There are three interlocking reasons why General Sissi (above) and his fellow military chiefs “believe they are fireproof, and can ignore any finger-wagging abroad and challenge at home,” writes FT analyst David Gardner: US leverage more apparent than real: Ever since Egypt made peace with Israel in 1979, its army has been in receipt of an annual US stipend of $1.3bn (in addition to lesser civilian grants). Whoever has been in power in Washington, and whatever the state of relations with Cairo, this military aid has been sacrosanct, with solid bipartisan support for what is universally seen as a terrific investment... Sisi has support of Saudi Arabia and (most of) the Gulf: The army’s restoration of the security state has the enthusiastic backing of Saudi Arabia and its absolute monarchist allies in the Gulf, who can breathe a lot easier now that: the democratic potential of the so-called Arab Spring looks as if it is beginning to dissipate; and Gen Sisi and his colleagues are trashing the rival brand of Islam they most fear, the Brotherhood’s. ….. Military populism is popular again in Egypt: Gen Sisi’s behaviour since the coup makes plain he senses a wave of popular support for the army – and maybe the call of history anointing him as the new Gamal Abdel Nasser, still a nationalist icon in Egypt. ..... - See more at: demdigest.net/blog/2013/08/egypts-crackdown-shows-limits-of-u-s-leverage-three-reasons-sissi-is-fireproof/#sthash.Kgg5fZ5G.dpuf
Posted on: Thu, 15 Aug 2013 17:55:23 +0000
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