By Amy Goodman
In recent weeks, the popular uprisings in the Arab world have caused the ousting of dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the imminent fall of the regime of Hosni Mubarak a new government in Jordan and the commitment of the Yemeni dictator to leave power when his term ends. Professor Noam Chomsky discussed what this means for the future of the Middle East and U.S. foreign policy for the region.
- What is your analysis of what is happening and how it may impact on the Middle East?
"First of all, what is happening is amazing. The courage, determination and commitment of the demonstrators are remarkable. And whatever happens, these are moments that are not going to forget and that will surely have consequences post: overwhelmed the police, took the Tahrir square and are staying there despite Mubarak mafia groups. The government organized these gangs to try to oust the protesters or to create a situation in which the army can say that had to intervene to restore order and then maybe install a military government. It is very difficult to predict what will happen.
United States are following their script usual. There have been many times when a dictator "close" lost control or was in danger of doing so. There is a standard routine: continue to support it as long as possible, when it becomes unsustainable, especially if the army changed sides, "to turn 180 degrees and say that they were always on the side of the people, erase the past and then do all the maneuvers necessary to restore the old system but with a new name. I presume that's what's happening now. Mubarak are seeing if he can stay. If you can not stand, will implement the script.
- What do you think Obama's appeal is initiated and the transition Egypt?
-Carefully, Obama said nothing. Mubarak would also agree that there should be an orderly transition. A new cabinet, some minor fixes in the constitutional order is nothing. Is doing what American leaders usually do.
The United States has overwhelming power there. Egypt is the second biggest economic and military aid it receives from Washington. Israel is in first place. Obama himself was very much in favor of Mubarak. In the famous speech in Cairo, the U.S. president said: "Mubarak is a good man. Has done good things. Maintained stability. We will continue to support him because he is a friend. "
Mubarak is one of the world's most brutal dictators. I do not know how after that someone might have taken seriously Obama's remarks on human rights. But support has been great. The planes are flying over the plaza Tahrir are of course Americans. U.S. is the mainstay of the Egyptian regime. It's not like Tunisia, where the main support was France. The United States are the main culprits in Egypt and Israel, which along with Saudi Arabia were those who supported the Cairo regime. In fact, Israelis were angry that Obama did not hold more firmly to his friend Mubarak.
- What do all these riots in the Arab world?
"This is the most striking regional uplift I can remember. At times, compared with Eastern Europe, but it is not testable. Nobody knows what will these surveys. The problems that the demonstrators are protesting long-standing and not be easily solved. There is tremendous poverty, repression, lack of democracy and development. Egypt and other countries in the region recently passed by the neoliberal period, which brought growth in the papers along with the usual consequences: a high concentration of wealth and privilege, an impoverishment and a paralysis of the majority of the population. And that is not easily changed.
- Do you think there is any direct relationship between these surveys and Wikileaks leaks?
"Actually, the point is that Wikileaks did not tell us anything new. Gave us the confirmation for our reasonable conjecture.
- What about Jordan?
"In Jordan, recently switched to the prime minister. He was replaced by a former general who seems to be moderately popular, or at least is not hated by the population. But essentially changed nothing.
In recent weeks, the popular uprisings in the Arab world have caused the ousting of dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the imminent fall of the regime of Hosni Mubarak a new government in Jordan and the commitment of the Yemeni dictator to leave power when his term ends. Professor Noam Chomsky discussed what this means for the future of the Middle East and U.S. foreign policy for the region.
- What is your analysis of what is happening and how it may impact on the Middle East?
"First of all, what is happening is amazing. The courage, determination and commitment of the demonstrators are remarkable. And whatever happens, these are moments that are not going to forget and that will surely have consequences post: overwhelmed the police, took the Tahrir square and are staying there despite Mubarak mafia groups. The government organized these gangs to try to oust the protesters or to create a situation in which the army can say that had to intervene to restore order and then maybe install a military government. It is very difficult to predict what will happen.
United States are following their script usual. There have been many times when a dictator "close" lost control or was in danger of doing so. There is a standard routine: continue to support it as long as possible, when it becomes unsustainable, especially if the army changed sides, "to turn 180 degrees and say that they were always on the side of the people, erase the past and then do all the maneuvers necessary to restore the old system but with a new name. I presume that's what's happening now. Mubarak are seeing if he can stay. If you can not stand, will implement the script.
- What do you think Obama's appeal is initiated and the transition Egypt?
-Carefully, Obama said nothing. Mubarak would also agree that there should be an orderly transition. A new cabinet, some minor fixes in the constitutional order is nothing. Is doing what American leaders usually do.
The United States has overwhelming power there. Egypt is the second biggest economic and military aid it receives from Washington. Israel is in first place. Obama himself was very much in favor of Mubarak. In the famous speech in Cairo, the U.S. president said: "Mubarak is a good man. Has done good things. Maintained stability. We will continue to support him because he is a friend. "
Mubarak is one of the world's most brutal dictators. I do not know how after that someone might have taken seriously Obama's remarks on human rights. But support has been great. The planes are flying over the plaza Tahrir are of course Americans. U.S. is the mainstay of the Egyptian regime. It's not like Tunisia, where the main support was France. The United States are the main culprits in Egypt and Israel, which along with Saudi Arabia were those who supported the Cairo regime. In fact, Israelis were angry that Obama did not hold more firmly to his friend Mubarak.
- What do all these riots in the Arab world?
"This is the most striking regional uplift I can remember. At times, compared with Eastern Europe, but it is not testable. Nobody knows what will these surveys. The problems that the demonstrators are protesting long-standing and not be easily solved. There is tremendous poverty, repression, lack of democracy and development. Egypt and other countries in the region recently passed by the neoliberal period, which brought growth in the papers along with the usual consequences: a high concentration of wealth and privilege, an impoverishment and a paralysis of the majority of the population. And that is not easily changed.
- Do you think there is any direct relationship between these surveys and Wikileaks leaks?
"Actually, the point is that Wikileaks did not tell us anything new. Gave us the confirmation for our reasonable conjecture.
- What about Jordan?
"In Jordan, recently switched to the prime minister. He was replaced by a former general who seems to be moderately popular, or at least is not hated by the population. But essentially changed nothing.
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