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Thursday, January 27, 2011

Haroon Siddiqui: Middle East uprisings caught all by surprise (in the Toronto Star)

"... the American and Western model of dealing with the Arab Middle East is teetering. The support of military or monarchical regimes has been based on two pillars: keep oil in friendly and pliant hands, and back governments friendly to Israel.

"So, it’s not surprising that after having played cheerleaders to the Orange Revolution (Ukraine), the Cedar Revolution (Lebanon) and the Green Revolution (Iran), Washington and other Western capitals have not known how to react to the eruption of people power in Arab lands. ...

"In the case of Egypt, we’ve seen Washington wobble in the last 48 hours — one moment lauding the Mubarak regime as 'stable'; at another upholding the right of demonstrators to demonstrate against the aging and corrupt autocrat; and constantly calling on both sides to refrain from violence, as though the protesters in Cairo and other cities are equal to the brutal security forces armed and trained by the Americans.

"What the people want is Mubarak and his regime gone. That’s not what the U.S. wants."

Full article: Siddiqui: Middle East uprisings caught all by surprise.

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