VERY REFRESHING

Submitted by There is NO Santa Claus (United States), Feb 15, 2011 at 11:16

Dear Dr. Pipes:

It is SO refreshing to hear an assessment that does not neatly fall under the following two categories:

1. Prophet of doom (The Ikhwan takes over and goes on an international rampage)

2. Democracy in bloom (The next South Korea etc.)

I was previously aware that the Ikhwan was not too popular in Egypt but am glad you provided a reference. I had none.

Here's another piece of good news. The U.S. avoided a horrible blunder in the pre 9/11/01 days of the Bush Administration. Back then, Sec. of Defense Rumsfeld proposed the removal of U.S. forces from the international peace keeping force in the Sinai. This was supposedly a cost-saving measure but would have greatly tossed away American responsibilities. I believe the idea was scrapped immediately after 9/11. It is my understanding that the United States still provides a military contingent to the peace keeping force in the Sinai. That and the de-militarization of the Sinai might explain why Hosni Mubarak decided to retire there.

Maintaining a U.S. force in the Sinai, however small, retains American leverage to insure that the Egypt/Israel peace treaty survives a regime change of any kind. This was the purpose at the time the U.S. made the commitment. I believe it was, is and will forever be, an important element for insuring the durability of the treaty.

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