Egypt Will Not Attack Israel!
As Army Goes, So goes Egypt
No Jewels On The Egyptian Nile
Just Desert Oasis Flats Outcasts
A Mixed Bag of Tricks for Elections
Expected To Be Held At End of Year
Whoever is elected the Army will Rule
Likely until a Daniel 11 Army defeats It!
April 12, 2011
http://www.tribulationperiod.com/
Daniel 11:42,43 – He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. [43] But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
The Egyptian Army is in control of Egypt and will be for some time.
If you want to understand future political events and reactions to them, it is necessary to recognize whatever happens must be agreeable to the leaders of the military. If you want to be familiar with the candidates in the future elections, then keep the descriptions of their backgrounds in the Special Dispatch Excerpt from MEMRI in this Blog.
Begin Excerpt 1 from Ha’aretz
Haaretz WikiLeaks exclusive / ‘Egypt still views Israel as the enemy’
Defense Ministry official Amos Gilad made the statement to an American diplomat in 2005, despite the long-standing peace agreement between Egypt and Israel.
By Yossi Meiman
April 11, 2011
In September 2005, the head of the Defense Ministry’s diplomatic-security bureau, Maj. Gen. (res. ) Amos Gilad, told an American diplomat that the Egyptian army still sees Israel as an enemy, despite the long-standing peace agreement between the two countries. The conversation was described in a classified telegram sent from the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv to Washington shortly afterward, published in Haaretz over the weekend as part of the latest round of cables released by WikiLeaks.
According to the telegram, Gilad told senior State Department official Elizabeth Dibble that “in their [Egypt’s] war games, Israel is always identified as the enemy… They are training all the time, preparing operational plans, infrastructure and their Second and Third Army Corps in the Sinai to take over the Sinai whenever they decide to do so.”
He also told Dibble that Israel did not believe the Egyptians were planning to attack, but stressed that Egypt’s military capabilities were of concern.
“Gilad stressed that Israel does not see Egypt’s army as a ‘lousy’ one, observing that even a lousy army can be a dangerous one,” the telegram said, noting Gilad also pointed out that the Egyptians have F-16s and American weapons.
According to the cable, Gilad told Dibble that he had discussed the issue with Egypt’s intelligence chief at the time, Omar Suleiman, but to no avail.
The document goes on to explain that, in Gilad’s estimation, these were the reasons Israel was interested in entering a strategic dialogue with Egypt. Gilad apparently told the Americans that the Egyptians were also interested in dialogue, but did not want to send a senior delegation to Israel. He recalled inviting Egypt’s then defense minister Mohamed Hussein Tantawi (who now heads Egypt’s transitional government) and the commander of the Egyptian air force, but they repeatedly declined to visit Israel.
Begin Excerpt 2 from MEMRI
Middle East Media Research Institute
Special Dispatch No.
3751
April 8, 2011
Egyptian Presidential Candidates
The Egyptian presidential elections are expected to be held toward the end of 2011.
Egypt’s past presidential elections have featured a single candidate, to be approved or rejected by the public. Now, however, the recent amendments to the constitution and laws allow multiple candidates, and numerous figures from diverse sectors have indeed declared their intention to run.
Below is a list of all those who have thus far presented their candidacies, in no particular order.
Mohamed ElBaradei – Former IAEA Director-General (1997-2009). ElBaradei is considered to be a liberal candidate, but during the anti-Mubarak revolution he struck an unofficial political partnership with the Muslim Brotherhood. He opposed the recent amendments to the Egyptian constitution, and demands the postponement of the parliamentary elections in order to allow political forces other than the Muslim Brotherhood and the NDP to organize.
He has been critical of Israel, and continuously demands to open the Rafah border crossing.
