EGYPT: AS CONSTITUTIONAL VOTE LOOMS AL-SISI, DECLARING MORSI & THE BROTHERS TERRORISTS, DEFIES THE U.S.– (SHOULD BIBI, AS U.S. “PEACE PROCESS” PRESSURE GROWS, DO THE SAME?)

Contents:

Sisi: 1, Obama: 0: Mordechai Kedar, Jerusalem Post, Jan. 4, 2014 — Everyone is aware of the American plan to impose the Muslim Brotherhood on Egypt and any other country that would allow it. The reasons for this American plan were revealed on this stage a half-year ago.

Egypt Declares Muslim Brotherhood a Terrorist Group: Ryan Mauro, Frontpage, Dec. 26, 2013 — The Egyptian government formally labeled the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group on Christmas, banning all of its activities including protests.

Egypt and the Threat of Islamic Terror: Col. (res.) Dr. Shaul Shay, Besa Center, Jan. 1, 2013 —  On December 24, 2013, deadly bombings hit Mansoura, in Egypt’s Nile Delta region, killing twelve and injuring 134, in Egypt’s worst terrorist attack since the July ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

Blueprint for a New Egypt: Amr Moussa, New York Times, Jan. 8, 2013— Since the revolution of 2011, Egyptians have engaged in almost continuous debate over a critical question: “What sort of country do we want?”

On Topic Links

Is Egypt Headed Back Toward Civil War?: Max Boot, Commentary, Dec. 27, 2013

In Egypt, Many Shrug as Freedoms Disappear: Abigail Hauslohner, Washington Post, Jan. 8, 2014

The Muslim Brotherhood and Egypt-Israel Peace: Dr. Liad Porat, Besa Center, Aug. 1, 2013

The Muslim Brotherhood: Wolf Not Even in Sheep’s Clothing: Zvi Mazel, Jerusalem Post, Jan. 4, 2013

With Tip Hotlines, Egypt's Once Hated Security Agency Seeks to Reclaim Role: Sarah El Deeb, A.P., Jan. 6, 2014

Egypt in the Dentist’s Chair: Alaa Al-Aswany, New York Times, Dec. 30, 2013

SISI: 1, OBAMA: 0                                                            

Mordechai Kedar

Jerusalem Post, Jan. 4, 2014

Everyone is aware of the American plan to impose the Muslim Brotherhood on Egypt and any other country that would allow it. The reasons for this American plan were revealed on this stage a half-year ago. Meanwhile, Abdel Sisi’s regime in Egypt is becoming more entrenched, and the Muslim Brotherhood – the Americans’ favorites – has been declared illegal, they and their many organizations having been declared a “terror organization.” They are forbidden to hold demonstrations and gatherings, or distribute fliers, and the police even become involved in the universities in order to suppress the Brotherhood’s activity.

One may disagree with Sisi’s declaration that the Muslim Brotherhood is a terror organization, but one cannot take issue with the fact that the Egyptian regime is determined to sweep the organization off of the political field, despite the tens of millions of Egyptians who identify with the Brotherhood and its goals.

One may take issue with the behavior of the Egyptian regime and call it “undemocratic,” but one would also have to admit that it, too, is supported by many millions of Egyptians. One may also condemn the violence that the Egyptian regime uses against those who oppose its actions, but also admit that in the Middle East there are much more violent regimes, for instance Syria and (democratic!) Iraq.

Sisi also knows the American position full well, and especially President Barack Obama’s negative opinion of the actions against the Brotherhood, but Obama doesn’t upset him, and neither does Secretary of State John Kerry. He doesn’t change his goal or retreat from the actions that he has taken against the Brotherhood.

My heart tells me Sisi already is not returning Kerry’s or Obama’s telephone calls when they attempt to convince him to ease the pressure on the Brotherhood, in the same way that he didn’t capitulate to their pleas to restore Mohamed Morsi to the presidency after Sisi deposed him in early July this year.

