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EGYPT: Tribute to U.S. General Draws Fire
By Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa al-Omrani
CAIRO, Mar 12 (IPS) - Cairo's decision last month to award U.S. General
John Abizaid a prestigious medal of honour
has angered much of the political opposition.
The government move underscored Cairo's "strategic relationship" with
Washington in the
face overwhelming public disapproval of U.S. policy in the region.
"Abizaid is despised by the Egyptian people - probably by all Arabs -
for the role he
played in Iraq," Refaat al-Saeed, head of the socialist Tegemmu Party told
IPS. "Honouring
him in this way is like honouring (former Israeli prime ministers) Ariel
Sharon or Benjamin
Netanyahu."
During a two-day visit to Cairo in mid-February, Abizaid - former head of
the U.S.
Central Command - was awarded Egypt's first-class medal of merit on the
occasion of his
retirement.
According to the Feb. 19 edition of government daily al-Ahram, President
Hosni Mubarak
made the gesture "in appreciation for (Abizaid's) efforts towards
supporting Egypt-U.S.
military cooperation."
The medal was presented by defence minister Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein
Tantawi,
the broadsheet noted in a small front-page article.
Abizaid, 56, played a major role in the U.S.-led military occupation of
Iraq.
In July 2003, four months after the invasion of the country, Abizaid was
appointed chief of
the Qatar-based U.S. Central Command, responsible for U.S. military
activity in 27
countries in the Middle East, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, the
Persian Gulf and
southern and central Asia.
Born to a Lebanese Christian father and mother from the United States, the
general
reportedly speaks fluent Arabic.
Abizaid has been no stranger to Cairo in recent years. "We have an
excellent military
relationship with Egypt," he said in an April 2006 interview with leftist
opposition weekly
al-Ahali. "I try to come to Cairo every three or four months to support
and develop that
relationship."
He went on to note the "great importance" that Washington attached to its
close
association with Egypt, a country he described as "a military power in the
region and a
centre of stability in the Middle East."
Since the 2001 attacks in New York and Washington, Abizaid has been a
zealous advocate
of the U.S.-led "global war on terrorism".
In a speech last November at Harvard University, he warned that a failure
to address
Islamic extremism "would lead to World War III."
Echoing earlier statements by U.S. President George W. Bush, Abizaid went
on to draw a
comparison between extremist Islam and World War II-era European fascism.
Given the overwhelming unpopularity of U.S. policy - particularly in
Iraq - on the
Egyptian street, Cairo's decision to honour the U.S. general has drawn
vigorous
condemnation from the political opposition.
"We strongly oppose the decision," Hamdi Hasan, spokesman for the Muslim
Brotherhood's
opposition bloc in parliament told IPS. "Abizaid never did anything for
Egypt to deserve
this tribute. It's not appropriate to honour those who work for the
occupation of a fellow
Arab country."
Reflecting widely reported public perceptions in the region, he said "the
U.S. stands
against the Arab cause and serves Zionist interests."
Much of the secular opposition was no less critical.
The opposition weekly al-Arabi al-Nassiri published two articles that
vehemently criticised
the tribute to Abizaid. "The U.S. general is complicit in wars of
extermination in
Afghanistan and Iraq and deserves - along with the entire U.S.
administration - the
strongest possible condemnation," one article said.
The paper went on to criticise Egypt's extensive military cooperation with
Washington,
particularly within the context of the Iraq war.
"Egypt-U.S. military cooperation goes further than joint manoeuvres and
the exchange of
intelligence," the writer of the articles noted. "It also includes opening
the Suez Canal to
U.S. aircraft carriers used to attack Iraq - a method likely be repeated
in an upcoming
attack on Iran."
"Egypt is the only country outside the U.S. to honour Abizaid like this,"
the writer said.
"Even Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf - despite his close
relationship with
Washington - only went so far as thanking the general" during the
latter's trip to
Pakistan.
Political analysts appear hard pressed to provide an explanation for
Cairo's unpopular
decision.
Saad Hagras, a prominent Egyptian journalist and political analyst (who
conducted the
earlier al-Ahali interview) called the move "incomprehensible", adding
that "the general's
most important accomplishments have been the invasion of Iraq and the
destruction of the
Iraqi people."
"Egypt has received billions of dollars in U.S. financial aid since it
signed the 1979 Camp
David Agreement in exchange for putting its policies at the service of the
U.S.," Hagras
told IPS. "They call Egypt a 'strategic ally' of the U.S., but America's
only real strategic ally
is Israel."
Egypt has received more than 2 billion dollars in financial assistance
annually from the U.S.
since signing the pact with Israel. In return, Egypt has honoured the
peace agreement and
implemented a number of major economic reforms aimed at liberalising the
economy.
Displeasure over U.S. policy became palpable Mar. 4 when dozens of
journalists prevented
the entry of a U.S. embassy spokesman into the Cairo Journalists Syndicate
office to
participate in a scheduled seminar.
Two days later, at a heated session of the Shura Council (the consultative
chamber of
parliament), the head of the council and ruling party stalwart Safwat
Sherif defended
Egypt's contentious relationship with the United States.
"Egypt bears responsibilities in the region, particularly in the fight
against terrorism,"
Sherif was quoted as saying in the Mar. 7 edition of independent daily
al-Masri al-Youm.
"In this regard, Egypt is entitled to some financial aid as the national
interest remains the
paramount consideration."
Despite the row, the strategic relationship appears stronger than ever.
On Mar. 6, U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Francis J. Ricciardone welcomed a
proposed visit by
Mubarak to Washington. The ambassador praised Egypt's "pioneering" role in
the region,
saying that both Egypt and Mubarak were "well-known to the American
people." (END/2007)
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