WE NEED U.S. POLICY THAT SIDES WITH DEMOCRATIC PROTESTERS IN EGYPT

As the NYT article by Helene Cooper and David E. Sanger describes, the ruling party of Egypt headed by Dictator Mubarak refuses to give up power, refuses to end the "state of emergency" that denies freedom of speech, freedom of dissent and other basic civil rights, refuses to hold free and fair elections. Why can't Obama unequivocally side with the pro-democracy demonstrators?

U.S. SUPPORTS TYRANTS IN MIDDLE EAST, YET CALLS FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAN

The U.S. call for sanctions on Iran is hypocritical insofar as the U.S. and the Obama administration continue to support tyrants in the Middle East. Consider American support and "friendship" with Saudi Arabia where it is still a crime for an unmarried female to be with a male not a relative. Or where the punishment for certain crimes is to cut off a hand or a foot. Next consider the friendly relations of the U.S. with Musharraf in Egypt or with the royal family in Jordan. In both Egypt and Jordan, don't even think about freedom of speech or freedom from search and seizure. There are no human freedoms in either country.

So when Pres. Obama or his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton call for sanctions on Iran because it wants to develop its own nuclear power, unspoken is American support for leaders of countries in the same neighborhood as Iran that deny human freedom and impose draconian punishments on their citizens.

Mohamed El Baradei, former head of the IAEA, says the same in a report in The Guardian by Jack Shenker today.

""Western policy towards this part of the world has been a total failure, in my view. It has not been based on dialogue, understanding, supporting civil society and empowering people, but rather it's been based on supporting authoritarian systems as long as the oil keeps pumping."

"The 67-year-old added: "If you bet on individuals, instead of the people, you are going to fail. And western policy so far has been to bet on individuals, individuals who are not supported by their people and who are being discredited every day.""

Instead of supporting the people in each country, El Baradei says that the western countries wage war against individual heads of state, no matter that in the process, they kill hundreds of thousands of ordinary citizens of that state. Ahmadinejad of Iran might be a terrible leader but that is no reason to impose sanctions on the population at large, or even to consider a military strike, as in "all options are on the table."

"The popularity in the Middle East of Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and the Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, he said, should be seen as message to the west that its "policy is not reaching out to the people. The policy should be: 'We care about you, we care about your welfare, we care about your human rights.'""

ISRAEL, EGYPT VIOLATE HUMAN RIGHTS OF AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS

Human Rights Watch released a report highly critical of both Egypt and Israel for their treatment of immigrants coming from Africa, principally from Sudan and Somalia. Over 30 immigrants have been shot as they tried cross from Egypt into Israel, all by Egyptian border patrol guards. Israel has rounded up immigrants and forced them back into Egypt where they can look forward to being deported back to their home countries.

The BBC reports on the Human Rights Watch study:

"An international human rights lobby group has called on Egypt to stop shooting African migrants as they cross the country's border into Israel.

"Egyptian border guards have shot dead at least 32 African refugees and migrants since June 2007, Human Rights Watch says in a new 90-page report."

However, Israel is also criticized in the study. Reports the BBC:

"Police in Israel have detained about 200 Africans in Tel Aviv following the announcement of tough measures against illegal immigrants.

"A police spokesman said the detainees - mainly from Sudan, Eritrea and the Ivory Coast - who do not have refugee status would be deported.

"Human rights activists have criticised the detentions."

Ehud Olmert has ordered the tightening of border controls, reports the BBC:

"Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday instructed Israeli police to deport thousands of African asylum seekers who have entered Israel though the Egyptian border. He also ordered security officials to tighten control of the border with Egypt."

We see this wave of anti-immigration in Italy, Israel and, of course, in the United States. The whole question of immigration is based on individual human rights and dignity. Everyone should be able to go wherever he or she wants to improve or better one's economic position, provided that one is peaceful and does no bodily harm. But at its roots, the anti-immigrant movement distrusts the foreigner, his language and different skin color.

STOCK MARKET FALLS, GOLD & OIL RISE ON FEARS OF U.S./ISRAELI ATTACK AGAINST IRAN

The stock market as reflected in the DJIA was down over 100 points today. Oil was up some $5 per barrel at one point. Gold rose $19 per ounce. Some commentators claim it was more financial trouble with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Others explain weakness in stocks by saying it was the fault of a declining U.S. dollar. But hardly anyone mentions the elephant in the room - the Bush/Cheney/Olmert cabal against Iran.

