Mubarak not military enough for tribunal

The head of Egypt's military judiciary, Adl al-Morsy, said today Mubarak cannot be referred to a military court, as he does not have a current military designation.  According to al-Morsy, his title as chief commander of the armed forces was honorary.

Except, when he was struggling to hang on to power, he pled with his people to remember his service as a pilot in Egypt's Air Force. The military branch of which he served as commander from 1972 to 1975.

Oh, so you have to have a current military designation to be tried before the military court in Egypt?

Like activist Asmaa Mahfouz?

Or blogger Michael Nabil?

Or blogger Alaa abd el-Fattah?

Or any of the other 12,000 Egyptians sentenced before military courts from February to August 2011?

FP: Congresswoman leads-one person congressional delegation to Syrian Embassy

Sheila Jackson Lee is infamous on the Hill for being a terrible boss. I am charitable in saying she is known for her diva-like qualities and tormenting her staffers.

She is also well known for her antics, and this one takes the cake.  She wrote a letter asking the Members of Congress to join her at the Syrian Embassy in Washington "to ask for an immediate cease-fire, a resumption of international mediation, and a peaceful end to the conflict."

Not surprisingly, not one other member joined her on her meeting at the Syrian Embassy to "express ur disapproval of actions taken by President Bashar al-Assad's troops against the people of Syria."

Not only is she crazy, she's stupid for letting herself be used by the al-Assad regime.

According to one congressional aide, "It's hard to show your support for the people of Syria by legitimizing a regime that continues to brutalize them."

Yikes. 

Guest post: The Syrian people are one

By Faress Jouejati

Despite the impressive numbers of Bashar al-Assad’s security apparatus, the Syrian army is not all that powerful. Furthermore, Syrian security forces are now tired and demoralized. Thus, an important show of outside force would cause major cracks in the Syrian army. Let us not forget that there already is foreign intervention in Syria: Russia, Iran, and Hizbullah have all equipped the Syrian army with highly lethal material. The latter two have sent troops to support the regime’s barbaric crackdown on peaceful protesters.

Yes, the weapons al-Assad has are superior to what we can send the Free Syria Army, but, forget not, he is using this military superiority against civilians. It would be outrageous for us to simply sit and watch -- and debate whether we should save civilian lives or not intervene. More than 8,000 have already been murdered: a catastrophe is looming and the civilian casualties will be massive if all we do is flock from one meeting to the next hoping that diplomacy and more sanctions will put an end to state-sponsored terrorism.

Arming the FSA is the best bet to protect the civilians. The arms sent to the FSA would not necessarily be used in acts of vengeance: Syria does not have the kind of sectarian strife that Lebanon, for example, has. Plus, the type of Islam prevalent in Syria is not an extremist Salafist type, to say nothing of the fact that the FSA has rejected the assistance of al-Qaeda. In any case, it is the convoluted Friends of Assad who are bent on inciting sectarianism among the protesters who, to this day, chant, “al shaab al surie wahed (the Syrian people are one).”

To Syrians still on the fence, I say this: the free people of Syria are not rising to please the East or West. They are not paying blood to replace one set of tyrants with another. Remaining silent, however, makes the Revolution more vulnerable to groups with separate agendas from the demands of the Syrian people—freedom, democracy, equality, and justice.

A safe-zone should be established inside Syrian territory, funded by the Gulf and controlled by Turkey. This will give Syrians access to humanitarian relief and provide the FSA with a base out of which to operate. In addition to military equipment, what the FSA needs urgently is communications equipment: stronger command-and-control would give them an edge since they already have the advantage in mobility. The high motivation of the FSA's foot soldiers makes up for the deficit in numbers.

Given the above, it makes sense to support the Syrian people and equip the Free Syria Army. The Syrian people have the right to access medical supplies and weapons to save and protect their families. We must make the presently lopsided balance of power a more equal playing field.

Pucker Up, Buttercup

h/t The Arabist.

SCAF head Hussein Tantawy, kissing Hosni Mubarak, 1980s or early 1990s

Therein lies the problem.

NYT: Egypt relying on accusatory testimony in NGO case

The document detailing the government's case against the NGOs is out and contains some doozies.

Via the NYT:

"The case, for example, cites documents seized in December from one group, the International Republican Institute, that included Wikipedia maps of Egypt showing the country divided into four parts. While Egypt is typically described as comprising four regions--upper and lower Egypt, greater Cairo and the Suez Canal and Sinai region--the prosecution suggested that the maps showed a plan to dismember the country."

For real?

WSJ: Muslim Brotherhood Looks West in Bid to Revive Egyptian Economy

The WSJ has a fascinating (although behind a paywall) article about how the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood eventually agreed to the IMF loan in principle.  The international organization came to the MB, knowing the loan would not push through without their approval.

