Sunday, May 22, 2011

Muslim World

The so called Arab Spring had already signaled al Qaeda's waning appeal among Muslim masses.
Starting in Tunisia and spreading to Egypt, Syria and elsewhere, demonstrators have been energized by opposition to corruption and repression and a keen desire for jobs. These movements contradict the aims of al-Qaeda which supports harsh Islamic societies. That does not mean Muslim countries will embrace Western democracy or resist the pull of politicized Islam. Egypt is already on a perilous path, which does not augur well for Israel and the USA.
Less than three months after the fall of the Mubarak regime, the caretaker military government has made radical shifts in foreign policy. Egypt has extended its hand to Iran and to the Palestinian terror group Hamas. Its relations with the U.S. and Israel have cooled markedly.
Last week, the Egyptians brokered a surprising deal on a unity government between Tehran-backed Hamas in the Gaza strip and its rivals in Fatah, which rules over the West Bank. Cairo didn't bother to inform either the U.S. or Israel about the talks. The foreign ministry abruptly announced plans to reopen the Egyptian border crossing into Gaza, an easy supply point for arms for Hamas.
Cairo also plans to establish diplomatic relations with Iran. Indeed, an Iranian destroyer recently was allowed to pass through the Suez Canal for the first time since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
A pro-Western Egyptian democracy would not support Hamas or Iran, the world's leading terror sponsor. Hamas responded predictably to bin Laden's killing: "We condemn the assassination and the killing of an Arab holy warrior." The Muslim Brotherhood, the best organized political group in Egypt, also condemned the bin Laden killing.
Al-Qaeda has a thriving franchise in Yemen and could gain other bases in the region if Libya collapses into Somalia-like disarray.

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