I’ve had to chuckle at the editorial writers and cartoonists in the past week who have naively portrayed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak as the epitome of evil and those demanding his ouster as fighters for democracy.
Early in the current struggle, many Americans applauded that social networking sites sparked a democratic revolution. They rejoiced that a henchman could be ousted without involving the U.S. military, as happened in nearby Iraq. Then came the clashes between forces hostile to Mubarak and those supporting him. In one 24-hour period, 400 reporters were injured in the melee.
Clearly, Mubarak can be labeled a dictator and even a thug. But there is a reason that five U.S. presidents from Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama have propped him up, currently pouring more than a billion dollars in military aid to Egypt. The alternative could be a great deal scarier.
If a banned Islamic terrorist group becomes part of the ruling coalition in Egypt it could have catastrophic consequences for the United States in efforts to contain terrorism. It’s unlikely that a new regime formed in the midst of chaos would be interested in protecting the religious freedoms of the already oppressed Christian minority in Egypt.
An orderly transition to a new leader is desirable. If an Islamic revolution happens in Egypt as it did in Iran more than 30 years ago, moderate Islam will no longer be tolerated.
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