I'm convinced Mubarak is essentially like Saddam Hussein and Yugoslavia's Tito

[zulchzulu]

Both Saddam Hussein and Yugoslavia's Tito held together their countries with an iron fist and a secular autocratic dictatorship that the US and its allies were willing to look away while they killed many of their citizens but left the country essentially intact.

We know the story about Hussein and how we decided to grab the oil fields while drumming up lies to cover up the power grab.

With Mubarak and the absolutely essential geographic importance with the Suez Canal and the close proximity to Israel, we've looked away while he has conducted himself as a secular dictator who arrests those that dissent and throws them in cruel jails where they rot and die.

It's OK. Egypt is too important to give a hoot about real democracy and human rights. :sarcasm:

And as what happened in Iraq after Saddam was taken out and when Tito died and opened up the horrific civil war in Yugoslavia, all hell broke loose.

Yugoslavia splintered into separate nations after much blood was spilled. Iraq elected what appears to be the worst choice in terms of setting up a Shiite government, which would be considered an "Islamic state" government not much different from Iran.

If Mubarak goes, chances that the Muslim Brotherhood will be voted in are a real possibility. So much for a "stable" secular government...

Hang on to your hats. This is going to be a wild ride for years to come.

...imho...

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