• Johnhw2
• Dallas

Gosh we sure are lucky to BO as our leader. If this isnt a sign of how much respect we have in the arab world I dont know what is

• July 9, 2012 at 7:29 p.m.
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• keefie
• .co

DC has been aggravating moslems since it started supporting the jews in Palestine around WW2. Since then , their numbers have grown,they have nukes, they are increasingly violent and they hate us more.. I fear we will end up getting our comuppance.

• July 9, 2012 at 7:28 p.m.
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• K Henderson
• NYC

Literally “Arab Spring” in Arabic means “arabic rebellion” or “arabic revolt.” Just so we all on the same page, linguistically speaking, when we read that phrase in a headline. “Spring” sounds so nice and not at all about war and conflict.

• July 9, 2012 at 7:28 p.m.
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• c holland
• no california

the uproar in the middle east seems actually encouraging. wider based governments, more directly connected to ordinary people, should do a lot to break the tribal mold that keeps them poor and wretched. there’s a major power shift going on and while messy it’s far more innovative than the old medieval kingdom model.

• July 9, 2012 at 7:28 p.m.
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• gfaigen
• florida

Duh. We should have expected Muslim leadership that is not friendly to USA.
Why the surprise?

• July 9, 2012 at 7:27 p.m.
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• light1
• Oklahoma

Obama is a friend to the Muslim Communities–Countries—and assisting (where possible) to overthrow the Leaders of certain Arab Countries and their leaders. Obama encouraged back in his early Presidency (on live Cairo TV) for the youth to rise up and accept Democracy—the FIRST TIME EVER an AMERICAN PRESIDENT to address the YOUTH in EGYPT and other surrounding LIVE ARAB TV. Two years later we have seen the results of the YOUTH in the ARAB world step up and have overthrown old Leaders–Syria didn’t step down—and Russia—Iran have been assisting and observing what is happening in the Middle East.

The bloodiest killing is in Syria —- and Hillary–the US Dialogue—didn’t even affect the blood that has been shed in nearly all Arab Countries. Lybia (was the first country that America started—then stopped and handed it over to NATO) but most of the countries have withdrawn their troops–so US makes up NATO).

It has been a tragedy for all those involved in the Middle East (except for IRAN) Iran has remained out of the arena–but kept building missiles reaching 1250 miles.

The new EGYPTIAN LEADER (who is a Muslim Brotherhood) said: “Jerusalem belongs to us–and WE are going to MARCH INTO JERUSALEM AND take CONTROL WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY OURS TO BEGIN WITH—

• July 9, 2012 at 7:27 p.m.
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• KD
• Israel

You may recall that Israel did hand over every last grain of sand in the Sinai Peninsula to make peace with Egypt. And yet, the rise to power of radical Islamists in Egypt does trouble us. Funny, isn’t it? (Not really!) Yes, Jews lived together with Muslims for centuries, much of the time in relative security as long as they remembered who was in charge. I’m not sure that has much bearing on the question of whether Muslims will be able to tolerate being neighbors to a free and sovereign non-Muslim State of Israel. As for Israel no longer being the only democracy in the Middle East – insha’Allah! If the Arab states become genuinely democratic, perhaps their leaders will actually begin devoting themselves to improving the lot of their constituencies instead of adopting the old ploy of Arab dictators who fed their people stories about the Israeli bogeyman in order to keep them from asking too many questions about the corruption and heartlessness of their own governments. Then the chances for peace will indeed improve. Indeed, the Muslim Brotherhood is the kind of movement which favors free and fair elections – but only the one time to get them into power.

• July 9, 2012 at 6:59 p.m.
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• Canada

The new thinking in the US Administration merits praise. After years of supporting Military regimes in the guise of secular Governments, finally the US has realized that a truly representative Islamist speaks for his Country the truth that the secular puppet regime would not. Whether or not the West likes the changes, the Islamic World has changed for ever and we must learn to accept this. The new policy of the US has largely been influenced by the Islamic Government in Turkey, that has shown that it can be Islamic and secular, at the same time. The Arab Spring has forced this change, which augers well for a new understanding between Muslims and the rest

• July 9, 2012 at 6:59 p.m.
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• Louis Krodel
• Massachusetts

I believe we are facing a religious war. We think of countries while the Islamist think of a pan-Islamic region governed by Sharia laws.

