Posted on 09/13/2012 9:13:39 PM PDT by nickcarraway
In 1989, Egypt was officially designated as an American ally specifically, a "Major Non-NATO Ally," a status granting it various privileges and it has remained one ever since. That is, until yesterday, when President Obama made a surprising remark in a Telemundo interview: Jose Diaz Balart: Would you consider the current Egyptian regime an ally of the United States?
Pres. Obama: I dont think that we would consider them an ally, but we dont consider them an enemy. Theyre a new government that is trying to find its way. They were democratically elected. I think that we are going to have to see how they respond to this incident. According to Foreign Policy, Obama had not anticipated the question but was likely trying to pressure Egypt into being a bit more cooperative amidst protests on the American embassy in Cairo, which earlier this week resulted in the American flag being burned and replaced with a black Islamist banner. But apparently Obama went a little further than he would have liked, and the inevitable walk-back soon commenced:
White House spokesman Tommy Vietor told The Cable Thursday that the administration is not signaling a change in that status.
"I think folks are reading way too much into this," Vietor said. "Ally' is a legal term of art. We don't have a mutual defense treaty with Egypt like we do with our NATO allies. But as the president has said, Egypt is longstanding and close partner of the United States, and we have built on that foundation by supporting Egypt's transition to democracy and working with the new government."
Meanwhile, the AP reports that the Twitter feeds of the American embassy in Cairo and the Muslim Brotherhood have been sassing each other today:
It started when Ikhwanweb, the Twitter page of the Muslim Brotherhood, retweeted a message in English from the group's deputy head, Khairat el-Shater.
"We r relieved none of (at)USEmbassyCairo staff were harmed & hope US-Eg relations will sustain turbulence of Tuesday's events."
"Thanks," the embassy replied. "By the way, have you checked out your own Arabic feeds? I hope you know we read those too."
"We understand you're under a lot of stress," came the Ikhwanweb retort, "but still it will be more helpful if you point out exactly the Arabic feed of concern." Maybe Egypt's designation should be changed to "Major Non-NATO Frenemy," after all.
You gotta give them credit for consistency.
NOTHING they say is intended to be factual.
“Not intended to be factual” - does that mean he was just talking out of his ass? A simple bull session? It was to make him appear ‘funny’? No, hell no, a thousand times no. He is simply stupid. Nope, no need for him to go to any intel meetings with his inate knowledge. A regular Einstein.
“I had my fingers crossed.”
Hey, we're down here - Australia (1989)
Actually until now, I thought the original 5 was the complete list.
And I don't see any of the 10 added since 1989 as meeting both the requirements of "major" and "ally" - JMO
Typical of the verbal diarrhea you have to swallow when the masses elect shysters to try to run the government.
Obama said that Egypt is not an ally of the United States. That statement was correct; they are not an ally by any stretch of the imagination. Hillary’s State Department then spanked the Community Organizer in Chief and went back to pretending that they are an ally.
Everytime one of the strings breaks O'Bozo gets into trouble.
COMPLETE and TOTAL AMATEUR HOUR at the WHITE HOUSE.
The State Dept. flack today was trying not to contradict Zero, and claimed that Egypt was not an ally because we don’t have a treaty of alliance with them. Then she tried to pawn it off to the White House for clarification. One reporter pointed out that Egypt has offically been declared a Major Non-Nato Ally for decades, which lets them fast track arms purchases, and have those priveliges been revoked? She had to admit, no, they haven’t. So they are still an ally? Er, well yes, they are an ally.
Priceless.
Wsas it intended to be a non factual lie?
LLS
Wsas it intended to be a non factual lie?
LLS
——She had to admit, no, they havent.——
She usually looks serene. During this encounter she was visibly uncomfortable and perhaps chagrined when she was outed with the truth. She could never play poker.
Obama was wrong and no amount of spinning will change it. It will take Congress and the President to remove this designation from Egypt. Words and laws do have meanings.
That is clearly racist thinking.
Of course he can’t be taken seriously, he’s not the president of the US, he’s a popstar. Ruling over the huddled masses is something he does when he’s not on the Letterman SHow.
Well Barry used up the phrase that “his decision is evolving” to be able to test the winds of reaction on this one.
Not anymore, they’re not. Not with the Muslim Brotherhood in charge. With the Muslim Brotherhood in charge, they may be Obama’s ally, but they’re not America’s.
“Ally’ is a legal term of art.”
What kind of airy-fairy crap is that? A term of art?!?
...I just blew blow...
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