Egypt election turns US policy on its head

[dipsydoodle]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The election of an Islamist president in Egypt is turning longstanding U.S. policy in the Mideast inside out: The Obama administration is relieved that the candidate representing three decades of close partnership with the United States lost.

The United States is now set to embrace a religious-based former opposition leader who does not share many U.S. goals, perhaps including the 30-year peace with Israel upon which U.S. policy in the region is based. The embrace won't be warm, and for the administration it will come with strings attached.

Still, the administration is calling the election of Mohammed Morsi on Sunday a milestone in the transition to democracy.

Morsi, from the formerly banned fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood group, is the first Islamist president of Egypt. He defeated Ahmed Shafiq, ousted President Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister, in a tight race that deeply split the nation.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_US_EGYPT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-06-26-03-25-27

[Skittles]

1. be careful what you wish for

[pinto]

2. Interesting, if brief, analysis piece.

We're publicly committed to working with the democratically elected President, whose policies are yet to be seen in effect. While the military still, as of now, holds the working political power. And both realize the huge financial US aid that's dependent on maintaining the Camp David accords.

I liked the overview, thanks for posting it here.