The MB has long been skeptical of Western intervention, and some members saw the loan similar to those that invited foreign interference in the 18th and 19th centuries to collect debts.

In addition to agreeing to the loan in principle, observers note that now in power, the MB can little afford to rail against Western and Zionist interference. More pressing are economic worries, as Egypt's economy crashes.

Also driving MB decision-making is the rise of the Salafist Nour party, with which the MB must compete for Islamist votes.  As with any country, competition from the right will push politics to the right, perhaps complicating MB efforts to warm to the West.

They have had little time to accustom themselves to the new reality--a year ago they were banned, now they are on the cusp of becoming Egypt's new elite ruling class.

"It's been an extreme crash course for us and it came to a head that day [when they agreed to the loan]," said Essam el-Haddad, the group's foreign policy advisor.  "Remember, for 60 years we were working underground and now we've come out into the light and are staring directly into the sun. We're all blinking and rubbing our eyes, like the Chilean miners. To adapt to this takes time, and we don't have time."

McCain and Graham reiterate support for arming Syrian rebels

Senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham, both on the Senate Armed Services Committee, went before the Sunday talk shows this morning to speak out strongly in favor of arming the Syrian rebels. 

"I believe there are ways to get weapons to the opposition without direct United States involvement," said McCain. "...People that are being massacred deserve to have the ability to defend themselves.  So I am not only opposed, but I am in favor of weapons being obtained by the opposition."

The same day, Army General Martin E. Dempsey told Fareed Zakaria, "I would challenge anyone to clearly identify for me the opposition movement at this point."

"There are a number of players, all of whom are trying to reinforce their particular side of this issue. And until we're a lot clearer about who they are and what they are, I think it would be premature to talk about arming them."

Dempsey also noted Syria's military is "very capable" and the country has a "sophisticated, integrated" air defense system.  

As Abu Muquwama noted, according to the 2011 Military Balance, Syria has 4,950 main battle tanks; 2,450 BPMs; 1,500 more armored personnel carriers; 3,440+ pieces of artillery; and 600,000 men under arms in the active and reserve forces. How is it possible outside forces provide the Syrian rebels with the material necessary to counter this? The answer is that it's not possible; intervention will become necessary.

I am really torn about this issue. On the one hand, what's happening in Syria isn't right. Al-Assad will not stop until he's taken out. But arming the opposition makes me extremely uneasy.  It won't solve anything, and would probably lead to foreign intervention. 

Plus, aren't these guys amongst the rebels?

Yes. 

Does the term blowback ring a bell?

I wouldn't trust them not to turn the weapons against religious and racial minorities, especially Shi'ites, a sect the militant organization considers apostates.  Providing them with weapons would in effect be saving the lives of some--those targeted by the al-Assad regime--by sacrificing those of others--those targeted by al-Qaeda.  

Libyan anchorwoman found dead in prison cell while allegations of torture mount

I was really uncomfortable about the circumstances surrounding Qadhaffi's death.  He was a terrible, terrible man and deserved whatever he had coming.  The individual who killed him was most likely overcome with emotions and determined to inflict revenge on the guy who killed/tortured/raped his friends/family/countrymen.  Completely understandable reaction; to be honest, had I been the dude who first happened upon OBL in Abbottabad I probably would have shot him in the face as well).

That was before his disfigured body was put on display in a freezer in a strip mall in Misrata, where people came to snap cell phone photos with his corpse.

But, I thought, what kind of country will be created if its defining moment was the sodomization (caution: link is graphic) and extrajudicial assassination of its previous leader? What kind of national narrative will that create?  The chief prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo of the ICC even said the circumstances around his death "may have been a war crime."

Unfortunately, my concerns panned out. There have been reports of prisoner torture of supporters of the deposed Brother Leader at the hands of the new Libyan government. MSF (Doctors Without Borders) suspended its work in Misrata because of an alarming rise of torture cases.

According to the BBC, international human rights groups say such incidents are widespread in Libya.  Amnesty International is one such organization, whose spokesman recently said, "The torture is being carried out by officially recognized military and security entities as well as by a multitude of armed militias operating outside any legal framework."

Just this morning, Halah al-Misrati, the former anchorwoman made infamous by her on-air call for jihad against the Libyan rebel forces, was found dead in her prison cell.  The National Transition Council made no comment.

In December 2011, a video was released of her with what appeared to be her tongue cut off.

As Condi said, to much derision, there are always "growing pains." But if these allegations prove to be true, it is worth considering what kind of regime replaced that of Qadhaffi.  

Salafi Rice

If it's election time in Egypt, it's time for free rice.

Together, on the path of light.

