Another SOB is nervous : Egypt alarmed by new U.S. Iran policy despite assurances

Gertz:

WASHINGTON — The regime of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was said to have been alarmed by the new U.S. policy to reconcile with Iran.

A report by the Washington Institute asserted that the new reconciliation policy with Iran by U.S. President Barack Obama has sparked alarm in Cairo.

The report, authored by researchers David Pollock and Mohammad Yaghi, said Egyptian other Arab diplomats have not been assuaged by U.S. assurances that engagement with Iran did not mean abandoning Washington's opposition to Teheran's nuclear and regional destabilization efforts.

I guess they're not as stupid as the look. I wonder if the Obamanoids have a clue what all this around them means?

"Such sharp exchanges reflect genuine anxiety among the Egyptian elite, observed by one of the authors during a visit to Cairo last week, not only about Iran's own activities, but also in regard to the new U.S. willingness to engage Teheran," the report, titled "Egypt's Campaign against Iran Sends Washington a Signal, said.

The report said the Egyptian announcement of a Hizbullah network in Cairo and the Sinai Peninsula was meant to express Mubarak's dismay over U.S. policy toward Iran. Pollack and Yaghi said the Egyptian position has been shared by other Arab states.

"At a recent State Department briefing for a select group of friendly Arab states, including Egypt, the U.S. message reportedly emphasized that its efforts to engage Iran now would improve the prospects of confronting Iran later, if necessary," the report said.

"The Arab diplomats apparently did not find this message entirely reassuring, with some asking pointedly about more immediate Iranian threats. Egypt's new revelations about the Hizbullah plot on its own territory present the most vivid case in point."

The report said Egypt has been most concerned over Iranian attempts to infiltrate Arab states. The Hizbullah cell, said to have been financed by Iran, was regarded as part of Teheran's policy to destabilize pro-U.S. allies in the Middle East.

"Cairo is sending a signal to Washington that the nuclear file is not the only — or even the most urgent — aspect of the Iranian threat," the report said.

Unfortunately for Hosni et al, the Obamanerds dialectic does not fit the objective reality of the planet.

The report said Egypt arrested the commander of the Hizbullah network in November 2008. But the Mubarak regime refrained from disclosing the network until Egypt decided to influence U.S. and Arab policy toward Teheran.

That would make the Egyptians BEYOND STUPID.

"It clearly reflects that Cairo is taking sides in an increasingly polarized pan-Arab debate on Iranian influence in the region," the report said. "Especially striking in this case is Cairo's outspoken challenge not just to Hizbullah, but also to its Iranian patrons."

Pollack and Yaghi urged the Obama administration to help Egypt battle Iranian destabilization efforts. They said the Egyptian campaign against Hizbullah would provide Washington with an opportunity to demonstrate its support for pro-U.S. allies in the Arab world.

"The United States should move quickly to provide strong public support and tangible assistance to Egypt and other Arab governments in their efforts to counter Iran's increasingly brazen subversion," the report said. "Such a stance is not incompatible with Washington's search for a way to engage Iran. On the contrary, the essence of smart statecraft lies precisely in the ability to talk while simultaneously protecting one's interests and preserving one's principles."