Hisham Al-Bastawisi – An Egyptian judge who enjoyed the support of the young liberal circles during the revolution. In 2005, he led the campaign of the Egyptian judges against the Mubarak regime. Al-Bastawisi has declared that significant parts of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty should be renegotiated, and is opposing any amendment to the controversial second article of the Egyptian constitution, which states that the Shari’a is the basis for legislation.
‘Abdallah Al-Ash’al – Former Egyptian deputy foreign minister. Al-Ash’al is affiliated with pan-Arab circles and writes regularly for the Muslim Brotherhood website.
Hamadein Sabahi – One of the founders of the Al-Karama (“Dignity”) party. Sabahi, who holds pan-Arabist, Nasserist views, was elected to parliament in the 2000 and 2005 elections. He is a staunch opponent of the peace treaty with Israel, and wishes to improve Egypt’s relations with Turkey and Iran.
Anis Al-Dgheidi – A relatively unknown Egyptian journalist. During the recent Coalition campaign to enforce the no-fly zone over Libya, Al-Dgheidi traveled to Libya and appeared several times on Libyan TV in support of Mu’ ammar Al-Qadhafi and his regime.
In these interviews, he claimed to have rejected an offer by U.S. President Barack Obama to become his personal advisor, but said that President Obama had been consulting with him on Middle East issues for a long time. He claims to have published 54 books, the most recent, The General of Freedom, focusing on Al-Qadhafi.
General Muhammad ‘Ali Bilal – The first figure with a military background to announce his intention to run for president. Bilal served as commander of the Egyptian military force in Kuwait during the first Gulf War. He supports the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, on the grounds that it is in the interests of both countries. Nevertheless, he said he would try to amend the treaty in a way that would maintain bilateral relations.
Dr. Hamed Al-Hamed – Claims to be a NASA scientist. Al-Hamed lived for 18 years in the U.S., but does not have U.S. citizenship. He calls to abolish the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty on religious grounds “at the appropriate time.” Al-Hamed believes that the Islamic state established by the Prophet Muhammad embodied the notion of “civil state.”
Tawfiq Okasha – Owner of Al-Faraeen TV, a former member of the NDP and its Policies Committee under Gamal Mubarak. Okasha was elected to parliament in 2010.
‘Amr Moussa – Secretary-General of the Arab League and former Egyptian foreign minister.
Ayman Nour – Head of the Al-Ghad (“Tomorrow”) Party. Nour was imprisoned in 2005 on charges of falsifying documents, and was released in February 2009. Nour, who opposes the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, calls for a referendum on it. He said he would select a woman or a Copt as his vice president.
Dr. Sadeq Radhwan – Economics expert and consultant and on the advancement of developing countries. The 46-year-old Radhwan divides his time between Egypt and Germany.
Dr. Maher Sami Hashem – Consultant in administration and economics. Hashem stated that he wishes to improve Egypt’s relations with the Nile River Basin countries and all the neighboring countries, “especially Palestine.” He said he opposes revoking international treaties, but would adopt a policy of imposing impossible conditions that would force the other party to revoke the treaty themselves. His campaign slogan is “Yes, We Will Be.”
Magdi Hussein – Secretary-General of the Islamist Al-‘Amal (“Labor”) Party. He stated that confronting Israel would top his political campaign for the presidency. Hussein was incarcerated in Egypt after crossing into Gaza through a tunnel.
Magdi Hatata – Former Egyptian Chief of Staff (1995-2001). Hatata is running as an independent candidate.
Sameh ‘Ashour – First deputy head of the Nasserist Party. He is running as representative of his party.
Wissam ‘Abd Al-Gawwad – A 44-year-old geography teacher, who demonstrated at Al-Tahrir Square. Founded the Egyptians for Change association, and the Al-Nahhar party, which has 3,400 members to date. Due to a lack of funds, ‘Abd Al-Gawwad recruits support in cafes.
Midhat Khafaji – Deputy head of the Al-Ghad (“Tomorrow”) Party (whose head, Ayman Nour, is also running). Will be running as an independent candidate.
