Egypt's unemployment rate falls in Q2 '25 – CAPMAS    EGP swings vs. USD in early Sunday trade    EGX launches 1st phone app    Egypt achieves record primary budget surplus of EGP 629bn despite sharp fall in Suez Canal revenues    Escalation in Gaza, West Bank as Israeli strikes continue amid mounting international criticism    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Resumption of production at El Nasr marks strategic step towards localising automotive industry: El-Shimy    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, UNDP discuss outcomes of joint projects, future environmental cooperation    United Bank achieves EGP 1.51bn net profit in H1 2025, up 26.9% year-on-year    After Putin summit, Trump says peace deal is best way to end Ukraine war    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Jordan condemns Israeli PM remarks on 'Greater Israel'    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egypt's FM discusses Gaza, bilateral ties in calls with Saudi, South African counterparts    Egypt prepares to tackle seasonal air pollution in Nile Delta    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt, Colombia discuss medical support for Palestinians injured in Gaza    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt's govt. issues licensing controls for used cooking oil activities    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Egypt's Sisi: Egypt is gateway for aid to Gaza, not displacement    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



One Egyptian's perspective on Obama's Speech
Published in Daily News Egypt on 22 - 05 - 2011

CAIRO: In 2010, I attended a press briefing at the US embassy in Cairo. The speaker was the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy and Human Rights. His statements fell on my ears unglamorosly as he echoed President Barack Obama's rhetoric of promoting democracy in the Middle East through supporting economic and scientific development. I told him that US aid and support in that direction would be a waste of time and resources in view of the prevalent corruption that the dictatorial regime was embracing and benefiting from. But the State Department speaker responded with the typical diplomatic line in defense of the US alliance with the Egyptian government.
Back then, the ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was the "stalwart ally to the United States," as Obama once said in a 2009 BBC interview. Obama's backing of the region's dictators was receiving much criticism from the Middle East as well as among American experts and analysts.
Obama didn't listen, and he went on with his stability-more-important-than-democracy policy until it was too late. Even on the night of January 25, his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told us of her infamous "assessment … that the Egyptian government is stable," and urged all sides to refrain from violence. Only when it became clear Mubarak was likely to go anyway that the US started to reluctantly express support for the revolution.
Ironically, as US officials started to make unsure statements against the regime's violent suppression of protests, Mubarak's riot police was firing US-made tear gas canisters against Tahrir Square protesters, with the "Made in USA" label urging anyone who comes in contact with the gas "to seek assistance as soon as possible," as reported in ABCNews.com.
After all of that, we couldn't expect Obama to suddenly present himself as the preacher of Arab democracy who is determined to support the will of the Egyptian and Arab people, which he did in his Middle East Speech on May 19.
To me, and to many Egyptians, Obama has zero credibility.
Both his statements and actions in the past two years have reinforced our belief that the US government, one administration after the other, has wanted nothing for the Arab world but US interests, from the perspective of those ruling America.
We know very well that the US, pressured by the pro-Israel lobby, wanted a stable Egypt ruled by the dictator we revolted against after years of oppression and injustice, because he supported Israel and the Obama administration with no regard for Egypt's interests, which did not always happen to coincide with US and Israeli interests. We also know that earlier, under the Bush Administration, Americans wanted to see democracy in Egypt — until they realized that democracy could possibly bring to power rulers that could challenge America's vision for the region.
And we know that despite Obama's assertion that America will "respect" our stances, behind the scenes Obama will surely continue to do everything he can to ensure that no matter what Egyptians want, Israel's interests should remain intact; no matter whether the Egyptian people want to continue to adopt their country's peace treaty with the Jewish State or not, the Egyptian rulers will be pressured by the US to adopt it anyway.
So when Obama comes now and speaks about our fight for our rights, saying that he will respect our choices, we can't believe him.
Some liberal Americans are pleased with the speech, because they think Obama was brave in his support for the Palestinians' rights; and some conservatives are angry that he "threw Israel under the bus." For many Egyptians, Obama's words on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict didn't even amount to stating the obvious. International law and UN resolutions do imply that Israel abide by the pre-1967 borders; and that Israeli settlement construction on Palestinian territories is, as a matter of fact, illegal. There is no way for the Israelis and the Palestinians to be both satisfied about the two issues that "remain": "The future of Jerusalem, and the fate of Palestinian refugees". What is "just and fair" can never reflect respect for "the rights and aspirations of Israelis" because Israel has never been satisfied in its 63-year-old history, and "negotiations" have never, so far, resulted in "justice and fairness" for the Palestinians.
Using the same hyperbolic-type promises, Obama said in his speech that he will help Egypt with $2 billion, failing to mention what he actually owes Egyptians — to find, freeze and return to Egyptians the US-based assets of Mubarak, his family and top aides.
As in his landmark Cairo speech in 2009, Obama talked the talk and uttered hope, and once again, in 2011, he is exaggerating about what he could do in reality, refusing to limit his promises to the magnitude of his abilities and will.
One Egyptian's message to Obama: We don't need your support for our democratic change, because we can achieve what we want on our own, with or without your "support". We have toppled your ally in Egypt, and we are determined to build our country the way we, Egyptians, want it to be.
Sara Khorshid is an Egyptian journalist who has covered Egypt's politics and society, as well as the relations between the Muslim and Western worlds, for the past nine years. Her articles are published in The Daily News Egypt, and The Guardian, Alarabiya.net, OnIslam.net, Common Ground News Service, and other media outlets. She previously held the position of managing editor for the Politics in Depth section at IslamOnline.net (now OnIslam.net). She can be reached at [email protected]


Clic here to read the story from its source.