He insisted on talking to them, even before his infamous trip to Cairo in 2009. Then he demanded their presence during his speech in Cairo—a demand that was like putting his boot over President Mubarak’s neck. After all, the Muslim Brotherhood was an outlawed organization. Certainly, the Brotherhood took notice of that!
President Obama also confirmed his enchantment with the group when he appointed Dalia Mogahed, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, as his principal advisor on the Middle East.
Then later, at Obama’s encouragement, the aging Egyptian Army generals surrendered their power and helped elect a Brotherhood member, Mohamed Morsi, as Egypt’s president. With Morsi in power, Obama dispatched Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Cairo to deliver a passionate invitation for Morsi to visit Obama.
But she not only had a message for Morsi; she also told the generals that, now that they had helped put Morsi in power, they needed to butt out of politics and go back to their barracks. She didn’t need to worry about the generals, however. As soon as Mr. Morsi took power, he retired the senior generals, giving them a consolation title: Advisor to the President.
To top it all, President Obama further demonstrated his love by turning down a requested visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
But then the tables were turned. While Obama was busy jilting an old friend of the US, Egypt’s Morsi got into the jilting business himself. Morsi would not condemn his fellow Islamists’ attack of the US embassy. Nor would he let his security apparatus stop the Islamists from desecrating the American flag.
After all—although Morsi lived in America, benefited from its education, and cashed in by working for NASA for a while—he is not fond of what America stands for.
After all, he is a Muslim Brotherhood member.
But the Brotherhood knows it has to be careful with Obama. They can’t continue to lead him on if he loses the election. So after a jilted Obama publicly wondered if Egypt was a friend or enemy, Morsi tried to pacify him. Soon after, the streets around the embassy were magically cleared and a few token protestors were arrested.
So has Obama’s love for the Brotherhood been rekindled once again? Will he let them lead him astray once more?
President Obama is not going to ask me for my relationship advice. But if he did, I would tell him, “Get out. This relationship will only lead to ruin. Cancel your meeting with Morsi. Suspend US aid to Egypt for a period. And meet with Netanyahu.”
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