• July 9, 2012 at 6:58 p.m.
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• wolf pack
• toms river, nj

Worrying about Egypt will not help to create jobs for our people in the USA.
I could not care less about Egypt. They have had great civilizations for the last 5000 years. They will manage to get a new modern state, without our help.

They are looking at the USA as a 236 year old up-start with very little culture.
The only Pyramid we have is in Las Vegas, they will not last 5000 years.

Wolf Pack

• July 9, 2012 at 6:42 p.m.
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• Gerry
• kingston, canada

K.D. Isreal, the answer is two state governence. Ali, of Pakistan, we have issues. I read where 4 women of various ages were drowned off Kingston Mills. We have a different piont of view when it comes to women. I would suggest, get on their good side. Or its going to hurt – big time.

• July 9, 2012 at 6:42 p.m.
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• massimo podrecca
• NY, NY

The enemies of the US are the enemies the US choses. The Pentagon/Industrial Perpetual War Department has ruled the planet since since 1945 by creating the enemies it needs to perpetually expand its budget. The US spends more on war toys than all other countries combined. The enemy of the citizens of the US is the Pentagon. The official enemy of the Pentagon is……heck, just throw a dart.

• July 9, 2012 at 6:42 p.m.
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• JORGE BARREIRO
• New York City

When the founding fathers wrote the Constitution, they didn’t expect terrorists from the Islamists to try hurting us like today. I firmly think the USA should void islamic people coming from outside the country to study in our Universities. What we’re doing is simply, educate them so they come back and beat us using the knowledge we though them. It’s really dumb, stupid.
We’ve gotta stop this nonsense. The USA should do less overseas and concentrate more in defending our borders and to set some order in our country. The world is a very different one, the war is not longer overseas. It’s here, within our borders.

• July 9, 2012 at 6:42 p.m.
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• ugoguido
• Mexico City

Running short of enemies is bad news for the lords of armament… Americans are confused, Western experts are scrambling to understand, Members of Congress recommend to be concern because they are fearful and disturbed.
Fear no more… politicians will find another enemy to reestablish the order from the chaos… after all it is the task of violence to mantain our manichaeistic vision of this world… it is simplistic vision… but it works fine like a film of Batman or Superman.
Running short of superheros is not that bad after all because they do not buy weapons.

• July 9, 2012 at 6:29 p.m.
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• Mark
• Chappaqua, New York

For generations it has been a matter of acceptance that there are certain essential requirements for a society to coalesce in a democratic political format.

Bush believed that if the US merely turned its back, or in the case of Iraq, overthrow a dictatorship, beneficial change was likely. We all agree Bush did not know what he was getting us into.

Likewise, to presume that well intentioned, unarmed college graduates in Egypt are going to carry the political day is naive.

The control will go to those with power. And, in countries which are predominately Muslim I believe the power of faith – in its most extreme interpretation and enforcement – will in the short term at least, carry the day.

• July 9, 2012 at 6:29 p.m.
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• mrdavidkolds
• Denver

Muslim appeasment is not a recent thing for president Obama. I don’t think any reassessing is really needed.

• July 9, 2012 at 6:28 p.m.
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• BigMamou
• Port Townsend, WA

“Diplomacy” in the MIddle East has been failing since the illegal (and criminal) overthrow of a democratically elected Iranian legislator and later Prime Minister, Mossadegh, in the early 50′s by the CIA……..over the control of Iranian oil (naturally!). The US has to learn patience (and to ignore the our own political parties) in order to suss out what is the true nature of events in that so important part of the world and then how to influence those events. For this we need to listen to and study all parties there while training our diplomats to understand the meanings of those events and work to chart correct policies. Are we smart enough………..time will tell? Acting precipitously and without knowledge is the true enemy of diplomacy!

• July 9, 2012 at 6:28 p.m.
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• Inkberrow
• Red State Small Town

Ah, the “beginning of a long, contentious process of adjustment for the United States”! Translation: a new level of appeasement of the implacable enemies of the Israeli state and thus her Western allies. It somehow never occurs to the familiar Western apologists for Islamist demands that “adjustment” might be a word the Islamists should consider. But no—Islamist priorities, requirements, and self-defined exigencies are treated year after year, decade after decade, as the constants in the Middle Eastern equation.

