Egypt Vote Puts Military Role in Play

(Wall Street Journal) Matt Bradley - Among the thousands of candidates in the final round of Egypt's parliamentary elections Tuesday is Tawfiq Okasha, the nationalist talk-show host of "Egypt Today," broadcast on his Al Faraeen, or "The Pharaohs," satellite channel. Okasha's millions of viewers hear him accuse antimilitary activists and liberal politicians of working in the thrall of Zionists and Freemasons. Okasha absolves the interim ruling Supreme Council of Armed Forces, or SCAF, of any guilt for the violence and economic stagnation that have persisted since the revolution. He draws his popular appeal from his unyielding defense of Egyptian nationhood, with the military as its protector. "There's something about the Egyptian army that Americans need to know," he said. "Most scientific studies and theories proved that the Egyptian soldier is the most capable, most enduring and the fastest soldier in the world."


2012-01-05 00:00:00

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