On The Road Again

The next leg of his Forgive Us Our Trespasses World Tour set to take place on Thursday in Egypt, President Obama must walk a fine rhetorical line between expounding the virtues of Islam and satisfying the concerns of Human Rights Watch.

By Cynthia Johnston

CAIRO (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama must challenge Egypt's rights record during his visit to Cairo or risk lending legitimacy to harsh tactics of an authoritarian government, rights activists say.

Egypt, the most populous Arab country, has roundly celebrated Obama's choice of venue for his speech to the Muslim world on Thursday as a victory that recognizes Cairo's regional sway at the crossroads of the Arab world and Africa.

Activists say Obama must tread a careful line. Direct and public criticism of his host could rile Cairo and spark a backlash, but they hope Obama will still address abuses like police mistreatment and press for freedom on some level.

"Many Egyptians are extremely concerned that the decision to give the speech from here is in effect a good housekeeping seal," Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director for Human Rights Watch, told Reuters in Cairo.

His group said Obama needed to combat a growing perception rights were "a second-rank concern," and Stork said he hoped the issue would not simply be relegated to private diplomacy.

Others said they were not looking for Obama to publicly dress down Egypt but still expected action at least in private.

Full Article from Reuters

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The Truckling Tour Continues

Perhaps not yet convinced that America has been properly portrayed as having expressed sufficient contrition, President Obama will once again fire up the vehicles necessary to get the Forgive Us Our Trespasses World Tour on the road, this time travelling to Egypt to possibly deliver his latest mea culpa on our behalf.

This June, Obama will make good on his promise to address the Muslims of the world from a Muslim country, speaking from Cairo. The trip will also afford Obama the chance to visit Normandy on the anniversary of D-Day, where I suspect he will take the opportunity to apologize to the French for all the blood stains on the beach.

One must wonder why he picked Egypt instead of the newly democratic Iraq. Egyptian leader Mubarak was so incensed at the Bush administration over its insistence that Egypt democratize that he ceased his annual visits to Washington for Bush's entire second term. Yet this is the venue chosen by The Chosen One to deliver this address. Curious, I say.

Now the question remains concerning Obama's visit to the Muslim world and how he will practice presidential protocol.

To paraphrase William Shakespeare; To bow, or not to bow, that is the question.

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