Oh no, Cairo!
From what anyone with TV or internet or newspaper access can tell, Cairo is quickly heading toward civil war. Even if this can be averted, it’s no secret that the security there will be shaky, at best. Word from Washington is that we will not be allowed into Cairo. All things considered, this suits us just fine.
To begin with, Liebi and I were not eager to jump from the boiling pot into the fire. Months of unrest in Cairo replacing the frigid and sour showdown between the Bolivian and US governments? Anything wrong with peace and quiet for a change? Smooth diplomatic relations?
To begin with, Liebi and I were not eager to jump from the boiling pot into the fire. Months of unrest in Cairo replacing the frigid and sour showdown between the Bolivian and US governments? Anything wrong with peace and quiet for a change? Smooth diplomatic relations?
As for Evo Morales, the U.S. government threw the dice and lost after virtually pulling the Bolivian president’s plane out of the European skies.
We remember the Snowden case, how he flew into Moscow and was temporarily holed up at the airport. Meanwhile, President Evo Morales was attending a conference in Moscow, so the U.S. started to think. And think a little more. In the end, it was clear they were thinking too much.
Convinced that Morales had taken Snowden on board his plane to smuggle him into South America, four European countries denied—seemingly at the behest of the U.S. Government— Evo’s plane flyover rights above their countries’ airspace. Forced to land in Austria as a result, Evo’s plane was searched and turned up empty except for el presidente and his delegation. Embarrassing, to say the least.
The community here waited with baited breath over what would happen, especially on August 6—Bolivia’s independence day, thought by many to be the day he would expel the U.S. Embassy from the country. He did no such thing, of course. In fact, he almost sounded contrite about what had happened. This did not stop him from demanding that the U.S. be tried in an international court for the violation of human rights.
Another good guess would be that Evo—famous for using national holidays to make grand statements—could expel the U.S. on Columbus Day, which would be the irony of ironies. If he doesn’t expel the Embassy on Columbus Day, my guess is that it will never happen.
Which brings us back to Egypt. Where do we go if not to Cairo? There is talk about shifting operations…possibly to Morocco. That, of course, would be a dream come true. Liebi and I were both Peace Corps volunteers in Morocco and first met in Rabat, the city we would be heading to, were they to move AID HQ to Rabat. The cat, Moroccan as well and almost 13 years old, would be heading home.
Morocco has been largely spared by the Arab Spring, although I suppose it helps if the king’s brother controls the military. That said, nothing will convince me that there aren’t at least as many pissed off people in Morocco, a country long known for its high unemployment figures. It will be interesting to see how Morocco has changed over the years, and it would be nice to find out. A final decision about our next post is yet to be made.
Stay tuned.
We remember the Snowden case, how he flew into Moscow and was temporarily holed up at the airport. Meanwhile, President Evo Morales was attending a conference in Moscow, so the U.S. started to think. And think a little more. In the end, it was clear they were thinking too much.
Convinced that Morales had taken Snowden on board his plane to smuggle him into South America, four European countries denied—seemingly at the behest of the U.S. Government— Evo’s plane flyover rights above their countries’ airspace. Forced to land in Austria as a result, Evo’s plane was searched and turned up empty except for el presidente and his delegation. Embarrassing, to say the least.
The community here waited with baited breath over what would happen, especially on August 6—Bolivia’s independence day, thought by many to be the day he would expel the U.S. Embassy from the country. He did no such thing, of course. In fact, he almost sounded contrite about what had happened. This did not stop him from demanding that the U.S. be tried in an international court for the violation of human rights.
Another good guess would be that Evo—famous for using national holidays to make grand statements—could expel the U.S. on Columbus Day, which would be the irony of ironies. If he doesn’t expel the Embassy on Columbus Day, my guess is that it will never happen.
Which brings us back to Egypt. Where do we go if not to Cairo? There is talk about shifting operations…possibly to Morocco. That, of course, would be a dream come true. Liebi and I were both Peace Corps volunteers in Morocco and first met in Rabat, the city we would be heading to, were they to move AID HQ to Rabat. The cat, Moroccan as well and almost 13 years old, would be heading home.
Morocco has been largely spared by the Arab Spring, although I suppose it helps if the king’s brother controls the military. That said, nothing will convince me that there aren’t at least as many pissed off people in Morocco, a country long known for its high unemployment figures. It will be interesting to see how Morocco has changed over the years, and it would be nice to find out. A final decision about our next post is yet to be made.
Stay tuned.
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