President Mubarak going to Washington …
President Mubarak will be visiting Washington on August 18, this is his first visit since 2004, the visit was scheduled earlier and was delayed due to the death of the Egyptian president grandson. Why the ailing president taking that much risk to visit Washington now and in August where everyone is leaving the troubled city; the congress is in recess and the American president has too much on his plate; healthcare reform, managing two wars, fixing the economy and dealing with the racist revolt from the white right-wingers. President Mubarak feels that the Obama administration doesn’t have any stomach for getting in the regime changing business, and the Obama administration realize that spreading the democracy thing in the Arab/Muslim world proved to be a risky business, Mr. Mubarak feels President Obama may be willing to work with him to support his effort in grooming his son to take over the Egyptian crown. Which is facing a fierce opposition from the Egyptian street. For President Obama to gain any creditability in the Arab/Muslim street, he needs to stand for all victims of human rights violation in Egypt, regardless of their political positions. Victims are victims, and Mr. Obama needs to demonstrate to the Arab/Muslim world some sign of change in the inept US foreign policy in the area. He should ask President Mubarak to release all political prisoners; left the marshal law and stop harassing and arresting political oppositions; When it comes to dealing with dictators of Arab and Muslim countries, the West has a way of deciding which regime should be changed and which individual be freed. According to Dr. Alaa Aswani, the Egyptian novelist who wrote The Yacoubian Building, there are “thousands of political prisoners in Egypt”, and “some of them have been imprisoned for more than 15 years without even a trial,” he added. Obama should tell the Egyptian president what Millions of Egyptians have been telling him for years: “Kefayah.” Enough. Obama instead of spending too much time on making the right social gesture, after asking the ailing president about his health he should ask him…
What have you accomplish in your first 10,000 days?
Mr. President can you rule Egypt without your Marshal Law?
Why would you want your son to inherent Egypt?
Is there a free press in Egypt?
How many political prisoners in your jails?
Are Egyptians better off than 30 years ago?
Ahmed Tharwat
