Egypt Swears in New Pro-Democracy Cabinet

by John M. Curtis
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Copyright July 15, 2013
All Rights Reserved.                                      

             Swearing in his new Cabinet, Interim President Adly Mansour officially begins Egypt’s civil war, with the ousted Muslim Brotherhood leader 62-year-old Mohammed Morsi held under house arrest.  When the Egyptian military, led by Army Chief-of-Staff Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, toppled Morsi July 3, Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohammed Badi vowed resistance until the lawfully elected president was reinstated.  Since the July 3 coup, daily turned-violent-demonstrations have become routine around Cairo.  Muslim Brotherhood officials refused to participate in the new government unless Morsi is reinstated as Egypt’s president.  When millions of pro-democracy demonstrators took to the streets before July 3, the military decided to honor their requests to see Morsi tossed from power.  With a high unemployment and sluggish economy, the people wanted Morsi out.

             Knowing their in for a long fight, former Supreme Court Chief Justice and now interim President Mansour appointed El-Sissi as his defense minister.  It was el-Sissi, who, 48-hours before the July 3 coup, warned Morsi to either share the government or face eviction from office.  When el-Sissi made good on his promise, the Muslim Brotherhood couldn’t fathom that Morsi was incapable of leading the Egyptian government.  Since taking office June 30, 2012, he did nothing other than consolidate Muslim Brotherhood control of the Egyptian government.  All other groups—including Coptic Christians—were completely ignored as the Brotherhood went ahead with installing strict Islamic Sharia law.  While the Brotherhood claims legitimacy from the June 26, 2012 election, pro-democracy forces didn’t accept Morsi’s attempt to establish a theocracy in Egypt.

             In leading the coup, el-Sissi made it clear to Morsi that he intended to carry out the will of the people.  While elected by a slim majority, Morsi allowed the Brotherhood to hijack the Egyptian government, granting him supreme authority and ignoring the judiciary.  Now on the outs, the Brotherhood can only mobilize followers in a civil war, hoping, against all odds, that enough violence will coerce the government into reinstating the fallen Islamic leader.  Swearing in the interim Cabinet today, Masour assigned 71-year-old former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency and Nobel laureate  Mohamed EdBaradei as vice president.  While Egypt has an active parliament, the president and vice president hold the power.  ElBaradei, the leading voice in Egypt’s pro-democracy movement, won’t allow Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood to once again return to power.

             White House officials walk a dangerous tightrope showing favortism to one Egyptian group or another, especially after Morsi was elected in a fair-and-free election June 26, 2012.  Former President George W. Bush found himself in a similar dilemma backing Hamas’ victory Jan. 27, 2006 in the Gaza Strip.  Gaza’s fair-and-free elections demonstrate the problems with democracy in the Middle East, where Islamic parties are better organized and more likely to win elections.  When then Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice outright rejected Hamas as a terror group, Hamas leader Ismail Hanniyeh led a coup June 7, 2007, evicting Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Authority from power.  Egypt’s current civil war demonstrates that premature elections cast Middle Eastern countries into chaos.

             White House officials reject claims that the U.S. favors certain “political parties,” the latest red herring in a series of illogical communiqués.  “The United States categorically rejects the false claims propagated by some in Egypt that we are working with specific political parties or movements to dictate how Egypt’s transition should proceed,” said an official White House statement.  While not working “specific” political parties, the Egyptian military receives about $1.5 billion in annual aid, not to mention ongoing Pentagon training.  When el-Sissi proceeded to topple Morsi July 3, he had the White House and Pentagon blessings.  Pretending otherwise ignores the strong U.S. financial presence since the Muslim Brotherhood assassinated Anwar Sedat Oct. 6, 1981, requiring the U.S. government to make a strong financial commitment to a strong Egyptian military.

             White House officials should stop pretending neutrality with regard to the military’s takeover of the Egyptian government.  Allowing the Muslim Brotherhood to hijack the Egyptian government served no one other than Islamist interests.  Toppling Morsi and installing an interim government led by Mansour and ElBaradei assures that Egypt will move in the right direction.  Current talk about timely elections is premature, putting Egypt right back in the same place.  It’s going to be difficult to stop the Brotherhood’s guerrilla war unless the government is prepared to outlaw radical Islamist groups.  Morsi and the Brotherhood can only pray now that more violence will force Mansour and ElBaradei into making concessions.  Instead of sending ambiguous signals, the White House should strongly back the Egyptian military’s attempt to reinstate a more balanced U.S.-friendly government.

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com.and author of Dodging the Bullet and Operation Charisma.