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This Visit to Egypt
was an eye opener. Back in October my brother, the short one and I spent two weeks in the Middle East seeing the sights and talking and sharing meals with more that six different personal tour guides and Egyptoligists. The experience was enlightening on both the Muslim religious aspect and their political views on both Iraq and Egypt. We were there during Ramadan so they were always thirsty and hungry. We had them in a unfair weakened condition for answering questions.
First of all they all generally agreed that the junior and senior leadership in Egypt was corrupt and holding back progress. The country educates it smarter students. The better you apply yourself academically the further you go in school. You can in fact defer compulsory military service by keeping your grades high but the sour note for two of the guides is when you graduate with various degrees there are few good paying jobs. Very high unemployment. If you want to go into business the nightmare of permits, delays, payoffs can be endless unless you are rich to begin with. Importing the tools like computers, cars, equipment, is heavily taxed and discouraging for business expansion.
Everyone but a small Christian minority is Muslim. Egyptians enjoy religious freedom and no one is forced to practice any religion. The respect given to the senior members of the close knit family relationships keeps members from straying very far, religiously. Everyone lives with family, three and four generations in one building is the norm. This is the fundamental way of life among the Muslims in the Middle East.
Though there is contempt for the government it is mild with only some fringe elements making further freedom demands. Mubarrak and family has run a tight ship for almost thirty years and doesn't look like he's giving up power any time soon.
As for their opinion about the US being in Iraq- -well we were told that when we get to Egypt and people ask us where we are from we should say Canada, definitely not the US. Well I'm here to tell you folks that just ain't so. Egyptians, like people where ever I've traveled, like Americans. So after a bit of trepidation and after telling and inquiring Egyptian that I was American and him giving me a big smile and a glad hand in return, I had no hesitation from then on.
They are very glad that Saddam is gone but they don't want lasting US presence in the Middle East. They really don't think that we should be meddling in Middle Eastern affairs. I don't blame them. They are a very proud people and foreigners are not welcome except as tourists. It's not so much a religious reason as it is more a nationalistic thing . Arab affairs should be left to Arabs as they see it but at the same time they understand the US motivations.
One tour guide offered that he guided American soldiers on R&R recently and they offered oil as the reason America is in Iraq. I gave my new friend additional reasons but he clung to the one he wanted to believe. Oil.

More on Egypt soon.

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Iraq,How is the war going?

Recently the president gave two speech's on how the war is going in Iraq. The first was about how the military situation was improving and the second about how the economy was improving. He gave some interesting supportive statistics believing that was enough to convince Americans that we are on the right path to victory. His latest polls show he scored some points.

Naturally, opposition mumbled something about Bush not having a real plan on how we are going to win the war over there and bring our boys home. Some even said it is un-winable others say let's cut and run but a recent house vote on just that suggestion was defeated by all but three votes.

An interesting issue that has long been put on the side lines by me and other political writers is the one of religion. We are engaged in a ground war by our military against a semi organized foreign insurgency and Iraqi grown fanatics that are loosely connected to each other by the Muslim religion. I will admit that waging a war on a religion is one that is hard to win. We are looked upon as modern day Crusaders invading the holy land of Saladin and Mohammad and that is the propaganda that mullas use for recruiting new fanatics.

Our saving grace is American history. We have never gone to war and remained after without invitation. We don't go to war for glory, riches or spoils. We have never, as a government policy, tortured, maimed or killed prisoners of war. We have always rebuilt the country of our enemy. Name me another country in history like that.

Therefore, what out come do the insurgents, fanatics, terrorists want?

One, they want us completely out of the middle east, our military and civilian presence. We are infidels according to the Koran and not until all the Israelis and all westerners are out of the middle east will they ease up.

Two, they want and Islamic, Iranian style country established now that Saddam is gone. The old secular Bathist government is also out with the removal of Saddam.

Three, they want to wage war on the western infidels from a solidified base of middle eastern muslim countries. They want to oust monarchy's in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and establish religious Muslim run countries.

What do we want?

Reliable uninterrupted flow of oil and that is only possible with peace and security in the region.
The French, Germans and Russians believed it was possible with out war on Saddam. Until 9/11 we believed the same way. The effects of 9/11, the bombing on the Cole, the blowing up of the embassy in Lebanon, and in the Sudan gave us pause to realize that we were all kidding ourselves. The Muslim- fanatic- terrorists of the world wanted unrest and control in the middle east and wanted the westerners out.

We had to look to our own best interests and to stop the terrorists from killing us.

How are we going to win? Establish a lawful secure democracy in Iraq remembering that freedom trumps religion, even fanatical religion.

Pull out or stay in Iraq.

Have you been following the dialogue between the Democrats and the Republicans over the pull out of Iraq debate? Have you ever seen so much nothing made out of something before? Take the troops out today, tomorrow, next year, slowly, quickly, now, later. How ridiculous do the politicians sound?

Every Democrat is seeking the public eye to say what? To say they agree with continuing to stay the course, and agree with the President, Lieberman. To the other end of the spectrum, we have to get out now, Pelosi, Kennedy. Others are on the fence untill the New Hampshire primarys, Clinton.

Democrats are all over the map but are the Republicans taking advantage of the Democratic mixed message.? No! They have the President making a short speech saying we are listening to the commanders on the ground and we will pull out the troops when we have won the war. Many Democrats say, "How do we know when we have won the war"?
Many citizens are asking the same question because they simply do not understand. But you can bet the Democrats are explaining and confusing the public even more.

The President should do an FDR style weekly fire side chat with the weekly updates of the Military. The President should be saying things like, "Look folks we said after 9/11
that the American people would pursue the terrorists to what ever hole they are hiding in. We will not allow any country to provide safe haven for the terrorists. We will not allow any country to aid and provide comfort to any terrorist. Today, three plus years later, we are still engaged in eliminating those terrorists. They can be found in Iraq making there last stand.

The President needs the people behind him and re-assure them. The Democrats are out in front of the media every day, in large numbers,undercurrentg him. They want their power base back and the Presidents passiveness seems to be giving it to them. The occasional impassioned speechs in front of the clapping military academy is not going to cut it. A frequent chat and update of the war is what is expected. If that chat comes from the Oval Office or by the fireplace it would be more to the point. He would be speaking to the American people, not to the military.

FDR knew how to effectively communicate during equally difficult times. The president needs to find his voice.