Saturday, March 10, 2012

Not in the US press: anti-Americanism in Egypt

This is an uncovered story in the US press. There is rising anti-American sentiments in Egypt following the smuggling of the American staffers of the NGOs that were operating illegally in Egypt.  All political voices are united against the act and there are accusations of collaboration between the US and the military rulers of Egypt.  Yet, I have not read one story on that in the US press.  As soon as the Americans were smuggled out, the story died in the US press.  There were demonstrations against the US yesterday in Cairo and the demonstrators clashed with the police.   Worse, look at the language of the AP in this dispatch:  "Protesters outside the U.S. Embassy in Cairo supporting the Egyptian military’s crackdown on international pro-democracy groups clashed Friday with demonstrators rallying against the country’s military leadership. Dozens of people were injured.  The issue of the pro-democracy groups has been at the center of one of the most divisive chapters of U.S.-Egyptian relations in recent decades."  So let me get this straight: those who supported the Mubarak dictatorship for years and those who followed US policies over the years which were predicated on the support of the dictator are "pro-democracy" and those who overthrew the dictator are not?  And notice that the language does not say that they protested against the US.