Israel Matzav

Bush's 'execution'

One has to wonder how long the United States will play along with the charade that Egypt is a civilized country that is worthy of US foreign aid. Egypt is the third largest recipient of US foreign aid after Israel and Iraq. But the picture to the left appeared in the January 6 issue of what MEMRI describes as the 'mainstream' Egyptian weekly Roz Al-Yousef. Here's some of the text that went with it:

If Saddam Was Executed for the Murder of 148 Iraqi Citizens, How Many Times Must Bush Be Executed?

"Saddam Hussein was executed for the murder of 148 Iraqis. Do you know how many Iraqi citizens have been murdered, by Bush's own admission, as a result of the American invasion?... A total of 30,000, according to a report in [the Egyptian government daily] Al-Ahram on December 13, 2005. So how many times must Bush be executed for all those murders and for the ones he is still committing...?

"Moreover, he executed [Iraqi] President Saddam Hussein on 'Eid Al-Adha, so he could boast that he had murdered an Arab Muslim president on a Muslim holiday. In his boastfulness, boldness and moral depravity, he also called Saddam's execution 'a step towards democracy.'

"We indeed need a real step in this direction. In other words, we need Bush himself executed, as a true measure of justice, revenge and democracy. Worthy American citizens... I am not appealing to the murderers, thieves, invaders, occupiers, liars, and racists among you, or to those who have undertaken to serve as agents of Israel. I am appealing only to the honorable and conscientious [people] among you, explaining why we are asking you to execute Bush himself...

I know, I know, Egypt is a free country and the government cannot control what is written in the newspapers.... Or can it? According to this article, Roz al-Youssef just happens to be the 'mouthpiece' for Gamal Mubarak, the son and hand-picked successor of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. This article implies that Roz al-Youssef is a government newspaper. And we all know that the press in Egypt is not exactly free.... Egypt, which has cracked down on internet bloggers who criticize President Hosni Mubarak and/or Islam, ranked 133rd out of 168 countries in Reporters without Borders 2006 Press Freedom Index.

So just why is the US giving Egypt all that foreign aid?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:38 PM