Ahmad Shobair – Former goalkeeper of the Egyptian national soccer team. Shobair hosts a sports show on an Egyptian TV channel.
Dr. Muhammad Muqbil – Owner of the Al-Badr TV channel. Muqbil’s elections slogan is “Justice-Freedom-Revival.” He wishes to amend the Camp David Accord so that it would “realize peace and justice.” Muqbil also wants to bring about pan-Arab unity and establish the “United Arab States.”
‘Adel Fakhri Danial – Founder of the Istiqama Party, and Egypt’s first Coptic presidential candidate. He said that the first article in his platform would be the abolishment of the Camp David Accord. Danial stated that he did not wish to revoke the second article of the constitution, which states that Islam is the basis for legislation, but that he wanted to add the phrase “and the other monotheistic religions” to it.
Hussein Abd Al-Razeq – One of the leaders of the Communist Al-Taggam’u Party.
Anas Al-Wugud Aliwa – Egyptian author. Stated that she believed women could succeed in the elections, because they constitute half the population.
Osama Al-Hilwani – A lawyer who serves as chief prosecutor in the Shubra Al-Kheima region.
Buthaina Kamel – An Egyptian TV host, member of the Kefaya movement, which opposed the Mubarak regime. Kamel said that she did not believe the Egyptians really opposed the idea of being led by a woman.
Mustafa Sadeq – Independent candidate. Demands that the monthly salary of
the Egyptian president, ministers, and other officials should not exceed 20,000 Egyptian pounds. Sadeq calls to restrict the age of ministers to below 55. He also wants to make Egypt a neutral state “like Switzerland,” which would develop “like China.”
Muhammad Muhi Al-Din – Lecturer in engineering at an Alexandria university. He declared his intention to run for president in 2009, long before the revolution.
His slogan is “Yes, We Can Turn Egypt into a Superpower.”
Hamdi Tahhan – Former pilot and the former head of the transportation committee in the Egyptian parliament
Begin Excerpt 3 from THE JERUSALEM POST
The region: The future of Egyptian politics, religion
By BARRY RUBIN
04/11/2011 03:44
How can Marxists, radical nationalists and Islamists all work togethe
r? Well, that’s Egypt for you.
There are currently 20 candidates running for Egypt’s presidency. Most are not serious, but can split the vote for various blocs. I think the winner will be radical nationalist Amr Moussa, which isn’t great but better than an Islamist regime.oussa, former Egyptian foreign minister and former secretary-general of the Arab League, has far more name recognition than any opponent. As a veteran of the old regime, he has the votes of Mubarak supporters. As a radical nationalist, he appeals to many Egyptians.
He is not an Islamist in any way, which will appeal to the majority of Egyptians, who don’t want the Muslim Brotherhood to rule. And he knows how to be a demagogue.
The 20 candidates include two women, a Christian, two retired generals, and a couple of journalists. But there are no Islamists (or at least no Muslim Brotherhood representatives) among them. The Brotherhood won’t run a candidate, and so will have to decide who to vote for.
There is only one other candidate from the old establishment, so that vote – perhaps one-quarter of the electorate? – will go to Moussa.
But there are five leftists and six liberals who will split those two blocs. The following are all running: Abdallah al-Ash’al, pan-Arab nationalist; Hamadein Sabahi, Al- Karama (Dignity) party; Hussein Abd al-Razeq, neo- Communist Al-Taggam’u Party; Magdi Hussein, Al- ’Amal Party; and Sameh ‘Ashour, Nasserist Party.
Incidentally, several of these people
– notably al-Ash’al and Hussein – get along nicely with the Brotherhood.
How can Marxists, radical nationalists and Islamists all work together? Well, that’s Egyptian politics.
Yet that’s not the key problem. Remember those young, pro-democratic Facebook liberals who supposedly were going to rule Egypt
? Well, they’re all running against each other, thus splitting an already small voting bloc into a microscopic one. The six rivals are: • Mohamed ElBaradei, who is more popular and far better- known with Western journalists than with Egyptians.
