Egypt Cancels Democracy Conference

[Rose Siding]

CAIRO, Egypt -- Egypt's postponement of a conference of G-8 and Arab ministers on promoting democracy -- prompted by a dispute with Washington over the jailing of a little-known activist -- raised the hopes of rights activists that the United States may soon stop looking the other way.

There likely will be many more such scrapes as Washington tries to encourage democratic reform and Cairo tries to show its independence. The question, analysts say, is how hard the United States is willing to risk damaging its key alliance with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

"The Bush administration is not ready and willing to basically confront the Mubarak regime and get in a fight," said Fawaz Gerges, a Mideast expert at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, N.Y.

Egypt postponed the conference Saturday. It had been set for next month but was delayed apparently in reaction to Washington's pointed criticism of the arrest of Ayman Nour, the leader of an opposition party.

The announcement of the delay came only days after Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice raised "very strong concerns" about Nour's detention when she met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit on Tuesday.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-egypt-us-democracy,0,625986.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

[LinuxInsurgent]

1. wow...why am I not surprised...

Hosni "President for Life" delaying a democracy conference? nahhhh....

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. "Reform will be much easier if the Americans shut their mouth."

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.
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IT's IN THE ARTICLE - don't flame me yet!


Rice's criticism after her meeting with the Egyptian foreign minister raised an outcry in the Egyptian press. Even many opposition newspapers have reflected the government stance that Washington is meddling in its internal affairs.

"American Impudence" read the headline of the weekly El-Osboa Sunday.

The leftist opposition weekly Al-Arabi said in a headline: "Condoleezza Rice crushed the dignity of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry,"

Egyptian political analyst Abdel Moneim Said, head of Cairo's Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, a nonofficial think tank said: "Reform will be much easier if the Americans shut their mouth."


"Washington is meddling in its internal affairs."

Gee, that's hard to believe, eh?

USA meddling ?

nyaaaaaaaaaaahh :eyes:

[LinuxInsurgent]

3. i totally agre...

no one wants the hypocritical bully telling them how to reform their ways.

[proudbluestater]

4. Love this one...

"The Bush administration is not ready and willing to basically confront the Mubarak regime and get in a fight," said Fawaz Gerges, a Mideast expert at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, N.Y.


Got to leave ONE ally in the region.

[NYC Liberal]

5. In other news, Bush cancels Democracy.

Sorry folks!