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US Succeeds in Alienating All Parties in Egypt

The US is searching for an anchor for its policy toward the coup in Egypt.
A protester hangs placards on his tent as a crossed-out picture of U.S. President Barack Obama is seen, in Tahrir square, Cairo, July 15, 2013. The first senior U.S. official to visit Egypt since the army toppled its elected president was snubbed by both Islamists and their opponents on Monday.
 Deputy Secretary of State William Burns arrived in a divided capital where both sides are furious at the United States, the superpower which supports Egypt with $1.5 billion in annual aid, mostly for the army that d

It is proving to be difficult enough for the Obama administration to maneuver in the dangerous revolutionary environment that is Egypt today without inventing problems for itself. Yet that is exactly what Washington is doing, achieving the unenviable objective of alienating virtually everyone — the besieged Muslim Brotherhood, conflicted Salafis, angry yet exhilarated liberals and a diffident army command, not to mention the majority of exhausted and frightened Egyptians for whom the experiment in democracy has meant chaos and a turn to General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as savior.

The most recent US policy statement on deposed president Mohammed Morsi's ouster is a case in point. Once again, Washington distinguished itself by being pushed from behind. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in a July 12 press release that "It's not only an expression of our commitment to the rule of law, but it's also our political conviction, that any form of political repression will damage Egypt's future. We demand an end to the restrictions placed upon Mr. Morsi's freedom of movement."

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