Kerry Supports Egypt’s Coup

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Stephen Lendman
Activist Post

When is a coup not one? When John Kerry claims otherwise. When he says it restores democracy.

It can’t reinistate what doesn’t exist. It can’t do it by military takeover. Perhaps Kerry doesn’t understand. America never had democracy. It has none now.

Coup d’etat power rules. Elections are a useful fiction. People have no say. Monied interests run things. According to Paul Craig Roberts:

The regime ruling in Washington today lacks constitutional and legal authority. Americans are ruled by usurper. (They) claim that the executive branch is above the law.

They call “the US Constitution a mere ‘scrap of paper.’ ” It’s quaint and out-of-date. “An unconstitutional government is an illegitimate” one.

Rogues run America. They do so out-of-control. They’re ideological extremists. They’re over-the-top. They want subservient puppets running other countries. They want unchallenged global dominance.

They support the world’s worst despots. They oppose independent governments. They want them eliminated. They want ruler/serf societies. They want them everywhere. They want legitimate democracies destroyed.

Democracy means rule of the people. It means government of, by and for everyone. It means doing so equitably and fairly. It means inviolable laws matter.

On August 1, The New York Times headlined “Kerry Says Egypt’s Military Was ‘Restoring Democracy in Ousting Morsi.”

He “offered an unexpected lift to Egypt’s military leaders on Thursday, saying they had been ‘restoring democracy’ when they deposed the country’s first freely elected president, Mohamed Morsi, on July 3 after mass demonstrations against his rule.”

” ‘The military was asked to intervene by millions and millions of people’ who feared the country would descend into chaos, Mr. Kerry said during a visit to Pakistan.”

Since the 1950s, Islamabad had four military coups. According to Kerry, Egypt’s “military did not take over to the best of our judgment – so far. To run the country, there’s a civilian government. In effect, they were restoring democracy.”

Egypt’s Defense Minister/Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) head General Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi repeats the Big Lie.

So do his appointed satraps. They lack legitimacy. They do what they’re told. Democracy’s a four-letter word. It’s verboten. Junta power rules. It’s beholden to Washington.

Egypt’s a de facto US colony. Anti-US street sentiment’s pronounced. Deposing Morsi heightened it. His supporters accuse Washington of orchestrating plans to oust him.

Obama conspired with Egypt’s military. He avoids the “C” word. So does Kerry. At issue is US law.

It requires cutting off aid. At stake is up to $1.5 billion annually. It’s largely military related. A previous article explained.

According to the 2006 Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs Appropriations Act, “none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available pursuant to this Act shall be obligated or expended to finance directly any assistance to the government of any country whose duly elected head of government is deposed by military coup or decree.”

Other US laws are relevant. The 1961 Foreign Assistance Act (FAA) prohibits aiding governments engaged:

in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights, including torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, prolonged detention without charges, causing the disappearance of persons by the abduction and clandestine detention of those persons, or other flagrant denial of the right to life, liberty, and the security of person, unless such assistance will directly benefit the needy people in such country.

The Leahy Law provision of the 2001 Foreign Operations Appropriations Act (FOAA) (Sec. 8092 of PL 106-259) states:

None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to support any training program involving a unit of the security forces of a foreign country if the Secretary of Defense has received credible information from the Department of State that a member of such unit has committed a gross violation of human rights, unless all necessary corrective steps have been taken.

FOAA prohibits funding foreign security forces involved in gross human rights violations. It’s proscribed unless “effective measures (are taken) to bring the responsible members of the security forces unit to justice.”

Morsi followers denounced Kerry’s comments. Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Gehad al-Haddad called his claim “alarming.” He accused Washington of “complicit(ity) in the military coup.”

He urged Americans to “stand against an administration that is corrupting their values in supporting tyranny and dictatorship.” He asked:

Is it the job of the army to restore democracy? Does Secretary Kerry expect Defense Secretary Hagel to step in and remove Obama if large protests take place in America? 

