The US has to let Mubarak go

Feb 02, 2011 Letters

Dear Editor,
Regarding your editorial, “Egypt Totters” (Jan 30), events are moving with lightning speed and it is unlikely that President Hosni Mubarak will survive for long. America, Israel and the Middle East monarchies are preparing for regime change to keep Egypt in their orbit of influence. They have recognized that if Mubarak does not go, Egypt will be lost going the Iran way.
The US toppled a democratically elected nationalistic Mossadegh Government in 1954 and installed the Shah monarchy providing military support to oppress people’s democratic aspirations.
In 1978, the US and her Middle East allies mis-analyzed and misread what was happening in Iran and stayed committed to the oppressive Shah who quickly was run out of town leaving the Ayatollah in control. The rest is now history. The same will happen in Egypt unless the US keeps apace to the fluid situation in Egypt.
The US erroneously has chosen not to take sides in the conflict in Egypt. There is only one side to back – the people’s right to choose a government in democratic elections which is what they are demanding.
Instead, the US is walking a thin line trying to meander its way in the Egyptian crisis. The US feels that it cannot call for President Hosni Mubarak’s removal because he did their bidding for so long and they recognize the Egyptian military will be needed to protect the Middle East monarchies should they become threatened, hence the ambiguous statement of calling for the respect of the democratic aspirations of the people and later calling for an orderly transition.
I studied with Egyptians at City College during the 1970s and 80s and held political discussions with them. Since that time, they wanted change and were disappointed with US support for oppressive dictators in the Middle East. They are not going to back down now for an end to dictatorial rule and news clippings show young educated class is leading the revolution in Egypt.
For all practical purposes, Mubarak’s tenure as President is over. He will not be able to survive this crisis unless the army opens fire on the protesters. And so far, the army has been unwilling to crack down on the people.
In fact, some of them, as happened during the Iranian revolution, in the army have joined the protesters in calling for Mubarak to go. The army is the only respected institution in Egypt because it is above the corruption which plagues Egyptian society. The army will not want to risk its reputation to save Mubarak by cracking down on the people.
The US should tell Mubarak to leave. It was President Obama who told Egyptians when he visited in 2009 to hold his outstretched hands and not go the Islamic terror way of other societies. Now, when the Egyptian people stretched out their hands to hold Obama’s hands, he pulled back his hands giving the impression that the administration has a change in heart in its policy or does not really believe in what it says publicly.
The pressure on Mubarak to leave town will only increase with time and lead to anti-American sentiments not only in Egypt but elsewhere around the globe.
Already, demonstrations have been organized in the US, the first time calling for the overthrow of an Egyptian leader. Protesters condemn the American military support of Mubarak with $1.3 billion annually) and only $250 M in developmental assistance – an expression of US priority. Mubarak is bad news for the US.
He overstayed his welcome failing to use the 32 years in office to build democratic institutions which would have favored him and America. Instead, he suppressed people’s rights and the US backed his treacherous actions.
The US must act fast and pull the plug on Mubarak now.
He cannot survive. It is just a matter of time before he resigns and goes into exile with his family. The US should also use the opportunity to call for democratic governance all over the Middle East. America’s foreign policy is stuck in the cold war mode of fighting communism when the biggest threat to America today is denying the will of the people by supporting the world’s last remaining oppressive monarchies and dictators to suppress freedom.
Vishnu Bisram

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