AMERICA has worked hard to strengthen its ties with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt most noticeably after the parliamentary elections of 2010 which turned out to be rigged. In fact we can say that Washington started consolidating its ties with the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood as early as 2005 when they won 82 seats in parliament. Rapprochement between the two sides increased after Washington dropped President Hosni Mubarak from all its accounts. It was clear to America that Mubarak was no longer a trusted and obedient ally and the US did not want him to remain in power, as he was no longer of use to American strategy. Mubarak had refused to allow America to build a strong military base in Egypt and he had also told the US that he would not participate in any military action against Iran. The White House saw no reason not to repeat the Turkish experiment in Egypt and to approve an Islamic rule in Egypt as long as the latter was committed to the safety and security of Israel and as long as Cairo would implement all the requirements of the US strategy even if they were against the interests of the country. However, Washington found itself betting on a horse which was unable to pull the cart. It was inevitable for the US Secretary of State John Kerry to start his Middle East tour with a visit to Cairo to deliver the instructions of President Obama. He met with the Egyptian president, the ministers of foreign affairs and defense, the chief of general intelligence and a number of heads of political parties which are members of the National Salvation Front (NSF). Kerry also held a 45-minute meeting with Amr Moussa, a former presidential candidate and talked at length on the telephone with Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei. A number of political party leaders refused to meet with Kerry. Those who attended the meeting with the American secretary of state did so in their personal capacity not as representatives of the NSF. Leaders of the NSF not only criticized Kerry's visit but decided to boycott the upcoming parliamentary elections. George Ishaq, a leading member of the front, bitterly attacked the meeting even before it was held. He said the Constitutional Party, which he represented, would not attend the meeting with Kerry either individually or collectively. He went further to describe the Americans as “criminals” who are not concerned with the internal stability of Egypt but are rather concerned with the safety and security of Israel. Ishaq accused the US of political hypocrisy. He asked: How does America expect us to enter into a national dialogue and run for office without it denouncing the political violence against us in Egypt? He also asked: Where are the principles of human rights and democracy America is always talking about? He also refused the idea of seeking America's intervention to end the rift between the NSF and the Islamists. “We as government and opposition are more capable of dealing with our internal issues,” he said, adding that Kerry should not meddle in the internal affairs of Egypt. ElBaradei also considered Kerry's efforts to be naked interference in the internal affairs of Egypt and an attempt to press the opposition to reverse its decision to boycott the elections. Mohammed Abu Hamid, a member of the dissolved parliament, talked during the meeting with Kerry about the illegitimacy of the ruling system. He later said that during the meeting Kerry asked the opposition to give up its boycott and to participate in the general elections. Abu Hamid accused the US of being the main factor behind the Muslim Brotherhood coming to power in Egypt through its political support of them. Najeeb Gabriel, chairman of the Egyptian Federation for Human Rights, said he and other prominent Coptic figures refused Kerry's invitation for a meeting. “We will not accept America's intervention in our domestic affairs,” he said. In light of the strong criticism of his visit, Kerry was obliged to say in a press conference with his Egyptian counterpart that he came to Cairo on behalf of President Obama as a friend of Egypt not to support one faction against the other. “I did not come here to support a certain group of people,” he said. This statement was a reflection of the sharp criticism Kerry had heard during his meeting with the representatives of the civil opposition. He was forced to enter the foreign ministry by its back door after protestors raised banners against his visit to Egypt. Kerry left Cairo after lengthy meetings with leaders of political parties, ministers, businessmen, civil rights organizations and others. He will later convey his assessment of the situation in Egypt to the White House which has the final word on all US foreign policy matters. The Egyptians bid Kerry farewell with angry slogans all the way to the airport.
