<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>An interesting if not totally convincing article by Gareth Porter on our "disastrous" ME policy.</div><div><br></div><div>It seems that U.S. policy now is to retain the U.S. alliance of the Egyptian military. Mubarak can go, but "we" are unwilling to see the Egyptian military loosen its ties to the U.S.. Obama and company will tell the power brokers in Egypt to hedge as long as they can, with U.S. support. This may work if there is no strong focus in the resistance to clear out the whole Mubarak apparatus. --mkb</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><i>…One
looks in vain for a political force in this country </i>[i.e., the U.S.] <i>that is free to
press for fundamental change in Middle East strategy. And without
a push for such a change from outside, we face the distinct possibility
of a national security bureaucracy and White House continuing to deny
the strategy’s utter failure and disastrous consequences. "</i><div><br></div><div><a href="http://original.antiwar.com/porter/2011/01/31/why-washington-clings-to-a-failed-middle-east-strategy/">http://original.antiwar.com/porter/2011/01/31/why-washington-clings-to-a-failed-middle-east-strategy/</a></div></body></html>