I seem to recall not too long ago during the upheaval that we had forum members thinking the Muslim brotherhood was all that.

I seem also to recall that the Obama administration would be fine with the Muslim Bro'hood.

Wonder if the hostage families are?

When America affects Africa, it's just another day. When Africa inconveniences the US, it's Big News.

There has been reporting on the arrested US persons in both the LA and NY Times.

Some of the analysis that I have read posits that the military is wary of the NGOs in that free elections will usher in the Muslim Brotherhood. By 'military' the analyst means the upper echelons.

Reminds me of my professor of political geography - "only allow a democracy when you're in the majority." One of the reasons that Mubarak received the big bucks from the U.S. was because he kept the Muslim Brotherhood in check. But here they are agreeing with the generals...

From Tuesday's WaPo: Architect of Egypt's NGO crackdown is Mubarak holdover

The architect of Egypt's crackdown on U.S.-funded pro-democracy organizations is a holdover from the cabinet of former president Hosni Mubarak who has tried for years to stymie the groups' activities.

Faiza Abou el-Naga, the minister who coordinates international aid and long the most powerful woman in the Egyptian government, has survived a series of cabinet purges and weathered the groundswell of anger toward remnants of Mubarak's regime. But her intensifying campaign against the civil society groups offers clear proof, her critics say, that some elements of the old guard remain entrenched and are trying to block the rise of new political leadership in the country. [...]

Senior members of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist group whose political party won the most seats in parliament, have endorsed the crackdown. Egypt's ruling generals also appear to be backing it.

I remember as well demi.

"The media�s reticence on the subject no doubt has several sources. One may be fear of provoking additional violence. Another is most likely the influence of lobbying groups such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation�a kind of United Nations of Islam centered in Saudi Arabia�and the Council on American-Islamic Relations."

"Besides the $1.3 billion in U.S. military aid, Egypt also receives about $250 million in economic aid every year." and they show their appreciation by taken our citizens hostage? Aside from the fact that the US doesn't have $1.3 billion for military aid or $250 million for economic aid to Egypt this is another good reason to cut their aid off. At times like this Ron Paul's isolation ideas are beginning to sound better.

"When America affects Africa, it's just another day. When Africa inconveniences the US, it's Big News."

Nineteen American Citizens are being held and put on trial for trumped up charges and you call this an inconvenience?

Not sure why you both don't just look this up yourself rather than rely on memory. Your recollections are simply laughably off. For instance, how can the Americans be held by the Muslim Brotherhood when the Gov't in control are the same generals who banned the MB? The Muslim Brotherhood has actually called for the RESIGNATION of the interim government (you know - the ones levying charges on the NGO's).

And how is this a 19 person hostage crisis when only 6 of the Americans charged are in Eygpt and NONE of them are being held hostage? While they have been ordered not to leave the country, they are in fact in the US Embassy in Cairo and will likely not be turned over to Egypt.

This is in fact a case of Egypt asserting their sovereignty over unregistered American and other International NGO's operating in Egypt under an old charter designed to "promote democracy". Mubarak tolerated them but the new government believes these NGO's represent foreign agents on their soil working openly to destabilize Egypt.