Hisham Al-Bastawisi, a judge who was one of the first to come out against Mubarak.
Ayman Nour, al-Ghad (Tomorrow) Party, who ran against Mubarak in the previous election and spent four years in prison.
Midhat Khafaji, deputy head of the al-Ghad party, who is running against Nour, the party’s leader.
Buthaina Kamel, a TV host from the Kefaya movement – another early anti-Mubarak group.
Wissam Abd al-Gawwad, a teacher who founded the Egyptians for Change association and the al-Nahhar party.
While only the first four are more important, that’s still a pretty big field. Remember also that when it comes time to assemble lists for the parliamentary election, such splits will be even more damaging.
Here are the two interesting questions: • Who will the Brotherhood back with its 20-30% base? It was supporting ElBaradei (yes, Islamists backing a liberal, because he isn’t so liberal), but have quarreled with him lately.
Will Moussa organize his own party which, if successful, could come in first in the parliamentary election? But one thing isn’t in much doubt: President Amr Moussa sounds likely.
ALI GOMAA, grand mufti of Egypt, writes in the New York Times: “Egypt’s religious tradition is anchored in a moderate, tolerant view of Islam. We believe that Islamic law guarantees freedom of conscience and expression (within the bounds of common decency), and equal rights for women. And as head of Egypt’s agency of Islamic jurisprudence, I can assure you that the religious establishment is committed to the belief that government must be based on popular sovereignty.”
Well, without getting into things like clerics endorsing suicide bombings, here’s what they don’t tell you: Gomaa is a Mubarak appointee. The Muslim Brotherhood is already demanding his resignation.
Either he will quit, be forced out, or be replaced by someone whose view of Islam is closer to that of the Brotherhood.
And who doesn’t believe Islamic law guarantees freedom of conscience and expression, or equal rights for women.
And note that last phrase. He’s saying, after supporting the Mubarak dictatorship for decades, that he now supports democracy. But if government is based on popular sovereignty, doesn’t that mean the grand mufti should reflect prevailing views of Islam, which includes – according to reliable polls – overwhelming support for Koranic amputation and stoning punishments, the killing of anyone who converts to another religion, and other things that seem neither moderate nor tolerant? The entire religious establishment in Egypt has been organized to fight Islamism and the Muslim Brotherhood – a group that will probably control about one-third of parliament. And many Egyptians who don’t like the Brotherhood will also see Gomaa as a remnant of the dictatorship they want to eliminate.
All mosques must be government approved; mosque leaders are controlled by the government; religious education is controlled by the government; the head of the al-Azhar mosque/university and the grand mufti (Gomaa) are appointed by the government; clerics are allotted television time and media space by the government.
Guess what? There’s a new government and thus a “new” Islam.
Incidentally, the Brotherhood is now calling for a Saudistyle morality police with powers of arrest. Is that the moderate, tolerant style Gomaa is advocating
? Three points many are missing: 1. Many who don’t like the Brotherhood want even stricter social controls. Will the revolution ultimately bring Egyptians more freedom or less? 2. The Brotherhood will be a political power, and other parties will make deals with it in which they give the Brotherhood what it wants on religious-related, social matters, and even foreign-policy issues, in exchange for Brotherhood support for their own priorities.
Beyond the Brotherhood there are radical violent Islamists who will carry out terror attacks against uppity women, secularists, Christians and Israeli or Western targets.
Many of them were radicalized by being in the Brotherhood. With the Brotherhood legalized and growing, there will be many more such people. The government will not crack down on their base-building and propaganda. How tough will it be on their terrorism? Many things to consider…
The writer is director of the Global Research in International Affairs Center (www.gloria-center.org) and editor of Middle East Review of International Affairs Journal and Turkish Studies. He blogs at www.rubinreports.blogspot.com
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