Moreover, Sisi is not deterred from putting Morsi in the defendant’s cage and accusing him of murder, which could be a death sentence upon Morsi. If the court imposes harsh sentences on Morsi and the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood – and perhaps even the death sentence – the American government will issue a condemnation and try to bring about a lighter sentence, but I am not at all sure Sisi will be responsive to such, even if they are accompanied by punitive actions such as reduction – or even elimination – of military and civil support. The Americans will have to decide what they will do about the Egyptian determination: will they totally cut off the connection with Egypt and allow this country to switch over to the Russian camp, or perhaps swallow the frog and continue to support Egypt, mainly in the civil arena, in order not to push Egypt into returning to Moscow. In my opinion Obama and Kerry have capitulated and will continue to capitulate to Sisi and will accept – under protest – his policy. The events in Egypt prove that Obama and his team of aides are helpless against the determination of Middle Eastern countries…

What Netanyahu can and must conclude is that it is not at all necessary to come to an agreement with the Palestinians. Kerry can come again and again, can raise a thousand and one ideas, but cannot take away the Jewish people’s right to the Land of Israel, that was granted to it thousands of years ago, and again in 1920 in the San Remo Conference. Obama and Kerry cannot assure Israel that a Palestinian state with territorial contiguity would not at some point become another Hamas state like that which arose six-and-a-half years ago in the Gaza Strip, and therefore Israel must relate to their demands exactly as Sisi relates to them.

Giving in does not lead to agreement, but rather to determination. Israel must do what Israeli interests – not American interests – dictate, and in this phase of history Israel’s immediate interest is to bring the Palestinian Authority to an end, and to continue what Hamas began: to establish the Palestinian Emirates on the ruins of the PA, based on the Arab cities in Judea and Samaria. Israel must maintain forever the rural expanse and offer Israeli citizenship to its residents. A Palestinian terror state with territorial contiguity would be an existential threat to Israel, and therefore Israel should assert its right – it can and must say to Obama and Kerry: No! If Netanyahu is as determined as is Sisi, he will succeed against Obama and Kerry, exactly as Sisi has.

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EGYPT DECLARES MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD

A TERRORIST GROUP                     

Ryan Mauro                                    

Frontpage, Dec. 26, 2013

The Egyptian government formally labeled the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group on Christmas, banning all of its activities including protests. The Obama Administration, advised by Brotherhood-friendly groups in the U.S., is unlikely to follow in Egypt’s footsteps in calling a spade a spade. The announcement came after the government blamed the Brotherhood for the suicide bombing of a police station in Mansoura. No proof was offered of Brotherhood involvement. A pro-Al-Qaeda group named Ansar Jerusalem, based in the Sinai Peninsula, took credit. That didn’t stop local protestors from immediately rallying against the Brotherhood, s effigies of the group’s leaders and attacking property owned by a Brotherhood member. The Egyptian public as a whole remains hostile to the Brotherhood and loyal to the military, with about half the population wanting the group outlawed. Another poll taken in August showed that almost 70% want it banned from politics.

The Brotherhood may or may not be involved in that specific bombing in Mansoura, but that doesn’t mean it is peaceful. It has threatened to form a rebel armed force. After the Egyptian military’s crackdown on the Brotherhood began, Egyptians outraged by the response of the U.S. government and media posted eye-opening videos showing Brotherhood members threatening violence, attacking Egyptian security forces and churches, and putting children at risk for the sake of propaganda. In addition, Brotherhood preachers continue to instigate violence in Egypt and abroad. The organization knows what it’s doing. Why officially engage in violence when individual members and Salafist allies will do so on their own accord, leaving room for deniability?

The labeling of the group as terrorists comes as the government prosecutes former President Morsi and many other Brotherhood operatives. Morsi is accused of involvement in a “terrorist plan” begun in 2005 to send Brotherhood fighters to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip for training by Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps. The Obama Administration has decided to swim against the regional anti-Brotherhood wave, cutting aid to Egypt’s government and siding with the Brotherhood. The result is a realignment in alliances that pushes the Arab world into the arms of Russia. It is extremely unlikely that the U.S. State Department will similarly designate the Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, even though it meets the qualifications. It is more likely that the administration will condemn Egypt’s latest action.

