SaebPress / Press TV

   [youtube DLoW6P2u3Ic]

Press TV has conducted an interview with Saeb Shaath, author and Middle East affairs expert, to further discuss the issues. The following is a transcription of the interview, by SaebPress.

The Muslim Brotherhood, which won almost half of the parliamentary seats in Egypt, is flexing its muscle against the ruling military council, the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF).
SCAF, which took over ruling Egypt after former dictator Hosni Mubarak was overthrown, is hindering the progress of the Egyptian revolution. This is according to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has openly accused the Muslim Brotherhood of plotting to overthrow the Arab monarchies in the Persian Gulf

Press TV: The Muslim Brotherhood has accused the supreme council of stalling the revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak, how valid is their point?

Shaath: We can see that The Muslim Brotherhood through the open confrontation they are having with SCAF -the powerful ruling Military Council, are asserting and consolidating power over Egypt’s political system.
The Muslim Brotherhood agreed as part of power-sharing agreements among the country’s leading political powers it would not contend in Egypt’s presidential election.

Now the movement are considering putting forward a candidate for the May presidential election this move would break an earlier promise not to seek presidential power.

That promise by the Muslim brotherhood, was meant to ease fears among liberals the military generals, and to appease the Western allies, Egypt would not fall totally under Islamic control.

The Egyptian Islamic parties established a dominant role in the 100-member body chosen by the parliament to write the country’s new, post-revolutionary constitution. Liberals accused the Islamist parties of taking over the process of to draw up the country’s new constitution, they are saying the constitution being written by one force and one force alone and it is the Muslim Brotherhood. That’s why Mohamed ElBaradei’s of the National Association for Change, is pressing to annul the vote that elected this panel.

This is a real political tango;

Let us explore the ‘Israeli’ position on all of that: One of The political objectives of the latest ‘Israeli’ wave of criminal attacks on Gaza was to test the Egyptian Islamic parties’ reaction to such attacks. Then On March 13th, 2012, in a protest against Israeli attacks on Gaza, Egypt’s MPs declared Israel as No. 1 enemy for Egypt. The MPs confirmed that they will “revise all Egypt’s relations and agreements” with the Zionist entity. The Egyptian MPs have voted as will to expel ‘Israel’s’ Ambassador in Cairo, and to halt gas exports to ‘Israel’.

Ok I see the vote as largely symbolic since only SCAF -the ruling Military Council, can make such decisions, for the time being. The future going to be totally different, we shall see the implementations of such resolutions. Since Palestine is the main cause for the Egyptian people.

Hamas in Gaza and Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt managed to show up SCAF to the Egyptian people as a real partner with USA and the Zionist entity ‘Israel’ in enforcing the siege on Gaza and further stopping the fuel supply from Egypt to Gaza through the Tunnels under the Egyptian boarders with Gaza which resulted in 20 hours a day of blackout in Gaza.

Press TV question regarding the USA’s position.

Shaath: Where the USA sits in all of that; usually in Turkey, Pakistan and Egypt the US and ‘Israel’ are comfortable with the arrangement they helped to put in place in these countries. Which is, the army is the real controller of the state and State policies, the government is far from being in charge.

For example the relationship between the USA and Pakistan, the Pakistani army is in control of the relationship with United States, not the Pakistani government, it’s just an example we would understand that formula which the USA exporting to Egypt.

The Muslim Brotherhood leadership are ready to go after the Egyptian military’s industrial complex; they are calling for the military industries, estimated at over 30 percent of Egypt’s economy, to be placed under the control of the parliament i.e. the Islamic parties.

The military is fiercely resisting such a move; since it would lose all of its financial privileges. That military industrial complex, is the key for the USA and ‘Israel’s’ hold on Egypt’s army, by means of the US’s yearly 2 billion dollar military aid to the Egyptian army, designed to safe guard Camp David’s agreement between Egypt and ‘Israel’, in other words insuring the maintenance of the submission of Egypt to the Zionist Entity and the USA.

The Egyptian revolution is the unfinished revolution

Shaath: Last month, a lawsuit was brought before the Supreme Constitutional Court in Cairo, arguing that the parliamentary election was unconstitutional due to its complex voting system.
Now The Muslim Brotherhood believes that the military council would push through this lawsuit if the Islamists are serious on consolidating their power over Egypt.

I believe the Key to success in Egypt is to continue with the revolution, until it achieves its goals. The Egyptian revolution is the unfinished revolution that is partly due to actions of the hidden alliance of the SCAF and Muslim Brotherhood during the revolution. Muslim Brotherhood did their part to appease SCAF and the US so they will be allowed to govern in Egypt. Now the revolution and the people of Egypt are paying for such a mistake or betrayal.
That’s why the Muslim brotherhood showing all their strong cards at once to all concerned, inside and outside of Egypt: 1. The presidential election card,
2. The control of the new post-revolutionary constitution panel.
3. Taking over the American supported Egyptian Military complex which control a huge chunk of Egypt’s economy and only benefits the military top generals.

The USA and ‘Israel’ shall continue the tango with the Muslim Brotherhood

Press TV question regarding the General Dahi Khalfan claims that the “Muslim Brotherhood movement was plotting to change the regimes in the Gulf,”

Saeb Shaath: To me all of this is scare mongering and part of the US, Saudi and Qatari plan to keep their feudalist regimes suppressing and dominating the people in their emirates and to deny them any chance of implementing the brave example of the Bahraini people’s revolution.

The USA who are in total control of these Gulf states resources and actively planning to loot the Iranian peoples wealth, and shall fail on doing so, are not going to allow any of the people in these Gulf ‘Mashikhsim’ to have a share in their own country’s wealth which counts for 40% of the world oil reserves.

SaebPress