December 6, 2012

 In-depth

Egypt's Struggle for Power

Marina Ottaway tells the Council on Foreign Relations that compromise is still elusive in the secularist-Islamist battle for control of Egypt. 

There is a real struggle for power in Egypt right now between the Islamist forces, mostly the Muslim Brotherhood, and the secular opposition, which is extremely fragmented, over who is going to inherit Egypt after former President Hosni Mubarak. The two sides are not fighting with the same weapons. The Muslim Brothers are fighting in the electoral arena, not necessarily because they are more democratic but because they can win elections. So it is to their advantage to have elections, to have a referendum and so on.

 

An Unholy Alliance

Some German lawmakers and companies are still promoting ties to Iran, say Benjamin Weinthal and Emanuele Ottolenghi in the Weekly Standard, despite EU efforts to isolate the Islamic Republic. 

According to official German statistics, German exports to Iran in 2011 were worth over €3 billion. Of these, 579 deals approved by BAFA, Germany’s export control agency, involved dual-use goods, for a total value of 65 million €. Between January and July 2012, Germany increased its exports of industrial machinery to Iran by 14.5 percent and of chemical products by 9.6 percent, over the same period a year earlier. With German exports accounting for nearly one third of the total European Union exports to Iran for 2011, this is hardly the kind of crippling sanctions touted by Western policy makers and decried by Iranian spokesmen.

Daily Digest

• Times of Israel: Peretz quits Labor, joins Tzipi Livni
• Haaretz: Netanyahu: In abstaining from UN vote, Germany did not advance peace
• Jerusalem Post: Hamas to create first Palestinian Defense Ministry
• Ynet: Europe's price tag on the settlements
• New York Times: U.S.-Approved Arms for Libya Rebels Fell Into Jihadis’ Hands
• Washington Post: U.S., allies look to expedite Syria transition planning amid rapid rebel gains
• Wall Street Journal: Students and Housewives vs. Evil Empire

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