In November, demonstrators decried what they called widespread vote rigging in Egypt’s parliamentary elections. US funds helped train election monitors who observed that election. (Asmaa Waguih/Reuters/File)
TURMOIL IN EGYPT
Bush program helped lay the groundwork in Egypt
Vote monitors trained with funds from US
WASHINGTON — A small, controversial effort launched under President George W. Bush to fund and train election monitors in Egypt played a key role in the movement to topple President Hosni Mubarak’s regime.
The program, which provided millions in direct funding to prodemocracy groups, helped dispatch 13,000 volunteers to observe Egypt’s parliamentary elections in December. Thousands of those monitors, angered by what they said was blatant election rigging, joined the protests. Some became outspoken leaders; others used the networking and communication skills they learned to help coordinate 18 days of rallies.
“The very fact that they saw the fraud firsthand has contributed to them turning from monitors into activists,’’ said Saad Eddin Ibrahim, founder of the Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies, which has used a share of the US funds to train volunteers. “They became very disillusioned with the regime.’’
The evolving role of the monitors provides a measure of vindication for Bush administration officials and allies, including Elizabeth Cheney, the daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney, who fought for permission to funnel money to the monitors, bucking a longstanding US policy of giving Egypt a veto over US funds.
“I certainly feel vindicated,’’ said Charles King Mallory IV, a former aide to Elizabeth Cheney, who could not be reached for comment.
But it also raises questions about whether some Egyptians will see a grain of truth in Mubarak’s allegations that “foreign intervention’’ fomented the uprising.
Stephen McInerney, executive director of the Project on Middle East Democracy, a Washington-based advocacy and research group, said the protesters would probably still have been active without US support, but they wouldn’t be as well-organized.
“We didn’t fund them to start protests, but we did help support their development of skills and networking,’’ he said.
Mahmoud Ali Mohamed, head of the Egyptian Association for Supporting Democracy, the largest election monitoring organization in Egypt, said his monitors were dispatched to Tahrir Square on the first day of the protests to document attacks on demonstrators.
As the protests grew, he opened an operations room from which 320 volunteers took tips from the public about abuses by progovernment forces, and he wrote press releases publicizing attacks and arrests. Now his group is considering launching lawsuits against those who killed or hurt protesters.
He said December’s parliamentary election, viewed by many as the most fraudulent in Egypt since the 1970s, galvanized the entire nation.
When the government announced that the opposition won less than 12 seats in parliament, down from 95 in 2005, in the first round, Egyptians “understood that there was no fair election,’’ he said.
“In a way or another, it helped what is happening right now,’’ he said, speaking through an interpreter in a telephone interview.Continued...
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So, this is another example of how the United States foreign polices, interfering with nations, can topple dictators, betray allies, and then rush to take credit (or blame) when things go wrong.
Remember how Bush and Rice pushed for "democratic" elections in Gaza? They thought for sure Abbas would win; forgetting that the people were tired (and hungry) of this PLO/PA leadership/dictatorship and so, they voted for the terrorists, Hamas. Who knows what Hamas had promised the people, but I can assure you they did not promise them boycotts and terrorism! And now, another Islamic dictator, who just happened to be one who kept peace between Israel and Egypt; protected its borders from Hamas/Gaza; outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt; has fallen, with great approval from Obama's administration.
"The enemy of my enemy is a friend" seems to be the way the U.S. justifies manipulation of foreign governments. Why, there are numerous articles of how this administration attempted to work behind Prime Minister Netanyahu's back to gain more concessions from Israel, to support the Palestinian's demands and extend the freezes in Judea and Samaria. Remind me, how's that Gaza thing working out for everyone?
The problem when interfering with governments is not understanding the mindset of the Arabs (and Islam teachings); and supporting Islam over an ally, the State of Israel. That combination is bound to get the U.S. into hot water - ouch!
The problem when interfering with governments is not understanding the mindset of the Arabs (and Islam teachings); and supporting Islam over an ally, the State of Israel. That combination is bound to get the U.S. into hot water - ouch!
The Boston Globe wishes to credit former President Bush for Egypt's "Victory" ... or, should we give Bush partial blame for what happens next in Egypt? .... How will Obama justify sitting down and discussing peace with the terrorist outlaws, The Brotherhood? The old cowboy movies of the early 50's had the good guys wearing white hats and the bad cowboys wearing black hats. What color hat do you suppose the Muslim Brotherhood is wearing?Stay tuned .......