The State Department says there are three criteria a group must meet to be designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. First, the group must be foreign. The Brotherhood’s home base is in Egypt. Its International Organization reportedly moved to Tunisia. Turkey has become its “regional hub” and senior leaders are hosted in Qatar. Check. Second, it must threaten U.S. nationals or national security, including the American economy. Its regional ambitions for a Caliphate undoubtedly threaten U.S. security. As for nationals, the Brotherhood has justified attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also steadfastly supports the terrorism of Hamas and other groups against U.S. allies… Thirdly, to qualify as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, the group must “engage in terrorist activity or retain the capability and intention to engage in terrorist activity or terrorism.” That’s easy. Hamas is labeled a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Hamas’s charter states that it is the Palestinian “wing” of the Muslim Brotherhood. Hamas changed its name in December 2011 to clarify that it is a “branch” of the Brotherhood. There is even video of Hamas leaders publicly pledging allegiance to the Brotherhood and, specifically, to its jihad.

Brotherhood apologists will argue that the group is not operationally supportive of Hamas terrorism, only ideologically. This is false. For example, the Treasury Department designated the Union of Good as a terrorist entity for financing Hamas. It is led by Yousef al-Qaradawi, the spiritual leader of the Brotherhood.

Israeli aircraft have conducted numerous airstrikes on Iranian rocket shipments to the Gaza Strip through Sudan and Egypt. Hamas does not have an independent structure in Egypt. It is obvious that the Brotherhood networks in Egypt helped manage this route.

It was also proven in court that the Muslim Brotherhood infrastructure in America is guilty of terrorist activity by financing Hamas. The Holy Land Foundation was a key U.S. Muslim Brotherhood component, managed under the Brotherhood’s Palestine Committee, until it was shut down in 2001 for financing Hamas. When the Holy Land Foundation was found guilty in court in 2008, the Muslim Brotherhood was essentially found guilty. The two are one and the same…

[To Read the Full Article Follow the Link –ed.]

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EGYPT AND THE THREAT OF ISLAMIC TERROR        

Col. (res.) Dr. Shaul Shay

Besa Center, Jan. 1, 2014

On December 24, 2013, deadly bombings hit Mansoura, in Egypt’s Nile Delta region, killing twelve and injuring 134, in Egypt’s worst terrorist attack since the July ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, an al-Qaeda-inspired Islamist group, claimed responsibility for the attack. Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi vowed to hunt down the perpetrators of the explosion, saying the attack was aimed at obstructing a roadmap drawn up by the country’s interim regime following Morsi’s ouster. The final phase of the roadmap will begin next month when a referendum on the newly-drafted constitution takes place, to be followed by parliamentary and presidential elections. A cabinet spokesman blamed the blast on Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, while el-Beblawi officially declared the group a terrorist organization.

Three main trends of terror activities can be observed in Egypt since the ouster of President Morsi. The first is Islamic terror in Sinai, which has become the main theater of confrontation between terror groups and the Egyptian armed forces. The second is the spillover of terror from Sinai to other parts of Egypt. The third is the increasing involvement of foreign groups al-Qaeda and Global Jihad in Egypt, and activity originating from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Most terror attacks since Morsi’s overthrow have occurred in the Sinai region, which borders Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip. Around 200 soldiers have been killed in Sinai since July 2013. Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, which carried out two attacks on ships in the Suez Canal, and other Sinai-based Islamic groups have been blamed for the uptick in violence. The Islamist insurgency is composed of Islamist militants who escaped prison, were released during the revolution, or returned from exile after the ouster of Hosni Mubarak. In response to the rise of terror in Sinai, the Egyptian military began a massive offensive in August, consisting of 20,000 troops and Apache attack helicopters. The operation amounted to the biggest deployment of the Egyptian military in the peninsula for decades. Egyptian military officials reported the killing or capture of hundreds of jihadists.

