US wants another American ally in Egypt

As the popular uprising against the government of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is continuing, thousands of people across the world have taken to the streets to express support.

Demonstrations in Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Germany, France and the United States showed that they’re fully behind the Egyptian uprising.

Several Western countries have called on Mubarak to prevent bloodshed against protesters and fulfill his pledges for reform.

At least 100 people have been killed and around 2,000 others wounded since the uprising began on Tuesday.

Press TV interviews Political Analyst Marwan Qabalan from the Syrian capital, Damascus, to discuss the issue further more:

Press TV:How do you see the role of the United States at this point of time? Up until Friday there were still many top Egyptian military officers at the Pentagon and they cut short their trip after things sort of got out of hand in Egypt, how do you see the United States role in all of this at this point of time, our previous guest said basically they know it’s over and they are trying to distance themselves from the Mubarak regime, do you see it as that they are trying to distant themselves or perhaps trying to prop them up in a different way?

Marwan Qabalan: Well I think they are trying to be very much pragmatist in a sense that you don’t really care about who is [ruling] Egypt as long as Egypt is an American ally.

I think they are trying not to repeat their mistakes when they actually lost Iran in 1979, when they tried to rescue Shah but lost Iran, this is what the Americans are trying to do right now.

Egypt is too important to be lost by the Americans but I think if they can bring a new link to rule this country but [still] keep it an American ally, I think they wouldn’t hesitate to go in this direction.

So this is why I believe the Americans over the past couple of years have been trying to be very cautious in supporting the Mubarak regime, they are trying to distance themselves from the Mubarak regime and it’s right to present themselves to the Egyptian people as trying to support their aspiration for more Democracy and for more freedom.

Press TV:As far as trying to distant themselves, could that perhaps serve as a warning for other Arab dictators in the region perhaps there are a couple different ways one perhaps trying to liberalize their situation inside of the country but also does it send signals that the United States’ support is not there 100% if the people themselves wise up the US could also just leave them hanging, do you think that this message perhaps is reverberating in the Arab world for other Arab regimes at this point of time?

Marwan Qabalan: Absolutely , I think that the ruling Arab leaders must admit actually that they have miserably failed in almost every single aspect of government in their countries. In terms of development, in terms of defending their countries against foreign aggression, in terms of meeting the aspirations of their own people.

So I think the Arab ruling lead must admit actually that they could not do anything since they came to power, and most of them actually had been ruling their countries for decades.

If I may also add, I think for the first time all Arabs are feeling that all the stereo types, all the theories that have been thought in western academia about the Arabs and the nonexistence of public opinion among them, must be wiped out , it must be actually thrown into the dust bin of history.

We are having people who are making their own destiny, people are making their own history and I think Arab rulers must listen carefully and stop relying on foreign allies like the United States and other western allies. I think they must rely on their own people because this is the only option left for them if they are to remain perhaps in power or if they are not to be removed in a very humiliating way.