Text Fwd: [ Hankyoreh Editorial] Egypt’s revolution

Hankyoreh
[Editorial] Egypt’s revolution
Posted on : Feb.1,2011 14:11 KST

EXCERPT

More attention is focusing on Washington’s role in the situation that has arrived at this point. The United States sends about $1.3 billion dollars a year in military aid to Egypt, and major corporations in the military-industrial complex such as Lockheed Martin have concessions there. Washington is in a position to wield considerable influence on the military government in Cairo. It needs to send a signal so that the Egyptian government does not go against the people’s hunger for democracy.

Of course, the idea of an Egypt without Mubarak may be troubling for the United States. He has, after all, been a key companion in Washington’s Middle East policy, which regards the security of Israel as paramount. But quashing Egyptians’ desire for democratization after decades of suppression is not desirable for Washington’s long-term interests or those of the international community. There is a grave danger that thwarting the democratization drive could empower fundamentalists who depend on terror tactics, and lead to greater instability in the region and throughout the world. We hope that the United States does not repeat in Egypt the foolishness of supporting the military government that quashed the Gwangju Democratization Movement in the 1980s, which had the effect of delaying South Korea’s democratization and generating anti-U.S. sentiment.

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