Terror attacks have increased in Egypt since Morsi’s exit, especially in response to heavy-handed military tactics against pro-Morsi and Muslim Brotherhood supporters. Numerous police stations and churches were attacked across the country in the aftermath of the dispersal of pro-Morsi sit-ins in August, in which hundreds were killed. More than 100 policemen have been killed as well. Authorities in the Suez Canal said in late August that a terrorist staged an unsuccessful attack on a container ship passing through the canal, in an attempt to disrupt the flow of ships through the waterway. Blocking the canal would have an immediate strategic effect, affecting global energy prices and causing significant blow to Egypt’s economy and prestige. In September, Egypt’s Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim survived an assassination attempt when a bomb detonated near his convoy in northeast Cairo. Ansar Beit al-Maqdis claimed responsibility for some of the attacks, including the attempt to assassinate the interior minister.

A major concern is the growing transnational links between Ansar Beit al-Maqdis and other Egyptian jihadists and al-Qaeda. Reports mount of foreign fighters joining Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, a trend encouraged by influential religious clerics who speak out on the Internet about the jihad in Egypt. One such fighter is Mohamed Jamal al-Kashef, who was captured by Egyptian security forces in 2012. Al-Kashef’s network was linked to the September 2012 assault on the US consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi. Since Morsi’s ouster, relations between Hamas and Egypt’s new rulers have deteriorated. The Egyptian media accuses Hamas of “interfering in Egypt’s internal affairs” and providing support to the Muslim Brotherhood – claims dismissed by both the Brotherhood and Hamas. Egyptian officials say that Palestinian fighters sneak into the Sinai via tunnels to provide military assistance for Brotherhood supporters. In June, an Egyptian court ruled that Hamas and Hizballah, together with the Brotherhood, were involved in facilitating a jailbreak of prisoners, including Morsi, during the anti-Mubarak uprising. After the July coup, authorities started to act against Hamas, closing the Rafah border crossing repeatedly and destroyed hundreds of tunnels that Hamas used to smuggle weapons, fuel, building materials, and other goods…

The jihad challenge to Egypt’s new rulers is still in its early stages, as the jihadists are still developing their skills and strategies. What began as opportunistic shooting attacks have now developed into suicide attacks and huge car bombings, a clear development of capability and strategy. The Egyptian authorities have to take in consideration that radical elements of the Muslim Brotherhood can in the future open an armed internal front that can be a serious challenge to internal security and stability. The US and the international community must support the Egyptian regime in the war against terror, to prevent the different radical Islamic groups from turning Egypt into a theater of jihad like they did in Syria. Egypt needs stability, not a decent into chaos.                                            

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Amr Moussa                                                                                           New York Times, Jan. 8, 2014

Since the revolution of 2011, Egyptians have engaged in almost continuous debate over a critical question: “What sort of country do we want?” This past December, I delivered an answer, on behalf of the Committee of 50 entrusted with amending Egypt’s Constitution, to Egypt’s acting president, Adly Mansour. Mr. Mansour recently confirmed that a two-day referendum on this draft will take place next Tuesday and Wednesday. We believe that this new charter, shaped over months of discussion and many drafts, reflects the needs and aspirations of all Egyptians, regardless of religious affiliation, gender, race, political views or economic status.

Contrary to what critics say, this document turns the page decisively on both the 2012 and 1971 Constitutions, and thus marks a historic step on our path to a government that is of, by and for the Egyptian people. The 2012 Constitution was rushed through by a single dominating political faction and answered only to its priorities. The 1971 Constitution failed to guarantee vital liberties. In short, both previous Constitutions failed because they denied Egyptians the dignity and freedom they deserve and demand; both those Constitutions have been popularly disavowed.

