No Harpoons for Egypt (Part I, The American Part)

The current war against terrorists and their supporters has caused some Americans to take a look at anti-American sentiment around the world – causes and perhaps cures. The most comfortable explanation is that dictatorial regimes and their controlled media lie about America and blame us for their shortcomings.

The current war against terrorists and their supporters has caused some Americans to take a look at anti-American sentiment around the world – causes and perhaps cures. The most comfortable explanation is that dictatorial regimes and their controlled media lie about America and blame us for their shortcomings. When we do blame ourselves, it is along the lines of, “We are ineffective in telling our story to the people of the Third World – we are really quite generous and kind, it’s just that they don’t know it.”Like when a prospective employer asks what your “biggest fault” is and you answer, “I’m a workaholic.”

It is true that Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and others gin up anti-Americanism to deflect attention, it is also true that over time America intensifies that process by supporting insupportable regimes, by not demanding respect for basic human and political rights in those places, and by propping up their military establishments at the expense of economic assistance. Oddly (or not), in Iran, where we are notably in opposition to the regime, crowds of demonstrators have been chanting “U-S-A”at anti-government rallies.

Egypt is our case in point. Egypt is a lucky country. No external enemies,no border disputes. No alliances that require military support and no peacekeeping obligations. If only it had a democratic government with respect for civil liberties and the rule of law, a pro-American and pro-Israel foreign policy,tolerance for religious diversity, a free market economy and a free press,and spent the lion’s share of its government budget on health and education,Egypt could be Costa Rica.

Instead, Egypt has the 13th largest military in the world, courtesy of Uncle Sam, and is the 4th largest weapons importer. Since the 1970sthe US has transformed the Egyptian military from a Russian-style force to a modern American-equipped one with F-16D jet fighters, M1A1 tanks with depleted uranium rounds, frigates, air-defense radars, and plans for the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS).

Why? And on who’s tab? And where does the Administration’s desire to sell Egypt 53 highly accurate Harpoon Block II surface-to-surface missiles and four patrol boats from which to fire them fit in?

The tab is that of the American taxpayer, and the ostensible “why” is that Egypt is an American ally. But Egypt is not an ally. From the American point of view, it is a poor, hostile country with a dictatorial government that maintains power by force of arms over an oppressed and increasingly hostile populace. It sits in a crucial place – next to Israel and astride the Suez Canal. Egypt is worthy of American notice, but unworthy of a close military relationship, and surely an unfitting recipient of the best of American military capability.

Congress must stop the Harpoon missile sale to Egypt. The United States can no longer afford the luxury of pretending that we don’t understand the political ramifications of our blanket policy of arms sales to nasty regimes.

Read Part II, The Strategic Picture