American Hand … in Egypt’s Body

Over the past 20 days, people around the world, including Arabs, have discovered as never before that Israel’s safety and security are the main reasons for the U.S. presence in the Middle East. This takes precedence over even America’s vital interests, whatever the nature of its presence [in the region].

The U.S. showed political confusion in the early days of the Egyptian revolution, shifting from supporting Mubarak’s regime to supporting the popular uprising against him. When the Supreme Council of the Egyptian Army took over soon after Mubarak’s fall, it made a clear announcement that Egypt would abide by all international and regional treaties and agreements — including the Camp David Accords, naturally. America’s position then went through a complete reversal. American policy appeared as though it came to rest after exertion or as though it managed what it intended from the Egyptian revolution and its two regimes, the one overthrown and the new one.

Naturally, Israel was in the same situation. In addition, word spread in the first days of the revolution that Israel had secretly provided the Mubarak regime with large shipments of equipment and ammunition for crushing protests.

Now that the U.S. and Israel have obtained what will give them peace of mind, their political effort has moved on to a new stage: turning the new Egyptian regime’s announced commitment into established historical fact, not subject to changes and alterations. They sought to do this first by riding the wave of change in Egypt, and later by influencing its course through official announcement of American gifts and political support to the Egyptian political opposition parties and movements. These groups are expected to have an active political presence in the decision-making process in the next stage. And this can be accomplished by redistributing the usual American foreign aid for Egypt to them, especially by retracting the threat made in the first few days of the revolution to suddenly cut this aid.

In this way, America’s long fingers remain in Egypt’s body — this time not just in one organ but in all of them.