And especially where the future of Egypt under Mr. Morsi is concerned, please find a us a new set of experts, or at least more of a variety. Does anyone recall the initial Tahrir Square upheaval, when mainstream-media talking heads such as Thomas Friedman and Fareed Zakaria pooh-poohed the (well-considered) fears of right-wing experts, intoning that the Muslim Brotherhood was less immoderate than suspected, and so weak and marginalized anyway in a semi-secularized society that it could not possibly lead a democratic Egypt?

• July 9, 2012 at 6:28 p.m.
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• richard
• denver

The Obama Democrats and their international allies STILL haven’t figured out where the Muslim Brotherhood will take this Egypt deal ? And where they plan to take the entire Middle East ? Double Duh…amazingly naive …sort of like their economic policies…Double Duh twice…” democracy is a bus” per Erdogan : they will ride it until it gets to their desired stop. And that stop will not be a democratic republic !

• July 9, 2012 at 6:27 p.m.
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• jsmeader
• amherst, ny

American diplomacy has been off-track and ineffective for decades. Just don’t compound the mistakes by wasting American taxpayers’ funding on these Middle Eastern and North African excuses for government. And add Afghanistan and Pakistan to that list.

• July 9, 2012 at 6:27 p.m.
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• Peter Bradley
• Santa Monica Ca

As usual, Mr. King doesn’t know what he’s talking about. So long as elections are fair and free, and we keep our eyes and ears focused on what is happening with those who are truly our enemies, we will be alright. Our policy should be to support any government which practices having free and fair elections.
As far as Sheik Abdel Rahman is concerned, the Egyptians can have all the doubts they want. We know he got a fair trial and a fair sentence. There is no reason to consider his release.

• July 9, 2012 at 6:26 p.m.
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• naluca
• cleveland

Many, if not most, Americans are not confused. Our government is confused, academia is confused, and the NYT is ceratinly confused. What evidence is there that other groups are confused???

• July 9, 2012 at 6:26 p.m.
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• Ashraf
• Abdalla

It is peculiar that the Times represents the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) rise to power in Egypt as a genuine democratic development that could counterbalance the military dictatorship and in turn deserves U.S. blessing, even if the U.S. is hesitant to do so. The fact of the matter is that the MB has always been partners with the oppressive regime in Egypt (Mubarak and the military). In addition, the U.S. has been actively supporting the MB to ward off any left or nationalist uprising that might evolve out of the Arab Spring awakening.

The Times has failed to critically examine the following:
-The long record of cooperation between the MB and the Egyptian Military–and the U.S. support of such cooperation as it continued its annual military aid while qualifying the MB as “moderate”.

-Since the ousting of Mubarak, several delegations from the U.S. congress have been visiting Egypt to meet with military generals and members of the MB. These delegations have completely ignored other liberal and secular parties that are in critical need of international support and recognition.

-It is well known that the MB have been strong advocates of free market and neoliberal economic policies. These policies have earned them full U.S. support. Nevertheless, these same policies have caused extreme poverty and inequality and incited tremendous anger in the Egyptian streets resulting in a full scale revolution. Can such an economic system adapted by the MB be labeled “democratic”?

• July 9, 2012 at 6:26 p.m.
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• ali
• Pakistan

The remarkable thing here is that democracy is spreading without US invasion, massive civilian casualties, collateral damage, trillions of dollars of expenditure and ill will towards the US. Shouldn’t Bush/ Pentagon apologize to mankind for invading Iraq? and Obama apologize for continuing to invade Afghanistan? History will show that countries that embraced democracy through an internal struggle without US support will have longer-lasting, more stable and legitimate democracies/ institutions than Iraq and Afghanistan.

• July 9, 2012 at 5:58 p.m.
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• j. von hettlingen
• Switzerland

Indeed, Khamsin – a hot and dry wind that blows from the Sahara Desert to Egypt for about fifty days each spring – hasn’t subsided. We outsiders are not used to sand and dust and have no insight of what’s going on in Egypt. The U.S. isn’t amused that Mohammed Morsi urges for Omar Abdel Rahman’s release. Many Egyptians see the cleric as a victim of “conspiracy”. During the trial of the 43 pro-democracy activists, including a dozen Americans last April, one of the prosecutors suggested the judges should consider an exchange for Omar Abdel Rahman, sentenced to life in a U.S. prison.

• July 9, 2012 at 5:58 p.m.
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