Israeli intelligence teams up with terror group-turned-cult to kill Iranian nuclear scientists

If this is true, it is really disturbing.  US officials leaked to NBC Israel is teaming with the Mujahideen e-Khalq (MEK) to kill Iranian nuclear scientists.  

Five Iranian nuclear scientists have been killed since 2007, mostly by car bombs.  The Iranian government said it discovered the connection between Israeli intel forces and the MEK after the 2010 arrest of a would-be assassin who failed in his mission to kill a scientist.

There are also unconfirmed reports in the Israeli press that Israel and the MEK were involved in the November 12, 2011, explosion that destroyed an Iranian missile research and development site in Bin Kaneh, 30 miles outside Tehran.  

Two US officials confirmed the partnership, one saying, "All your inclinations are correct." Israel's Foreign Ministry declined to comment and the MEK said the allegations were "absolutely false."

Formed in 1965 by a group of radical Tehran University students convinced Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was a puppet of the West, the MEK, or the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI), aimed to spark an armed struggle based on Marxist-Islamist ideology and lead the people in a revolt against the government.  The organization focused on the indoctrination and training in urban guerilla warfare of a small core of activists in its first five years.  It worked closely with the Tudeh (Communist) party throughout the 1970s and developed close ties with the Soviet Union, Cuba, East Germany, and other leftist organizations throughout the world.  An example of the MEK’s outreach to what it perceived to be like-minded international movements was in 1970 when thirteen members traveled to Jordan and Lebanon to receive military training inside Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) camps.  After failed street protests against the Shah in the 1980s, they were exiled to Iraq, where they recently have been kicked out of Camp Ashraf.  

The MEK is just about universally despised at home. I can't imagine a better way to unite Iranians around their regime than to team Israel and the MEK against them.  Even those who share the goal of removing the current regime from power, such as the youth-led Green movement that was so brutally repressed following fixed presidential elections in 2009, reject the group.  Suspicious of its aims and unsupportive of its violent tendencies, the democracy activists seek support at home, as opposed to the MEK’s high profile courtship of Western backing.  According to Zahra Rahnavard, women’s rights activist and wife of Green Movement leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, “The MEK can't be part of the Green Movement. This bankrupt political group is now making some laughable claims, but the Green Movement and the MEK have a wall between them and all of us, including myself, Mr. Mousavi, Mr. [Mohammad] Khatami, and Mr. [Mehdi] Karroubi.”  Not only are the MEK's violent tendencies rejected, but many in Iran see the organization and traitorous terrorists who are willing not only to kill, but to kill their own people. Further, the fact that the MEK sided with Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war is unforgivable.   The destruction wrought by that war on Iranian society is difficult to fathom from the outside—an entire generation of men wiped out, marched to their deaths for naught. 

The organization was placed on the US list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) when the list was created in 1997.  The MEK has a long history of targeting Americans and Iranians abroad and at home through hostage taking, assassinations, and bombings.  

The MEK's lobbying prowess on Capitol Hill is top notch. For years, its political arm was practically the only Iranian-American group organized for lobbying. Drawing upon its deep pocket from undisclosed sources, the MEK asserts it speaks for the people of Iran, demands democracy for its people, and seeks to work with the US to undermine the Islamic Republic.  These efforts have been remarkably successful. In 2011--not a year of bipartisanship, to say the least-the MEK was able to get 51 Democrats and 45 Republicans to sign a resolution calling on State to remove the MEK from the list of FTOs.  

It also counts Howard Dean, Rudy Giuliani, former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Hugh Shelton and Peter Pace, Wesley Clark, General James Jones, former FBI Director Louis J. Freeh, former intel officials Dennis Blair and Michael Haden, former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, former Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey, and former congressman and 9/11 Commission co-chair Lee Hamilton among its supporters.  At least a handful of these officials receive generous speaking fees from the group.  

There has been pushback by United States officials against changing the designation of the MEK as a terrorist organization. Cofer Black, the Department of State’s former counterterrorism coordinator, said, “The US government does not negotiate with terrorists. The MEK’s opposition to the Iranian government does not change the fact that they are a terrorist organization.”   As Secretary of State, Colin Powell said, “Any flirtation with the MEK would undermine Washington’s stand against terrorism.”   Current Obama administration officials have been less explicit. In a October 27, 2011, hearing before the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would only say State is currently reviewing the designation of MEK as a terrorist organization.

Cooperation between Israeli intelligence forces and the MEK is a publicity coup for the Iranian regime and further alienates any sections of Iranian society who may be not completely supportive or adamant about Iran's nuclear program.  While the partnership may make short-term gains by taking out a few scientists or program sites, it is not a long term solution and only makes the situation more polarized and emotionally fraught.