Kaine, back from Mideast, urges careful approach on Egypt

timesdispatch.com ^ | July 9, 2013 | MARKUS SCHMIDT

[Tailgunner Joe]

Sen. Timothy M. Kaine, D-Va., on Monday cautioned against “shooting from the hip” and discontinuing U.S. economic and military aid after the uprising in Egypt that ousted Mohamed Morsi, the country’s Islamist president, with the help of the military.

“We certainly heard from regional allies that they believe that would be a mistake, they made that loud and clear to us,” Kaine said Monday upon returning from a weeklong trip to Afghanistan, Jordan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Germany.

The allies — primarily Jordan and Turkey — view the activity in Egypt as “a legitimate and very forceful popular uprising, not a military coup,” Kaine said. “We need to do our due diligence and make sure that this is in fact the case.”

But Kaine also expressed concern about reports that the Egyptian army fired on hundreds of Morsi’s supporters Monday, killing at least 51 and wounding 300 of them at a demonstration outside the facility where the ousted president is believed to be detained.

“This is probably the most alarming thing that has happened over the course of the last week,” Kaine said. “The Egyptian military plays an incredible role to the extent that they serve as a stabilizing force.”

As a stabilizing force, Kaine said, the Egyptian army is responsible for leading a transition that protects the rights of all Egyptians, “especially peaceful protesters.”

The escalation of the nearly week-old crisis “will certainly make us dig in further and determine the circumstances,” Kaine said.

During the trip, on which Kaine was one of several senators, he spoke to U.S. and foreign military leaders, service members, diplomats and foreign state officials.

[glyptol]

Nnever heard from this guy before. Perhaps he should lapse into well deserved obscurity.

[bannie]

I need a score card and a list of the players with their jersey numbers.

[Timber Rattler]

Kaine is former Rat governor of Virginia and DNC head. He has delusions that he can get the Rat nomination in 2016 and then get elected president, and so he’s punching his foreign policy card here.

[Steven Tyler]

Problem for 0bama : Law states you must cut off aid after a Coup

Answer : Redefine the meaning of the word “Coup” and make up new laws

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Tailgunner Joe.

Sen. Timothy M. Kaine, D-Va., on Monday cautioned against "shooting from the hip" and discontinuing U.S. economic and military aid after the uprising in Egypt that ousted Mohamed Morsi...