UPI's take on Mubarak and Nour
UPI has a bizarre story on Mubarak and Ayman Nour by the often interesting and quirky Arnaud de Borchgrave, in which he celebrates the former canniness and questions the latter's credentials -- notably by giving a long and detailed list of allegations against Nour. His point:
I'm not sure how aid and Nour are related, or what de Borchgrave is trying to say with this. Not that I mind it -- it's good not everybody is just ignoring the suspicious aspects of Nour's past like the Washington Post and its naive (in many different ways) campaign against the Mubarak regime. But it's just a little bizarre that he starts with a flattering (and quite good) anecdote about Mubarak and then goes on being negative about Nour.
Anyway, check it out here.
A checkered background has seldom been a handicap when challenging a strongman in the developing world. In fact, it is often a prerequisite. But it might behoove the administration to take another look at Ayman Nour before it opts to make the annual $2.1 billion aid to Egypt package conditional on democratic change.
I'm not sure how aid and Nour are related, or what de Borchgrave is trying to say with this. Not that I mind it -- it's good not everybody is just ignoring the suspicious aspects of Nour's past like the Washington Post and its naive (in many different ways) campaign against the Mubarak regime. But it's just a little bizarre that he starts with a flattering (and quite good) anecdote about Mubarak and then goes on being negative about Nour.
Anyway, check it out here.