On Friday the Egyptian body count hit 36 in a single day. The way things are going that number might come to be considered minor in the very near future.
Muslim Brotherhood leader, Mohamed Badie was quoted by NBC as saying, "God is great. He can crush every traitor and every tyrant." Mr. Badie needs for the Lord to hurry up with that bit of work, because he is currently on the lam from the people in charge of the country.
NBC is also reporting that a new radical group is apparently being put together in the Sinai region. It calls itself, Ansar al-Sharia in Egypt. In an online forum for Islamic militants it announced it would begin to gather weapons and train members for combat. The group blamed secularists, Coptic Christians, state security forces, and army commanders for the whole situation, saying this dark cabal wanted to turn Egypt into a "crusader, secular freak." It promised to, "deter the attackers, preserve the religion, and empower the sharia of the Lord."
Arizona republican Senator John McCain, who has a unique view of what the American middle east policy should be, is urging the United States to cut off military aid to the Egyptian army. Just a few weeks ago he argued that the U.S. government should provide arms to the rebel side in the Syrian civil war. He bases his recent logic on an American law that states we will not provide aid to a military that has overthrown a freely elected government. He also acknowledges his take on the situation might be a tad problematic. He was quoted as saying, "I'm aware that by suspending aid to the Egyptian military, which is the only stable institution in Egypt, we are risking further problems in the Sinai and other areas of cooperation with the Egyptian military."
What we have here is an absolute conundrum. America was all rah rah for free elections a year ago. Then the Egyptians went out and elected a guy who we didn't really trust and who almost immediately began moving the country toward a strict theocracy. Unfortunately for him the local economy was falling apart and he found out a harsh truth--you can screw with the government, but you can't fuck with the average person's dinner without consequences.
After mass demonstrations the army, which is largely financed by us, overthrows the dude because of what he was, or was not doing. In their words, it was not a coup, they were just carrying out the will of the people by creating a new and improved democracy, one, coincidentally, more suitable to our tastes also. However, in doing so they quite probably have pushed the old regime's supporters straight into the arms of even more radical Islamic organizations. So, what we've managed to do is put ourselves into the position of having to ignore that law McCain cites. Let's face it, if the Morsi people win this one they are going to unload not only on the military, but vast numbers of those happy souls who were celebrating in Tahrir Square the other night. Indeed, if you thought Mohammed Morsi was a religious tyrant before, just wait to see what happens if he gets back in office now. Picture an Iran, only one who is in complete control of the Suez Canal.
Meanwhile, speaking of Islamic radicals, a group of them in Nigeria attacked a boarding school the other night. They shot some of the students to death and burned the others alive. NBC reports the death toll is at 29. The group responsible is said to be called Boko Haram which is supposed to translate to, "Western Education is Sacrilege," although that seems a stretch for some reason. According to the story dozens of schools in north eastern Nigeria have been burned down in the last year and since 2010 at least 1,600 civilians have been killed in fighting.
In Brazil, the country which will host the World Cup next year, a soccer referee and amateur player got into an argument during a game on June 30th. The referee, in a reversal of the norm, pulled a knife and stabbed the player to death. Not to be outdone, family and friends of the player rushed the pitch, lynched the ref, quartered his body, decapitated him, and left his head on a stake at the field. Authorities are investigating.
Finally, police in Seattle, WA arrested Justin Miles Jasper, aged 21. They found him in possession of anti government propaganda, written material relating to the Syrian civil war and political unrest in--yes--Brazil. He also had on hand a stolen rifle with a scope, a shotgun, three knives, a machete, six Molotov cocktails, and directions to three Seattle area college campuses. Bail was set at $2 million.
And there we have it, sports fans. Another week is in the books for good or ill.
As always stay low and keep moving. You never know about that person across the street.
Mr. Sulu, you have the con.
7-6-13
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