Posted on 07/25/2014 11:46:58 AM PDT by SJackson
“This was a not-so-subtle message delivered by the el-Sissi regime that the ties between the United States and Egypt have cooled considerably,” Jonathan Schanzer, vice president for research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told TheBlaze on Wednesday.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki brushed off any concerns about the security screening, tweeting that Kerry was focused on the objective of his mission – securing a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.
The Jewish-American news site the Algemeiner termed the incident “symbolic,” describing it in part as “humiliation in Egypt.”
The International Business Times observed that foreign governments “normally trust U.S. officials enough not to check them with such stringent security measures” and that when the courtesy is not extended, it could be “viewed a sign of distrust.”
Iran’s Press TV also noted: “Many foreign officials grab every chance they get to extend courtesy to Washington’s top diplomats but it wasn’t the case this time.”
Politico chalked it up to “a sign of the heightened security concerns.” Egypt has experienced years of bloodshed, political upheaval and terrorist attacks beginning with the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, the takeover of the Muslim Brotherhood, a coup against the Brotherhood and the election of el-Sissi.
U.S.-Egyptian relations have been strained, following a perception in Egypt that the Obama administration offered excessive support to the Muslim Brotherhood leadership under former President Mohammed Morsi and was too slow to recognize Morsi’s ouster.
Now, Cairo is upset with the Obama administration’s call for an immediate Israeli-Hamas ceasefire, which is more in line with a proposal tabled by its arch-rival Qatar, which funds Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt has offered its own cease-fire plan, which Israel agreed to last week.
According to Reuters, the footage also showed Kerry’s senior aides walking through a metal detector and being checked with a wand. Those State Department officials included deputy chief of staff Jonathan Finer, senior adviser David Thorne and Psaki.
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Egypt doing a reset
It was very embarrassing for Kerry - the bolts in his neck kept causing it to beep.
Hussein's name was on the MB payroll books. He was the one signing the checks!
Considering that Kerry’s boss, Obama, went full onboard against the Egyptian military in favor of their enemy, the Muslim Brotherhood - would you trust Kerry, if you were they?
Kerry’s lucky they didn’t give him a full body-cavity search.
Yes - the noise was deafening
Hilarious. I find myself sympathizing with foreign governments more and more these days.
Good thing it was not an X-ray ,they’d see he is Hollow
Egypt has become in a very short period of time one of the American Peoples’ best friends. Thank You Egypt!
*low_whistle* That is a MAJOR insult. The Egyptians are NOT happy.
Some Vietnamese sampan owner might want his rice back.
Littler trivia: I was a bartender when I went to MIT.
I worked a lot of Harvard and Boston society functions because it was fashionable to state that the catering was “glatt kosher” and this requires a certain amount of observant-Jewish-people oversight.
I also got a gig working the Boston Pops, Harvard Club, lots of places.
Anyway, I served many a drink to Boston notables, including Ted Kennedy and John Kerry.
Ted was funny, friendly, and tipped well. One time he gave me $100 just because I had his drink ready before he got to the bar. Remembered my name after not seeing me for a year. (Perhaps a skill; perhaps bartenders were important people to him.) Liberal or no, I see why he did well in politics.
John Kerry was boorish, mean, an asshole, and never tipped. Never so much as acknowledge my existence. Generally, he sent someone to the bar to fetch him his drink.
It’s too bad Egypt did not provide an escort back to his plane and ask he never touch Egyptian soil again.
Never met either one, but that fits my impression of the two. I’d have a beer with Ted. Wouldn’t let him near the women in my family. Clinton either.
Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy... LOL
They might have. Lord, I want to believe Egypt did exactly that. Course the media, with skerry, would not report it. That would be classified, and one of those as need to know events. Will be interesting to see if skerry goes back to Egypt.
Hahahaha! Chris Plante calls him “boltneck”. Cracks me up!
Ich bin ein Egytian..!
I would check them on the way out to make sure they didn’t take off with the silverware too. ;-)
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