Few among us arent familiar with James Bond’s refrain, when ordering a Martini : ” shaken, not stirred’. Sisi must not like Bond. He made sure to let all Egyptains know he was not ‘Shaken’ after the horrific terrorist attack in Sinai that left 31 dead soldiers. But everything that has transpired since reflects a ‘shaken’ Sisi.
Since that attack, 2 weeks ago, the Sisi govt. has employed a knee jerk reaction campaign in Sinai that has, chiefly, hurt, Sinai residents. Hundreds of homes have been exploded by the army and many more have been bulldozed. Along with with bulldozed homes have been memories, lives and livelyhoods of thousands swept to the curbside. Western reports have reflected an angry local populous silent only due to fear of an army, not in the mood to talk, making its prescence unmistkable. Egyptian press reports, all under control of a regime that insists on a unitary voice supportive of governement actions, reflect a picture of cooperative citizenary and fair compensation.
Sisi appeared, one day after the attack, in an attempt to paint an angry, determined leadership but , in actuality, painted a leadership determined to further tell tales of conspiracy against the nation by enemies, both foreign and domestic. To avoid the very label of ‘shaken’ that Sisi denies he must employ a plan that encompases a calm, holistic solution: political, economic and security based. To avoid that label political naivete must be eschewed
It would appear there is a dearth of political glasses in Sisi’s intimate circle of political advisors.
Till then: shaken, it is.
Words Reign Supreme 