Will the US army freeze the constitution and dismantle Congress? Can they appoint a (new) president that they solely choose?

Senior Brotherhood official Mohamed Ali Bishr added:

We totally reject (Kerry’s) statements, and we are very disappointed in them. The United States is a country that speaks of democracy and human rights and they say something like that. I hope that they rethink their position and correct it.

A coup is a coup is a coup. Saying it restores democracy doesn’t wash. Junta leaders run Egypt. State terror targets dissenters.

Egypt’s Anti-Coup/Pro-Democracy National Alliance condemned state-sponsored violence against pro-Morsi supporters.

Spokesman Allaa Mostafa said demonstrators will “continue our sit-ins and our peaceful protests.” They oppose coup d’etat governance, she said.

European leaders are in league with Washington. According to a senior Muslim Brotherhood Freedom and Justice Party member:

“All the European delegates have the same message. They are pressuring the anti-coup protesters to disperse the sit-ins.” They oppose democracy. They support lawless rule.

Washington’s in damage control mode. On August 2, a State Department press release headlined “Deputy Secretary Burn’s Travel to Cairo,” saying:

He’ll visit “beginning August 2. Secretary Kerry asked Deputy Secretary Burns to visit Egypt again to discuss with Egyptian leaders the importance of avoiding violence and helping to facilitate a peaceful and inclusive political process.”

The United States looks forward to seeing a peaceful transition to a democratically-elected civilian government that protects the rights of all Egyptians. 

Deputy Secretary Burns will be joining officials from the EU and others in the region, who share our goal for a successful transition in Egypt.

Egypt’s an important regional ally. Close ties continue. Subservience to US interests matters most. Sisi is Washington’s man in Cairo.

He heads Egypt’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF). Ironically, Morsi appointed him top commander. He did so in August 2012.

He’s Defense and Military Production Minister. He’s a 1977 Egyptian Military Academy graduate. He got US training. He’s a US War College graduate.

He maintains close Pentagon ties. He acted on orders from Washington. He and SCAF generals run Egypt. Civilian officials serve at their pleasure.

They’re beholden to US interests. Around $1.5 billion in annual aid buys lots of influence. America’s long arm does most of all. Washington tolerates no outliers. Regime change targets them.

America orchestrated Mubarak’s ouster. It toppled Morsi. It demands subservience. It wants business as usual. It wants unchallenged control.

According to Mossad-connected DEBKAfile (DF), “Egypt’s military strongman Gen. El-Sisi will run for president.”

On August 18, he’ll launch his campaign. It’ll be short. He wants military control. He pretends it’s democracy. According to DF, Sisi plans the following:

He’s “determined to restore the Egyptian army to center stage of Egypt’s political scene – as in the days of his predecessors.”

Egypt is reverting to the Mubarak era when the army decided who would be president. 

The democratic process in Egypt will be controlled and overseen by the army. 

Again like all former presidents Gemal Abdel Nasser, Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak, El-Sisi is bent on repressing the Muslim Brotherhood which he unseated last month until he can cut a deal with its leaders permitting them to be politically active within pre-set confines. 

The Brothers will be allowed to seat a small number of representatives in parliament. 

Should the Americans or Europeans punish the military strongman by halting or cutting back on economic and military aid to Egypt, he is confident that Saudi Arabia and some oil emirates will make up the shortfall.

Obama named Robert Ford new Cairo envoy. Formerly he was US ambassador to Syria.

Sisi prioritizes crushing pro-Morsi Brotherhood resistance. No-holds barred force will follow if needed.

He hired Khalaf al-Adawi as national campaign manager. DF said a slogan calls for him to “Finish his good work!”

Plans are to collect “30 million signatures for his candidacy. That way, he can run on the ticket of the people’s candidate – not the army’s.”

Egyptian-style democracy assures none at all. So does America’s.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at [email protected]. His new book is titled How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and Class War. Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening. http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/