As much as I want to turn my thinking back to what is happening in the Colorado State legislature, I’m still stuck on the Middle East. Two recent developments are indicative of how much of a powder keg this area of the world really is.
First there are reports that the Jordanian King dissolved his government and appointed a new prime minister. Despite his liberal western education, and his American born mother, he seems to be true to form. Instead of appointing a new government that would increase democratic reforms, he appointed a military leader. I’m assuming, although I have no supporting evidence, that his choice to head his government was because he anticipates having to respond to rioting the the streets of Amman. Jordan is in a precarious geographic position, bordering Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.
Second, ElBaradei, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, and an Egyptian has returned to Egypt from Europe. He has been speaking at press conferences, and has declared that Mubarak must go. Today a million people have pledged to march on the Egyptian government and demand that Mubarak step down.
ElBaradei is the former head of the International Atomic Energy Commission, so there is no doubt in my mind that he is very aware of the implications of governments in the Middle East falling. He knows that Iran has nuclear ambitions, and that Israel is a nuclear power—although Israel continues to implausibly deny that they have developed an atomic weapon. ElBaradei was so disliked by the Bush administration that they attempted to have him removed from his position with the IAEC.
Complicating the whole picture is the Israeli leadership, which is the most hawkish in a very long time. Peace in the Middle East has been fostered primarily by the 50 agreements between Israel and Egypt, who share in interest in holding down Muslim extremists and Iran’s desire for nuclear weapons. It seems to me that ElBaradei could be an acceptable replacement for Mubarak in the eyes of Israel.
Homework
Jordanian King Appoints New Prime Minister
Jordanians Have Been Protesting
Who is ElBaradei?
Israeli Fears
First there are reports that the Jordanian King dissolved his government and appointed a new prime minister. Despite his liberal western education, and his American born mother, he seems to be true to form. Instead of appointing a new government that would increase democratic reforms, he appointed a military leader. I’m assuming, although I have no supporting evidence, that his choice to head his government was because he anticipates having to respond to rioting the the streets of Amman. Jordan is in a precarious geographic position, bordering Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.
Second, ElBaradei, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, and an Egyptian has returned to Egypt from Europe. He has been speaking at press conferences, and has declared that Mubarak must go. Today a million people have pledged to march on the Egyptian government and demand that Mubarak step down.
ElBaradei is the former head of the International Atomic Energy Commission, so there is no doubt in my mind that he is very aware of the implications of governments in the Middle East falling. He knows that Iran has nuclear ambitions, and that Israel is a nuclear power—although Israel continues to implausibly deny that they have developed an atomic weapon. ElBaradei was so disliked by the Bush administration that they attempted to have him removed from his position with the IAEC.
Complicating the whole picture is the Israeli leadership, which is the most hawkish in a very long time. Peace in the Middle East has been fostered primarily by the 50 agreements between Israel and Egypt, who share in interest in holding down Muslim extremists and Iran’s desire for nuclear weapons. It seems to me that ElBaradei could be an acceptable replacement for Mubarak in the eyes of Israel.
Homework
Jordanian King Appoints New Prime Minister
Jordanians Have Been Protesting
Who is ElBaradei?
Israeli Fears
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