Geopolitics isn't so simple, Grant. Do you honestly think that Egypt doesn't have leverage over the US? They've got this prime price of real estate called the Suez Canal that is of vital strategic interest to much of the world. You think they've never laid that marker ont eh table to get money from the US? You seem to think we're engaged in a one-sided transaction. We pay the money so we must call the shots, huh? Its never as easy as s the US self loathing of some would have us believe. Egypt has plenty of skin in the game with which to get money from the US.
Most people don't realize there is an important military presence in Egypt. The numbers aren't large, but the units in the region are important. It would be ashame if they had to leave.
And lets not forget Egypt's recognition of Israel and its role as a diplomatice go-between for other Arab nations. It would be a major blow if Egypt had a change of heart, would it not? Keep that money flowing or else.
Anyone who things the US is the big bad guy throwing money around like a Washington lobbyist, getting favors in return doesn't understand how the game is played and how much leverage Egypt has. They are hardly the poor exploited country with a US puppet government.
Want another example? How about Desert Storm? 10 years ago, we had a clear path into Bagdhad and could have taken Saddam out then. Anyone know why we didn't? I personally was 170 miles outside of Bagdhad and there was nothing Iraq could have done to stop us from ending Saddam's regime. Moreover, we had already promised liberation to Iraq and Kurdish freedom fighters. So why did we go back on our word?
The answer simply is Egyptian armor - US made tanks. Egypt made two things very clear to us. First, they would quit the battlefield if Israel participated in any direct way with the ofensive. They could provide intelligence reports through the Moussad, but their armed forces had to sit on the sidelines even while Scuds rained down on them. Secondly, if the coalition attempted to remove Saddam from power, Egypt and Syrian forces would defend the Iraqi government. Their armor were on our flank.
Still think Egypt was just the poor US puppet? Think again. That pie-in-the-sky anti-America viewpoint doesn't fit with the real-world view of my 10 years in uniform. I trained Egyptian officers, I was stationed in Cairo (twice) and I've fought along side them. Egypt knows how to play the game and they do have positions of strength from which to deal the deck.
very sad story
