. Wife finds all this admiration for the Egyptian military astounding, as it wasn't anything like that when he spent time there in the mid-1980s.

"Which organization or politician was admired then, if not the military?" I asked him.

"No one and nothing," he replied. "The people I talked to -- factory workers, management, the cab driver I hired by the month -- considered them all corrupt."

He thinks the military is deliberately being built up to make it easy for everyone to accept the next ruler they choose from among themselves, just as they have each time since King Farouk was kicked out in 1952.

Posted by trailing wife 2011-02-04 10:38|| 2011-02-04 10:38|| Front Page Top

#2 I have been reading as much as I can find on this topic. Nothing firsthand but I read all 'sides'. My two cents: there are very few social and economic paths to advancement available to Egyptians, and the military is the one that is open to all. There are tiers, certainly, but it can lead to economic and social betterment for those willing to work for it. As always, any path is better than no path. /end two cents

Posted by Whiskey Mike 2011-02-04 11:55|| 2011-02-04 11:55|| Front Page Top

#3 A good point, Whiskey Mike. Since Mr. Wife was dealing with people who had well-paid jobs, that possibly wasn't a concern to them.

Posted by trailing wife 2011-02-04 12:04|| 2011-02-04 12:04|| Front Page Top

#4 In the mid 80s people still remembered that the Egyptian Army did not win the Yom Kippur war (they advanced into the Sinai catching Israel asleep, then were beaten like a rug).

By 2011, mythology has taken over. I think most Egyptians think they won the Yom Kippur war (after all they got Sinai back) and further they were treated to some embellishment of how their guys did in the 1991 liberation of Kuwait.

Posted by Lord Garth 2011-02-04 12:59|| 2011-02-04 12:59|| Front Page Top

#5 Given the alternative, TW...

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2011-02-04 13:05|| 2011-02-04 13:05|| Front Page Top

#6 Can the military save Egypt from ElBaradei and the Muslim Brotherhood?
Egypt has been a Mamluk society, along with Pakistan and Iraq and others for over the last thousand years.
The old saying that it doesn't matter who you vote for, you will always end up with a politician applies doubly in these countries except it is the military.
To find out why, look at why they were appointed in the first place. Islamic society is ungovernable.

Posted by tipper 2011-02-04 17:39|| 2011-02-04 17:39|| Front Page Top

#7 NETTERS/BLOGGERS = large number believe that once EGYPT finally falls, espec unto the Muslim Brotherhood = Islamist Groups, that SAUDI ARABIA + REST OF MUSLIM ME will be next.

* JPOST > IFF MUSLIM BROTEHRHOOD TAKES OVER [Egypt], IDF WILL FACE A FORMIDABLE ENEMY, as Egypt has one of the STRONGEST, LARGEST, PROFESSIONAL, + MODERN ARMIES IN THE ME REGION, one that is mostly US-EQUIPPED + TRAINED.

ARTIC =

> ISRAEL'S IDF will have to implement MAJOR STRUCTURAL, FORCE CHANGES NOT SEEN SINCE THE END OF THE 1973 YOM KIPPUR WAR.
> While Israel has the SINAI DESERT AS A SIGNIFICANT BUFFER ZONE, + LEBANON in its north, IT LACKS SAME AGZ SIMILARLY "JASMINE"-AFFECTED JORDAN wid its large Paleo population + US-NATO armed Military.

WORST-CASE, POST-MUBARAK REGIONAL WAR SCENARIO = ISRAEL ANALYST believes the MOST DANGEROUS THREAT TO ISRAEL WILL LIKELY BE ON THE JORDANIAN FRONT, NOTSOMUCH EGYPT FOR A TIME, DUE TO LACK OF GEOGRAPHIC BUFFER ZONE.

Lest we fergit, a MB takeover also means a takeover of EGYPT'S CIVILIAN NUCPROGS - ditto foe the rest of the ME.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2011-02-04 20:07|| 2011-02-04 20:07|| Front Page Top

#8 JosephM, why would Jordan be a front against Israel?

Posted by trailing wife 2011-02-04 21:56|| 2011-02-04 21:56|| Front Page Top

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