In the days before Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with officials in Egypt, the news media here were filled with stories detailing charges of corruption, cronyism, torture and political repression.
Cellphone videos posted on the Internet showed the police sodomizing a bus driver with a broomstick. Another showed the police hanging a woman by her knees and wrists from a pole for questioning. A company partly owned by a member of the governing party distributed tens of thousands of bags of contaminated blood to hospitals around the country. And just 24 hours before Ms. Rice arrived, the authorities arrested a television reporter on charges of harming national interests by making a film about police torture. The reporter was released, but the authorities kept the tapes.
Ms. Rice, who once lectured Egyptians on the need to respect the rule of law, did not address those domestic concerns. Instead, with Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit by her side, she talked about her appreciation for Egypt’s support in the region.
Democratic reform in the Middle East, another victim of the foreign policy train wreck.
Not as sick as what ++ungood spoke of. Of course, Egypt has long been our 'friend' because of their grudging acceptance that Israel has nukes. Does ++ungood mean to castigate the Sadat / Begin peace treaty, as well, along with the U.S. role in that?
Because the way that deal was structured, we are Egypt's friend forever....
Pretty darn tricky, but we armchair Monday morning quarterbacks can flap our gums pretty good.
R.I.P. Steven Malcolm Anderson
Minion
of the Week
Unrelated, I know. But sicker, even so.
Not as sick as what ++ungood spoke of. Of course, Egypt has long been our 'friend' because of their grudging acceptance that Israel has nukes. Does ++ungood mean to castigate the Sadat / Begin peace treaty, as well, along with the U.S. role in that?
Because the way that deal was structured, we are Egypt's friend forever....
Pretty darn tricky, but we armchair Monday morning quarterbacks can flap our gums pretty good.
Yours,
Wince
Welcome back, Wince. And you've got to be kidding.