"This is not personal, this is business...repeat after me..."

Moved on! Check TheCairoCalls

I have taken a shot at a fellow blogger yesterday, and I certainly didn't intend to take another one today, but sometimes a man gotta do what a man gotta do. Freedom of Egyptians had restored her composure and managed to write a lengthy post about the 'Syrian Dream', which although I thought was a very informative and perceptive piece, was filled with doubtful conclusions, and plain out contradictions (not the least is the mentioning of 'Syrian' and 'Dream' in the same phrase).

Here is a run down of the dubious points:

1. Pan-Arabisim and Islamic extremism are "two wings for one bird". WHAT? It's ok for Bush to say that. The man can barely pronounce the name of some of his own states. But for somebody actually living in this part of the world, it is an ignorance that can only be described as suspicious. I'm a fan of neither (Pan-Arabisim or Islamic extremism), but the two had always gone in opposite directions. Think Nasser time, think Sadat-after-Camp-David time, and think Assad times in Syria.
2. "Mubarak [...] renounced President Sadat'’s project for peace"!! If anything, Mubarak is as faithful to Sadat's legacy as any president can to be to his predecessoror. And to be honest and fair, I think that Mubarak's show of peace with Israel is as good as any politicianan can possibly pull together. He appeased the Arabs, kept a safe distance from Israel (something which his falling popularity might not help to reverse), and remained in American eyes, as the peace-hitman of the region.
3. "the 'successful' campaign during the 1973 war"! What's with the quotation marks? You know what; I'm tired of this, I have one thing to say, and it is the most practical, pragmatic measure of military success possible: compare Egypt's area before the war with its area after, and do the same with Israel.

My opinion about the situation in Syria follows