Imagine what would happen if these war mongers get their way and launch an attack and bomb Teheran. Here are my predictions:

• the DJIA would drop 3,000 points
• oil would rise to $300 per barrel
• gold would increase to $2,000 per ounce
• the United States would sink into deep recession
• grain commodities would double in price
• endless war for the next 500 years

As it happened today, the stock market, gold and oil all responded to saber rattling by the U.S. and Israel against Iran. Bush criticizes Iran for testing defensive missiles but says not a peep when Israel under Olmert stages a huge exercise several weeks ago involving hundreds of war planes. Even Condoleeza Rice issues bellicose threats.

Some people justify an attack by saying that the Arab states such as Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia would cheer when the attack comes. Of course, the Arabs have a known bias and it is racial and sectarian. Most of the Arab states are Sunnis whereas Iran is mostly Shia. Secondly and equally as important, the people of Iran are not Arabs but Persians. The two have never got along, not to mention the built in animosity between Shia and Sunni. No wonder Bush and Cheney find allies in their militaristic bullying of Iran.

CHENEY BLAMES HAMAS, SYRIA AND IRAN FOR NO PROGRESS ON PEACE; FORGETS TO BLAME ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS

Dick Cheney on his last day in the Middle East claims that the obstruction to a peace accord between Israel and the Palestinians is Hamas. Furthermore, Cheney claims Iran and Syria are supporting Hamas because they don't want to see peace in the region. This sounds like a lot of bull, of the same type as the assertion that there was proof that Saddam Hussein was forging an alliance with Al Qaeda, used by Bush and Cheney as a prelude to the invasion of Iraq.

The BBC reports:

"US Vice-President Dick Cheney has said Palestinian militant group Hamas, along with Iran and Syria, is trying to torpedo the Middle East peace process."

Recall that Hamas was democratically elected by the Palestinians in January 2007. Yet Bush and Cheney term it a "terrorist organization" because Israel considers it that. As a result, both the U.S. and Israel refuse to deal withHamas in any prospective agreement. No wonder that Hamas is not in sync with Abu Mazen in making a deal with Israel and its surrogate, the United States.

The real block to a peace accord is Israel which continues to allow settlements in the occupied territories. More and more land belonging to Palestinians is illegally usurped by Israeli settlers at the point of a gun. Jimmy Carter talked about "apartheid" in his book on the Israeli-Palestinian discord. How about "ethnic cleansing"? Building Israeli settlements on land seized from the Palestinians during the 1967 War smacks of ethnic cleansing and is illegal and unjustified.

Cheney tries to further demonize Iran and Syria in the conflict. He claims these two countries back the "terrorists." How about all the other Islamic countries in the Middle East? Is there any country that does not back Hamas? Is there any country in that region that supports Israel? If Cheney wants to condemn supporters of Hamas, he should apportion a lot of it to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, erstwhile allies of the U.S.

KEEP BORDER OPEN BETWEEN EGYPT AND GAZA FOR HUMANITARIAN REASONS

Let's hope the border between Egypt and Gaza remains open. Otherwise, if Israel and the United States get their way, the border will be shut again, prevent Palestinians in Gaza from obtaining the basic necessities of life, such as food and medicine.

Why the U.S. wants the border closed is incomprehensible, given George Bush's insistence on freedom and democracy. Hamas won the election held by Palestinians in January 2007. Yet Bush who likes to claim that "terrorists hate democracy" could only sputter in disbelief that the Palestinians freely chose Hamas. Israel calls Hamas "terrorist organization," so Bush was put in the hypocritical position of rejecting Hamas notwithstanding the free and fair outcome of the elections.

BUSH AND ISRAEL WANT TO RE-SEAL BORDER BETWEEEN GAZA AND EGYPT, PREVENT PALESTINIANS FROM OBTAINING NECESSITIES OF LIFE

The eight-meter high corrugated steel fence is now down between Gaza and Egypt and thousands of Gazans have been crossing into Egypt to obtain the basic necessities of life - food, cooking fuel and medicines.

Several weeks ago, Israel had closed and sealed all borders with Gaza. This was collective punishment. Palestinian militants continued to fire missiles into Israel, and Israel took reprisals on the whole population. The result was that Palestinians in Gaza were effectively "locked down," unable to obtain even the basic necessities.

Now, the wall being torn down, Gazans are free to cross over into Egypt to obtain life's necessities. The whole world can see the pitiful state of the Gazan population and the evils of collective punishment. Egypt is doing the right thing by allowing Gazans to cross over the border and enter Egypt.

But how about the United States? The BBC is reporting that both Israel and the U.S. want the border to be re-sealed. How could the Bush government support such an anti-humanitarian proposal? If the border is re-sealed, then Gazans return to their barely survivable modus vivendi. There will be rationing of food, electric power, cooking fuel, medicines.

