U.S. elements in Egypt’s transitional government

TEHRAN,July 27(MNA)--The overthrow of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has been regarded by many as a coup which was intended to facilitate the return of generals to power in a country which is of great strategic importance to the West. In fact, over the past few decades, Egypt has played a decisive role in protecting Israel and guaranteeing its security in face of mounting animosity against Tel Aviv in the Arab world. Egypt still continues to be a priority for the United States which is using everything in its power to weaken the democratic process in the country and help the military suppress popular demands for freedom and democracy. The new government is trying to consolidate its grip on power despite massive protests by supporters of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood over the past weeks. The heads of the interim government, namely President Adly Mansour and Prime Minister Hazem Al Beblawi, are quite well known for their pro-Western tendencies and they will do their best to serve the interests of the U.S. in the new system. The United States’ behavior toward the Muslim Brotherhood was quite similar to Washington’s approach to the government of Mohammad Mosaddegh who ruled Iran from 1951 to 1953. During his short term in office, Mosaddegh enjoyed the U.S. support and was almost sure that Washington would help him establish a democratic government. However, it was the U.S. that staged the coup against him and unseated him from power. Morsi experienced similar fate as he imagined that the West would back him in difficult days. Now, the Americans have revealed their real motives toward the Egyptian revolution as they are now trying to restore the rule of military and secularists in the Arab country. The incumbent president and prime minister in Egypt seem to play the best role in implementing U.S. plans in the country. In fact, their mission will be to protect the secular system in Egypt and block Islamists’ access to corridors of power. Jafar Qannadbashi is an expert in African politics based in Tehran. (By Jafar Qannadbashi)