Posted on 01/28/2011 9:47:22 AM PST by Prospero
His haircut may not be ready for the New Hampshire Primary but Ambassador John Bolton certainly chimed in with a refreshing Middle East "Reality Check" on the FOX News Channel on Friday.
He certainly has a head for foreign affairs, reminding any one listening that the celebrated pediatrician and second-in-command of al Qaida, Dr. Ayman Al-Zawahiri, began his murderous career as a jihadi terrorist as a prisoner in Egypt, as an influential member of the notorious Muslim Brotherhood.
Commentary on events in Cairo and the Arab world in general, beginning with the overthrow of Tunisia's strong-arm government a week or so ago, has been pretty lukewarm.
Many "tweeting" and cheering on the so-called "Jasmine Revolution" are not as well-informed about forces at play in Egypt and elsewhere in the Arab world.
Bolton described the Obama administration's cautious remarks about violent defiance of the Mubarak military regime in Eqypt as "mush."
Instead of providing news commentators an opportunity to parse the State Department's remarks, he suggested, "as favoring this side or the other," he recommended circumspection.
"Just because someone jumps on a tank doesn't mean they're a peace-loving democrat," Bolton warned.
Bolton reminded listeners about contemporary Egyptian history, that the Mubarak regime has its roots in military rule, specifically the overthrow of King Farook by Gamal Nassar and the Egyptian Young Officers Association in 1952.
Those taking advantage of the situation on the streets of Cairo, Bolton said, were likely to be the Muslim Brotherhood, the Egyptian dictatorship's long time defiant Muslim extremist adversaries, an international group of jihadis whose headquarters are largely operating in Egyptian prisons, Western banks and "non-governmental organizations."
From news reports of the Egyptian crackdown on street demonstration, on reports of tanks moving to secure the Suez Canal, Bolton asked whether anyone would prefer that vital asset under the control of "the Brotherhood. "
Yeah, Mubarak is no angel but he’s a whole lot better than the alternative.
I have been throwing cold water on it since it started, Prospero. This is an excellent post. You might be interested in
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2664911/posts
Sayyid Qtub
John Bolton is a great man.
We could use him as Secretary of State or in the White House.
He’s worth twice the weight of Hillary and Obama put together in gold.
Sadat was assassinated by the MB as well.
For 2012:
ABC
America, Bolton, Cain
A lot of us have been throwing cold water on it here at FR.
Thank goodness for Bolton. Pray for the Americans in the region—as Iran taught us, they are not safe.
Thanks, LL. History in the making. Glad some folks have their heads screwed on right.
Maybe the Chinese can offer to run the Suez like they’re doing in Panama.
Democracy in the Middle East will give you what we have in Iraq - as soon as our troops are out, it won’t be pretty there either. The Muslims want Shariah to be their governing way of life wherever they live...including Dearborn and Montreal.
Then there's El Baradei, who preferred to be addressed as "effendi," back when he worked at the UN.
Yes, indeed. How did I forget that! It makes me wonder what effect the Mubarak regime has had purging the military ranks of the “Brotherhood.”
Very true. People in arab-muslim countries need iron-fisted authoritarians to rule them. The best the West can do is hold its collective nose and throw its support behind Mubarak. He's not a shining star by any means, but he has kept a lid on trouble there for the most part. Better they have a dictator WE can stomach, rather than one to the liking of Iran or al-Qaida.
We went down the road of escorting out the head of state and giving the revolutionaries a try in Iran.. and we know how well that roll of the dice turned out.
I so wish this guy was Secretary of State right now.
He is the only one that knows EXACTLY what the Muslim Brotherhood REALLY represents.
The Muslim Brotherhood murdered Anwar Sadat for having a PEACE TREATY with Israel.
Numerous attacks on Nasser (no angel).
“Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. Qur’an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.”—Muslim Brotherhood
and remember Obama said when the political winds shift in an ugly direction, he would stand Muslim...
And as leader of Egyptian Islamic Jihad, was on Saddam's payroll.
Since EIJ was on Saddam's payroll, and they recruited Bin Ladin and formed his inner circle, OBL's Saddam connection hides in plain sight.
In reality, there are quite a few Americans still working at the Canal as they have the experience needed to teach the Panamanians how to do it.
So, please, for once and for all, stop perpetuating the myth of the Chinese running the Canal.
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