The Agony of Egypt

Here's yet another case of the Devil looking after his own:

"Egypt's top appeals court has found Hosni Mubarak innocent of involvement in the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprisings that ended his 30-year rule..." (Appeals court clears Mubarak, Lin Noueihed, Sydney Morning Herald/ New York Times, 4/3/17).

Mubarak was succeeded as president, you'll remember, by Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. His short-lived, democratically-elected government was toppled in a 2013 coup by the current Egyptian president, General Sisi, who could well be considered the new Mubarak. (Morsi, needless to say, rots in prison.)

Since US President Trump is planning to meet with his client, General Sisi, some time this month, the indefatigable ladies of Codepink are petitioning Trump to cancel the meeting.

And here's why:

"According to Human Rights Watch, at least 34,000 people have been arrested and detained since General Sisi came to power in Egypt in 2013. The Egyptian Commission for Rights & Freedoms additionally reported that 912 people were victims of politically motivated forced disappearances from August 1915 - August 2016. And throughout 2016, 433 detainees - including 8 children - reported torture and mistreatment while in custody."

Codepink go on to point out that:

"Apparently, these human rights abuses do not dishearten the new US president, as Trump has previously complimented the Egyptian dictator by stating that he has 'done a very good job' and that 'he's a fantastic guy, he took control of Egypt'. Trump is either missing the irony that Sisi literally took control of Egypt via military coup - or simply finds this action praiseworthy."

And they also remind us that Obama gave $1.3 billion a year to Sisi. They could have added that this gift-that-keeps-on-giving is Egypt's annual reward for sticking with its 1979 peace treaty with Israel, something Mubarak regarded as "untouchable compensation."* (That sum, BTW, should always be added to the already $3 billion plus that the US gifts Israel annually so that the true cost of Israel to the US taxpayer, per year, is borne in mind, namely $4-5 billion.)

[*See my 9/2/11 post That Peace Treaty...]