America’s Mideast reversal pays Russia dividends

By Steve Kramer

Steve Kramer
Steve Kramer

ALFE MENASHE, Israel — I’ve written several times about America’s shrinking international stature. President Obama is leading the charge in this direction, which is a product of the growing energy independence of North America and the growing inclination of Americans to withdraw from troublesome situations far from home. Obviously, this “pivot,” to use popular Washington jargon, is worrisome for Israel, which counts America as its greatest ally and friend.

While many Americans, especially Jewish Democrats, believe that Obama is the greatest American president ever for Israel, many others are disenchanted and even disconcerted by his policy decisions. In just the last few months, the State Department, under the leadership of Secretary Kerry, has taken actions which belie the “red lines” which the president himself has asserted. Iran’s strategy of intransigence while continuing to make progress towards nuclear weapons has been vindicated, as yet more time has been allotted to “negotiations,” while debilitating sanctions have been dialed back. The “all options are on the table” mantra has all but disappeared for Iran, especially after Syria’s Assad was let off the hook for using chemical weapons. Assad’s flouting of the scheme proposed by Kerry makes America even more clueless.

The screwup in Egypt is more blatant, if that is possible. Let’s return to those days of yore, when the “Arab Spring” was touted by all the chattering classes as the rise of democracy in the Arab world. The bad dictators were being overturned, the Facebook/Twitter generation was taking over, and democratic elections were imminent. The British anti-Israel newspaper, “The Guardian,” newspaper, headlined: “Arab Spring anniversary: how a lost generation found its voice – It started with a death in Tunisia, spread to Egypt, Libya, Bahrain and Syria. But one year on, the youth revolt has gone truly global.” (2011)

The myopia of the liberal journalists is glaringly apparent.

Egypt, the most populous and arguably the most significant Arab country, is a perfect example of how America, led by its president, has gotten it so wrong. Yes, during the revolt in Tahrir Square young people played a prominent role, but who even knows what happened to “icon of the revolt” Wael Ghomin? The headline at the time was “Google executive Ghomin is Egypt’s reluctant hero of Tahrir Square.” (France24) He quickly vanished from view. The Muslim Brotherhood (MB), the largest and most widespread Islamist organization, initially hung back from the spotlight, preferring to take control later after the media attention had diminished.

President Obama was instrumental for the rise of the MB to the pinnacle of power in Egypt in two ways. First, he elevated the MB’s status by insisting that representatives of the group be seated in the front of the audience when he made his first international speech in Cairo in 2009 (President Hosni Mubarak did not attend). Then, the administration unceremoniously threw Mubarak under the bus, by withdrawing its support for Egypt’s ruler of 30 years. Yes, Mubarak was a dictator and a tyrant, but whom did the State Department expect to take his place, in a region that has known only autocratic rule?

Mohamed Morsi, chairman of the MB front, the Freedom and Justice party, was put forward as candidate for president and won handily in the “democratic” election. That began a year-long surge toward the Islamization of Egypt, which resulted in even bigger demonstrations in Tahrir Square to “throw the bums (MB) out.” What has followed is a farce of the largest proportions. The administration, a year after tossing Mubarak, its ally of 30 years, has been steadfast in rejecting the popular overthrow of Morsi by the Egyptian army chief, Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and withdrawing its significant foreign aid.

Veteran diplomat and the former Israeli ambassador to Egypt, Zvi Mazel, wrote an excellent analysis recently about the current administration’s reversal of its longstanding strategy in the Middle East (Jerusalem Post, Feb. 23):

“… [The Obama adminstration] gave its support to the Muslim Brotherhood, though [MB leader] Morsi had neglected [Egypt’s] economy and devoted all his efforts to putting Muslim Brothers in all government posts and promoting a constitution with worrisome Islamic undertones.

“Egypt – and not only Field Marshal Sisi – felt insulted and betrayed. They can’t understand why the US – despite all the checks and balances and all the data it gets from its intelligence agencies – is on a collision course with its longtime ally, the main anchor of its policy in the Middle East. With no clear answer, Sisi felt compelled to turn to Russia to get support in his struggle against the Muslim Brothers and radical Islam, which launch terrorist attacks against civilian and military targets; he also needs weapons and other military equipment.

“According to Egyptian sources, Saudi Arabia and the Emirates will finance the arms deal, in what can be seen as a rebuke to the US, which was for so long their greatest ally; they have yet to come to terms with the fact that Washington held secret talks with their greatest enemy, Iran, and concluded a highly unsatisfactory deal which will not prevent Tehran from advancing its nuclear program.”

The current administration, acting with unexplained motives, has opened a breach between itself and the largest Arab country, a breach Vladimir Putin jumped at. Russia, whose leader has visions of grandeur harking back to the Soviet Union, is more than ready to fill the vacuum that America is leaving on the world stage. Saudi Arabia, the wealthiest Arab country and a contender with Egypt for the title of most significant Arab country, has also felt the chilly wind from Washington.

As Mazel concluded, “American foreign policy in the Middle East is in disarray; the pragmatic alliance against Iran is no more; now Egypt is turning to Russia. One wonders what comes next.” We should all wonder too.
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Steven Kramer is a freelance writer based in Alfe Menashe, Israel.  His works may also be read on the website, www.encounteringisrael.com  This article was previously published by the Jewish Times of South Jersey.