This is another example of the Bush foreign policy which is mean, vindictive, cruel, harsh and short-sighted. Bush thinks he can force suspects to admit guilt and implicate associates by torturing them. He thinks he can solve world problems by dropping bombs. And he thinks that he can ensure Israel's security by locking almost one million Gazans in a virtual prison with no escape and little food.

ANOTHER DOSE OF HYPOCRISY FROM BUSH IN MIDDLE EAST

I don't understand how come Bush said nothing yesterday to Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak about Mubarak's trashing of democracy in Egypt where dissidents are thrown in jail and members of the political opposition are deemed "terrorists." Yet a few days before, Bush made that pompous speech in Abu Dhabi where he said that freedom and democracy were God's gift to mankind.

At the same time Bush rants against Iranian president Ahmadinejad and threats the Iranian nation with annihilation for sending five small speedboats out to investigate warships of the U.S. fleet in the Straits of Hormuz. Yet he is strangely reticent with the president of the Egyptian dictatorship. Remember Egypt is one of those nations where Bush illegally sent American prisoners to be "interrogated." He once boasted about this, saying, in effect, that they disappeared thereafter, and he was not unhappy about that.

Bush wants democracy where the outcome of the vote agrees with his pre-formed opinions. But he rejects democracy where the outcome does not suit him. Witness his rejection of the democratically Hamas government in Gaza. Bush calls Hamas a "terrorist organization." Another example - Bush's contempt for Hugo Chavez, democratically elected as president of Venezuela with more than 70% of the vote. Where the outcome does not suit Bush, he claims that either the election was rigged or that the elected government oppresses its people.

EGYPT TO DEVELOP NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY

Al Jazeera.com reports that Egypt under Hosni Mubarak is engaging in building several nuclear power plants.

Writes Al Jazeera:

"Egypt is to build several civilian nuclear power stations around the country. Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, said on Monday that a decree to establish a higher council for the peaceful use of nuclear energy will be issued in the next few days.

""I declare before you the decision to start a programme to build a number of nuclear power stations to generate electricity," Mubarak said."

Egypt once before initiated plans for nuclear technology development but put it aside after the nuclear disaster at Chenobyl.

"The announcement relaunches a nuclear programme that was halted more than 20 years ago.A nuclear energy programme started by Egypt in the 1970s was abandoned in 1986 after the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe.

"Mubarak said the programme will take place "within a framework of transparency and respect of commitments to the nuclear non-proliferation system".

And it appears that George Bush and the United States are putting up no objections to Mubarak's nuclear plans. Consider the difference in U.S. policy towards Iran. Egypt is a moslem nation, mostly Sunni. Iran is a moslem nation, mostly Shia. Both Egypt and Iran have unenlightened attitudes to freedom of the press and individual rights. However, Egypt is much more draconian in its penal and police systems. The U.S. has sent suspected terrorists to Egypt to be interrogated, meaning through methods of torture. Yet the U.S. has no objections to nuclear power developed by Egypt while it threatens to start a world war to keep nuclear power away from Iran.

Writes Al Jazeera:

"Amr el-Kahky, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Cairo, said while the announcement was not wholly unexpected it did come as something of a surprise after 12 months of silence on the nuclear issue.

""Egypt has spoken to the United States about it, and talked to the regional powers here, explaining exactly what they need," he said.

""They need nuclear reactors for peaceful purposes, for energy generation, especially with Egypt's energy needs growing year after year with the ever-growing population".

El-Kahky said that Egypt's population of 76-77 million needs at least 10 per cent increases in power annually.

""This is very demanding and Egypt has to live up to the challenge. The United States has never said no to that, so long as it is peaceful", el-Kahky said."

BUSH TO SELL BILLIONS IN ARMS TO SUNNI ARABS AND ISRAEL

Robin Wright reports in today's The Washington Post that the U.S. will sell 10 billion dollars of weaponry to "allies" in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel. The reported purpose is to counter Iran's growing influence.

This is sheer madness on several counts. One, the animosity between Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other Arab countries towards Iran is one based on ethnicity, race and religion. Iranians are Persians, so it is a not an Arab country. Furthermore, its population is predominantly Shia, not Sunni like the populations of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Thus, Bush is taking the side of Arabs against Persians, and Sunnis against Shia. It makes no underlying sense.

Second, selling arms to countries in the Middle East is like pouring gasoline into a fire. The result will be catastrophic and assure that the countries in that region will continue to engage in insane war and bloody conflict.

Instead of delivering war planes and sophisticated weaponry, Bush & Co. should be emphasizing diplomacy and negotiation.