Steve, could you clarify how the Egyptian state supports Islamist extremism? You could make an argument for Saudi, sure, and maybe Musharraf and the Pakistani state at certain times, especially in Afghanistan, but I have a hard time figuring how the Egyptians do so.
The Egyptian state press and most of the clerics spew an endless stream of hate toward the United States. Mubarak seems to take the approach of the Sauds--so long as the hate is directed against the United States, it isn't pointed at me. This environment helps Egyptians conclude that attacking the United States is OK.Originally Posted by tequila
How much of this is generated by the Egyptian state and how much is simply allowed because it represents a genuine anti-American feeling, however?
Freer presses in places like India, Indonesia, and Turkey (also to an extent South Korea and Japan) also feature rather prominent anti-American rhetoric, with countervailing tendencies (also present in the Egyptian media, if less so, but certainly allowed). If Egypt overnight transformed into a liberal democracy, that would not stop anti-American rhetoric --- indeed, it might even see an increase.
All good points.
I think Islamist extremism is a major threat to the Egyptian government. They have been working with moderate Islamic people with decent results (recent baning of FGM with clerical support for example)
What confuses me is Syria is secular (as Iraq was). How come they support radical Islam outside of their borders?
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