More on Egypt

Since I’ve been remiss in my rather limited coverage of the crisis in Egypt, I turn to the brilliant staff of writers at Slate to help me out. They’ve put out a number of great articles that should be required reading for anyone looking to seriously and critically think about the revolution in Egypt and its overall importance:

1. The Explainer details the ways in which Egyptians’ right to free speech is curtailed.
2. Hitchens argues that dictators like Mubarak face overthrow not because of their ruthless control over their citizenry, but because they insult their citizens by holding fake elections and the like. He also reminds us that the lure of the stable dictatorship is illusory and ought to be tossed in the trash.
3. Shmuel Rosner preaches caution, because revolutions are unpredictable and dangerous. Remember Lebanon’s Cedar Revolution, which Rosner points out has crashed and burned.
4. Foreign Policy profiles eight US allies besides Mubarak that embarrass the US.

Also check out this brief NPR interview with Egyptian dissident and Harvard professor, Saad Eddin Ibrahim, who discusses US aid to Egypt and how it can use that aid to promote human rights.

Revolution in Egypt

A few notes on Egypt:

1) I think the reaction in the US to the Egyptian crisis has been interesting. Many on the left are upset that President Obama has not done more to promote the removal of Mubarak, while most on the right have chided him for abandoning Mubarak, an important US ally in the Middle East. The talk on the right seems to be motivated by concern over the Muslim Brotherhood taking control of Egypt and the possible threat that might pose to Israel (most of what I have read, to the contrary, states that the Muslim Brotherhood, while Islamist, is actually quite moderate, and the party would be unlikely to capture more than 30 percent of Egyptian votes).

I do understand the concern for Israel. Revolutionary state theory suggests that unclear perceptions and motives in this environment make conflict more likely. Still, I believe in liberalism, and I believe that a democratic Egypt can be an even greater ally to Israel than an autocratic Egypt.  And the popular, democratic rights and desires of the Egyptian population should not be sacrificed for Israeli security concerns. If and when a new Egyptian government is formed, the US and Israel can make clear that they want friendly relations and will not tolerate threats to the Israeli state.

Terror Strikes Moscow, Ctd.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has criticized security at Domodedovo Airport and is even calling for the prosecution of Interior Ministry and Federal Security Service officials.

Image via Wikipedia

Elsewhere, Masha Gessen of Slate argues that Russia has essentially invited attack upon itself by not beefing up security in the face of threats. Apparently, the airport’s management knew weeks in advance of a planned attack on Domodedovo, and even knew that the arrivals area was the target. Still, no extra security measures were put in place (to the contrary, the airport security staff was halved a month ago). Some Americans might find this refreshing, given the averse reaction to the TSA’s new security guidelines. But seriously, why don’t the Russians seem to care about their safety?

Terror strikes Moscow

A man injured in the suicide bombing at Domodedovo Airport is treated by emergency workers. (Ivan Sekretarev/Associated Press)

A suicide bomber detonated what appears to have been a rather  large bomb at Domodedovo Airport in Moscow today.  According to the latest reports, 35 people have been killed and 152 injured. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but militants from the North Caucasus, who have been held responsible for a number of attacks in recent years, are suspected.

In  his book, Dying to Win, terrorism expert Robert Pape argues that suicide terrorism is a rational strategy used by organizations who perceive that their homeland is occupied by a foreign, democratic power. That the occupying power has a democratic government is important because suicide terrorism is meant to target civilian populations who would then pressure their government to abandon its occupation. If the government does not respond to the will of the people, suicide terrorism is unlikely to be effective. This begs the question: why is Russia falling victim to suicide terrorism?