The revision process began in July, when our acting president named a committee of 10 judges, law professors and legal scholars to make amendments. Their recommendations were then transferred to the Committee of 50 to finish that job and produce a foundation for a democratic government. The Committee of 50 gave everyone a seat at the table, including Egyptian feminists and young people. Talk that the process left out critical religious voices is inaccurate: An invitation was extended to all Islamic groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood. Of the parties of political Islam, only the Salafist Al Nour responded (the Muslim Brotherhood did not). All three denominations of our Christian community participated, as did representatives from the underdeveloped provinces of Nubia and Sinai. This representation from across Egyptian society became all the more evident as the committee voted in view of television cameras: Each of the charter’s more than 200 articles and provisions was approved with more than the required three-quarters majority, and the document was adopted unanimously. This year, a popularly elected civilian government will have the opportunity to write laws that improve on this foundation.

What I observed firsthand was a rare spirit of solidarity that created a draft constitution to transcend Egypt’s current predicament. Chief among our concerns was to create an accountable system of governance, including, notably, for Egypt’s military. Among other measures, this draft charter gives Parliament — for the first time in Egypt’s history — the power to impeach the president, not just for criminal acts but also for violations of the Constitution. Unlike the 1971 charter, it also ensures a separation of powers and limits the elected president to two four-year terms. New oversight will be brought to bear on the military through a National Defense Council that must include civilian and legislative officials alongside officers. The Constitution details those specific crimes committed by civilians that mandate trial in military courts, shielding civilians from the abusive interpretations of previous Constitutions. And for the first time, political parties can be dissolved only by a court ruling of the independent judiciary.

Unlike the 2012 Constitution, this draft version criminalizes torture and human trafficking, protects women from violence and commits the state to achieving equality between men and women. It provides greater protection for freedom of expression, press freedom, the pursuit of scientific knowledge and religious liberty, and provides equal protection under the law. Significantly, it places all international human rights treaties to which Egypt is a signatory above even national laws.

Constructing democratic institutions and political infrastructure cannot be done overnight. Many countries over several centuries have embarked on similar journeys, and there are few examples of such momentous change occurring with rapidity and ease. Some of the world’s oldest democracies struggle even now to run effective, pragmatic governments and respond to the will of diverse populations. Egypt is still near the beginning of a crucial period in our storied history. And yet I am confident that we will emerge from this tumultuous transition stronger than before because we are willing to unite to create the political structures necessary for stability, prosperity and democracy to endure for generations. Next week, Egyptians will have the opportunity to vote on the constitution in the referendum. I know the people of Egypt will embrace this moment and I hope the world will as well. For a nation so infused with its past, Egypt is ready to move forward.

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Is Egypt Headed Back Toward Civil War?: Max Boot, Commentary, Dec. 27, 2013 — If Egypt’s new military rulers–pretty much the same as the old, only more truculent–want to ignite a civil war, they’re going about it the right way.

In Egypt, Many Shrug as Freedoms Disappear: Abigail Hauslohner, Washington Post, Jan. 8, 2014 — The charges are often vague. The evidence is elusive. Arrests occur swiftly, and the convictions follow. And there is little transparency in what analysts have called the harshest political crackdown in Egypt in decades.

The Muslim Brotherhood and Egypt-Israel Peace: Dr. Liad Porat, Besa Center, Aug. 1, 2013 — This study examines the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood’s attitude towards Israel and the Egypt-Israel peace treaty

The Muslim Brotherhood: Wolf Not Even in Sheep’s Clothing: Zvi Mazel, Jerusalem Post, Jan. 4, 2013 — The Muslim Brotherhood’s avowed goal since the creation of the movement in 1928 has been to impose Shari’a, Islamic law, first on Egypt, then, the rest of the world, turning it into a Muslim- ruled caliphate.

With Tip Hotlines, Egypt's Once Hated Security Agency Seeks to Reclaim Role: Sarah El Deeb, A.P., Jan. 6, 2014 — After a bombing hit a security headquarters in Egypt's Nile Delta, calls flooded into a hotline run by security agencies as people reported suspected members of the Muslim Brotherhood in their neighborhoods.

Egypt in the Dentist’s Chair: Alaa Al-Aswany, New York Times, Dec. 30, 2013 — Novelists work hard to acquire human experience. They search for characters who might inspire them. They go to unusual places to collect the necessary material for their novels. I am lucky not to have had to undertake these adventures because I am both a novelist and a dentist.

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