Will Obama intervene in Egypt crisis?

This was quite expected! President Barrack Obama has expressed his concern over intensification of anti-government protests in Eqypt, as armored tanks roll on to the streets of Cairo. Again, the ‘unbounded’ fears for US security have taken front-seat and Obama has called an national security team meeting to review the ‘political unrest’ situation in Cairo.

U.S and its Foreign policy cannot trample over other capable leaders on foreign shores every time! There is no need to over-react to the situation since there are no indications of any fundamentalist Islamic ruler taking over in Egypt (even, the ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ has changed a lot due to the reformist elements within the party). For long, US has supported President Hosni Mubarak and his autocratic rule in Egypt under the guise that they are promoting a democratic situation in the making. The current ‘Uprising’ has developed over a long period of unrest and is still locality-specific. It is internal political strife in Cairo and sufficient time has to be given to the ruling government for creating an option to restore peace. Egypt is having the largest population (84.5 million) in the Arab world and I have learned that Egyptians are just like any other middle class society, through my interactions with them while I was in the Middle East. They are passionate, intelligent and resilient! Quite well, Tunisia has caused or ignited a revolt (not a revolution) in Egypt and Mubarak has to go! Worst, the ‘deployed’ army soldiers are co-operating with street protesters in this revolt against Hosni Mubarak.

‘Looters rampaged through malls and luxury shops in upmarket Cairo as more army men doffed their uniforms and joined the unprecedented movement for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s ouster that has left over 100 dead in the last six days. Breaking into malls along the Nile, looters picked up TV sets, furniture, electronic items and clothes defying curfew and and heavy presence of security personnel in the capital. A beleaguered President Hosni Mubarak, 82, had yesterday showed first signs of handing over power as he appointed for the first time his intelligence chief Omar Suleiman as Vice-President after 30 years of autocratic rule’ (Source: Sify News)

Negative developments in Eqypt (during the recent months) affecting its tourism earnings, oil revenues and remittances from millions of Egyptian ‘expatriate’ workers in oil-rich Arab states – have aggravated the already ‘fragile and stressed’ situation. For President Hosni Mubarak’s government, an economic crisis is almost inevitable in the near term and a major political explosion only slightly less likely.

Visiting tourists are trying fast to get the exit route from Egypt!