On the August 18 airing of This Week with George Stephanopoulos host George Stepahanopoulos said the crisis in Egypt has been “a case study in U.S. impotence.”
He said this crisis has been “unfolding for months.” That when the Muslim Brotherhood was in control the U.S. “[pressed] them to open up” but they did not. Then, when the military came in “[President Obama] [condemned] the crackdown” but “that [made] no difference either.”
ABC’s Martha Raddatz said, “We seem to have absolutely no leverage in Egypt. We have seen no change, [and regardless of what] the U.S. asks for, nothing happens.”
She also pointed to Obama’s refusal to halt aid to Egypt as one more sign the U.S. has “no plan” guiding the moves our president is taking.
Meanwhile in Egypt, ABC’s Muhammad Lila said the Muslim Brotherhood is “proving that they are willing to fight to the death” if it means “bringing back their ousted president Mohamed Morsi.”
He said both sides see this an a existential struggle. The government and military believe they are fighting terrorists and Islamist extremists intent on “bringing [Egypt] to its knees” while the Muslim brotherhood believe they are “still the legitimate representatives of the people of [Egypt] because they won the last election.”
Lila added, “Things will get far worse before they get better, if they even get better at all.”